About
Neal
Neal, whose lyrics speak to a costal lifestyle, calls Western Bay, NL his
hometown. Western Bay, which is located on the Baccalieu Trail, is in one of the most scenically attractive
areas of the province, an area known for its "around the bay" outports and
friendly, slow-paced way of life.
In the early 1990's a solo career brought Neal to Eastern Ontario. In
1997, however, when O'Leary could stay away no longer, he returned home and
formed a group that released their debut album Music In The Air.
March of 2001 saw the release of Up All Night, Neal's second self-produced
recording. The album immediately met with huge success, including acolades
from music industry professionals in radio and television liking to O'Leary's
second self-produced recording, .
That year he was nominated for Folk Roots Artist of the Year at the
East Coast Music Awards. In addition, he received six nominations in
various categories at the Music Industry Association Awards. In 2002 Neal
completed the Music Industry Association Emerging Artist Tour that took in
all Arts and Culture centers across Newfoundland and Labrador. Neal believes
this tour played a vital role in bringing his music to a whole new level of
appreciation.
Between 2001 and 2003, the people of Newfoundland also had the opportunity
to see the Neal O'Leary Band perform in concert during a school tour
titled Keeping Our Musical Heritage Alive. This was a tour that the
band enthusiastically organized and flawlessly executed.
Neal released his third album, While I Was Gone in May 2004, another
self-produced recording made up almost entirely of his own tunes. The album
was recorded at Great Big Studios in St John's NL. Neal anticipates
a successful future in the music industry and continues to promote the importance
of creating original music. In his eyes, that's what being an artist and a
performer is all about.
In the fall of 2004, with Bobby Evans and the Cobblestones, he conducted
the "Promoting a Cleaner Environment Tour" of schools in Newfoundland
and Labrador. In November he is participating in the ""Hot Off The
Rock" Tour of Ontario also with Bobby Evans and the Cobblestones. He
was nominated as Male Artist of the Year 2004 by the Music Industry Association
of Newfoundland and Labrador.
