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NEW ORLEANS (AP) — New Orleans keyboardist and vocalist Art Neville, a founding member of the Meters and the Neville Brothers, has officially retired from music.
The 81-year-old announced his retirement in a press release Wednesday.
The New Orleans Advocate reports Neville has battled a number of health issues recently that have severely limited his mobility, including complications from back surgery. He has not performed publicly in more than a year.
In July, the Recording Academy bestowed its Lifetime Achievement Award on the Meters. Neville did not attend the ceremony in Los Angeles; his son represented him.
He was barely 17 when, in 1954, he sang lead on the Hawketts' remake of a country song called "Mardi Gras Mambo." More than 60 years later, the song is still a staple of the Carnival season.
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Information from: The New Orleans Advocate, http://www.neworleansadvocate.com
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