Delaware

Delaware mourns Johnny Neel from Allman Brothers, dead at 70

Published

1 year ago

October 8, 2024

Delaware mourns Johnny Neel from Allman Brothers, dead at 70

Wilmington native Johnny Neel, a blind rock star who played keys for The Allman Brothers Band, died Sunday, Oct. 6. He was 70 years old.

Forty years ago, Neel left Delaware for Music City in Nashville.

Neel’s passing was announced on his Facebook page by Wilmingtonian Doug Jones, who is a business manager at Straight Up Sound Studio in Nashville, a studio Neel owned.

“We have sad news to share. Johnny Neel passed away today from a massive heart failure. His wife Christine and his daughter Johnna were by his side,” the post said. “As many of you know, Johnny had a stroke in 2019 and never quite recovered from it. We are deeply saddened and will miss him greatly.”

Jones created a GoFundMe for Neel’s family. It has raised over $4,400. The goal is $25,000.

Bruce Willis, Allman Brothers, Willie Nelson linked to Johnny Neel

Despite being blind at birth, Neel had a vision for greatness. After moving to Nashville in 1984, he played keyboard and organ for musicians and acts ranging from Gov’t Mule and Peter Wolf to Willie Nelson and Todd Snider.

And after years of working as a session musician and songwriter in Nashville, Neel joined the reunited Allman Brothers Band in 1989 for one album — “Seven Turns” — and an extensive tour behind the single, “Good Clean Fun,” which was co-written by Neel. On that same Allman Brothers Band album, the song “True Gravity,” with Neel on the keys, was nominated for a Grammy Award for best rock instrumental.

Additionally, Neel toured with jam bands like Blue Floyd, Deep Fried and Grease Factor before taking to the road with Bruce Willis and his blues band, the Accelerators, in 2005.

The decorated keyboardist was inducted into the Delaware Rock & Roll Society’s Hall of Fame in 2019.

George Thorogood in Rock Hall of Fame? This fan wants your help to make it so

George Thorogood praised Johnny Neel

Before making his debut at the Freeman Arts Pavilion in Selbyville this past summer, for his 50th anniversary tour, Wilmington-born rock legend George Thorogood praised Neel during an interview with Delaware Online/The News reporter Ryan Cormier that published in April.

When asked which Delaware bands where his contemporaries back in the day, the 74-year-old Thorogood answered:

“All of them. There was Lisa Jack and the Boys in the Back. The fabulous Watson Brothers. Blind Johnny [Neel] who was a genius and should have been a superstar.”

June Jam was one of Johnny Neel’s favorite spots

In April, Neel told The News Journal that the June Jam festival in Houston held a special place in his heart. Neel said he played the event about 20 times and whenever he returned, it was like a reunion.

“It was like the highlight of my year. I’d look forward to come back up there and see my old friends and play [for] Bob [Hartley],” Neel explained about June Jam.

He was friends with Bob Hartley, the longtime president of June Jam. Hartley died suddenly at age 68 in April, and Neel said he appreciated that Hartley, who grew up in Dover, treated his festival staff and the other music artists kindly at June Jam, which the keys player noted isn’t always the case at other music festivals.

Delaware scores Steve Urkel actor: Here’s what to know about fall event

Johnny Neel had a wild sense of humor

Neel had a comical sense of humor, and he displayed it when reminiscing about a funny story involving his late pal Hartley.

As the story goes, Hartley purchased a limo at a Philadelphia auction that previously belonged to famous opera singer Luciano Pavarotti, and he’d bring June Jam staffers in the limo with him to see Neel and other popular rockers in concert over the years, said Brian Manges, who is Hartley’s best friend and longtime June Jam musical director.

Manges, of Dover, said it was cool hanging out with Hartley backstage at Allman Brothers shows. Neel fondly recalled Hartley’s posh ride.

“I was driving the limo!” the visually impaired keyboardist joked. “Bob Hartley’s a very good person and he loved music. … I hope he rests in peace.”

Delaware music artists grieve Johnny Neel

A wave of musicians and supporters from Delaware and Nashville have flooded Neel’s Facebook wall with over 700 comments, writing tributes in memory of the legend:

“RIP Johnny Neal,” singer-songwriter Warren Haynes, best known for being a longtime guitarist for the Allman Brothers, wrote on his own Facebook page. “Aside from being an amazing musician and singer, Johnny was one of the funniest people on the planet — a true character.”

“Oh my goodness. I’m so sorry to hear this. Prayers of comfort and healing for all who knew and loved him,” wrote Judy Mangini, lead singer of the band Judy Sings the Blues, which was inducted into the Delaware Rock & Roll Society’s Hall of Fame in 2023.

“So sad.. he will forever be a huge inspiration on all of us in many ways. My deepest condolences to you and Johnny’s family,” said Jake Banaszak, guitarist of Lower Case Blues, a band that is in Delaware’s Blues Hall of Fame.

“He was a great mentor to me. A musical genius, and a bad mf,” said Pat Kane, a guitarist/vocalist for Kid Davis and The Bullets, a band that was inducted into the Delaware Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in September.

“RIP Soul Bear. You certainly were one of a kind,” wrote Nashville’s Joanna Cotten, a former background singer for country superstar Eric Church.

Cotten added, “So honored God crossed our paths on this earth. Now go find Aretha and Ray and have the best jam session ever known!”

Have a story idea? Contact Ryan Cormier of Delaware Online/The News Journal at rcormier@delawareonline.com or (302) 324-2863. Follow him on Facebook (@ryancormier) and X (@ryancormier).

If you have an interesting story idea, email lifestyle reporter Andre Lamar at alamar@gannett.com. Consider signing up for his weekly newsletter, DO Delaware, at delawareonline.com/newsletters.

Source link

Click to comment

Delaware

Delaware will save more than $300M after federal tax decoupling takes effect

Published

2 hours ago

December 16, 2025

Press Room

Delaware will save more than 0M after federal tax decoupling takes effect

The fiscal year 2027 forecast remained relatively flat from the October meeting. But some expenses declined, including salaries for teachers. Brian Maxwell, state director of Management and Budget, said teacher salary expenses were down because student enrollment has dropped. He said federal immigration policy could be impacting the state’s Multilingual Learners.

“Obviously, there have been a number of students that may not be showing up to class just because of the enforcement of [Immigration and Customs Enforcement],” he said. “So some of the families may be scared to actually send their kids to school.”

Maxwell said overall enrollment is down, but the number of students needing special education services is up. The next student count is in February.

DEFAC members also discussed the revised Healthcare Spending benchmark. In September, the subcommittee devised a methodology that only used healthcare inflation, resulting in a 7.13% for 2026.

“We all gathered in October and there was a fair amount of concern with that outcome,” said Christen Linke Young, director of Health and Social Services. “So the subcommittee reconvened earlier this month to consider a new approach.”

After adopting the methodology using expected national inflation data and a three-year measure of health care cost growth, the benchmark now sits at 4.9%. But Young said there would be no penalty for hospitals exceeding the guideline.

Gov. Meyer and the state’s largest nongovernmental employer, ChristianaCare Health System, reached an agreement earlier this year in a lawsuit the regional hospital system filed last year. The Diamond State Hospital Cost Review Board was created by lawmakers in June 2024 to try to rein in hospital spending. But the agreement, which requires new legislation and the governor’s signature, would strip the board of its authority to approve and modify hospital budgets.

Source link

Delaware

Snow melting soon as Delaware warms after icy blast

Published

14 hours ago

December 15, 2025

Press Room

Snow melting soon as Delaware warms after icy blast

Delaware may have seen its first snowfall of the season, but it won’t stick around for long.

Despite below freezing temperatures Dec. 15 and Dec. 16, it’s possible that by the weekend there won’t be a trace of snow.

Here’s what to know about this week’s weather and snow melt.

When will the snow melt away?

While Delaware will face freezing temperatures Dec. 15 and Dec. 16, the National Weather Service forecast is calling for a warmup starting on Dec. 17. Here’s the forecast:

New Castle County

Cold weather will continue this evening and into Dec. 16 with lows dropping into the teens. The county will hit 32 degrees on Dec. 16 before dropping to 22 that night. Temperatures start climbing into the low 40s with partly sunny skies on Dec. 17. Highs will hit 51 degrees on Dec. 18. If most of the snow hasn’t melted by that point, it should be gone after rain goes through the area during the overnight between Dec. 17 and Dec. 18. Highs will remain above freezing, hitting 44 on Dec. 18.

Kent County

Lows will drop into the teens overnight before climbing above freezing on Dec. 16. On Dec. 17, Kent County will see partly sunny skies with highs in the upper 40s. It will be mostly cloudy on Dec. 18 with highs hitting 55. There’s a 90% chance of rain during the overnight hours into Dec. 19. The 19th is looking mostly cloudy with highs reaching 47.

Sussex County

After lows hit 19 during the overnight tonight, the high for Dec. 16 will be 38 degrees with sunny skies. Any snow in the southern part of the state will vanish Dec. 17 and Dec 18. Both days will feature sunny skies with highs reaching the low 50s on Dec. 17 and almost hitting 60 on Dec. 18.

What is black ice?

Despite the warm up, overnight temperatures are expected to be below freezing. If you are driving at night, you’ll need to watch out for black ice.

According to The Weather Channel, black ice is a thin layer of ice that forms on roads and is difficult to see. It’s generally found on bridges, overpasses and spots on the road shaded by trees or other objects.

If roadways are wet from rain, snow or fog and temperatures drop below 32 degrees, black ice can form on roadways.

If you hit black ice, you should do the following:

Keep your steering wheel straight.
Do not brake
Take your foot off the accelerator to reduce speed

Source link

Delaware

Delayed openings in Delaware: What schools are starting late?

Published

1 day ago

December 15, 2025

Press Room

Delayed openings in Delaware: What schools are starting late?

Potentially icy road conditions have led every public school in Delaware to announce delayed openings for Dec. 15.

Every public school is operating on some sort of delay, most of which are two hours. The Delaware Department of Transportation already sent out a warning about treacherous driving conditions. Whatever has not dried from the Dec. 14 snowstorm will freeze over as temperatures plunge into the 20s and winds kick up over night.

The following school districts have announced delays.