Hemispheres Magazine

NEW DOO
Aaron Neville goes back to his roots

This month, honey-throated R&B singer Aaron Neville releases My True Story, a collection of covers of doo-wop tunes that inspired him as a kid—stuff like “Under the Boardwalk” and “Be My Baby.” But when asked to single out a favorite, he demurs.

“Some of the first key singers that inspired me were Clyde McPhatter, Sonny Til and my brother, Art Neville,” he says, “but there are so many doo-wop songs and groups that it’s hard to name just one. The entire era left its impression deep in my heart and soul.”

More important, it laid the foundation for a hugely successful career. “Doo-wop gave me the desire to sing harmonies; the music inspired me to hit the high notes, the bass notes and all the in-betweens. Now I’m just trying to learn how to do them all at once,” he says. “This album has been in my blood since the beginning of my career.” JAN. 22

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