Delaware
Delaware mourns Johnny Neel from Allman Brothers, dead at 70
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Saturday is the winter solstice, and parts of Delaware have already had a small, but still measurable, amount of snowfall.
For the first time since Feb. 17, 2024, measurable snowfall was reported in Delaware to the National Weather Service. Community reports of 0.1 inches of snow outside of Newark and in Smyrna are on the board after a storm brought rain and snow to the First State. That is the smallest amount of snowfall that can be recorded.
Wilmington last received measurable snowfall on that February date, but received only a trace Friday night. Parts of Pennsylvania and New Jersey saw more than 5 inches from the same system.
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The storm ushered in dangerously cold air that will grip the Northeast for the weekend.
The temperatures are not so extreme that advisories will be issued, but it is not a good idea to stay outside for very long, said National Weather Service meteorologist Amanda Lee in Mount Holly, New Jersey.
On the night of Dec. 21, temperatures will dip, according to the weather service:
- 17 degrees in Wilmington
- 16 degrees in Dover
- 17 degrees in Georgetown
The overnight of Dec. 22 will be chillier, with temperatures dipping past the teens and wind chills in the single digits. It could plunge to:
- 10 degrees in Wilmington
- 10 degrees in Dover
- 9 degrees in Georgetown
Delaware
Delaware Tourism Office Announces New Sports Tourism Investment Awards – Travel And Tour World
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Delaware
Delaware Tourism Office Announces Latest Round of Sports Tourism Capital Investment Fund Awardees – State of Delaware News
DOVER, Del. – Today, the Delaware Tourism Office announced Sports Tourism Capital Investment Fund awards to five Delaware sports facilities. Established through the Fiscal Year 2024 Bond and Capital Improvements Act, the fund provides financial support to new or existing sports facilities that hold events throughout the year to attract out-of-state visitors and contribute to the state and local economy.
The Delaware Tourism Office accepted applications for the fund from Aug. 1 through Sept. 13, 2024. The office received 17 applications requesting more than $47 million. Available funds totaled $10 million.
Applications were reviewed by a panel, including the co-chairs of the Joint Capital Improvement Committee, Sen. Jack Walsh and Rep. Debra Heffernan, and representatives of the Delaware Tourism Office, the Greater Wilmington Convention and Visitors Bureau, Kent County Tourism, and Southern Delaware Tourism. The panel met on Oct. 24 to begin reviewing the applications and finalized their funding decisions at a meeting on Dec. 12 in Dover.
“Once again, this was a very competitive application process. The panel worked diligently to consider the merits of each facility that applied,” said Sen. Walsh. “The facilities receiving funding play an integral role in encouraging out-of-state visitation and positively impacting our economy. We will continue to encourage visitation through the fund, ensuring that sporting event operators think of Delaware when looking for states to host their tournaments and other competitions in.”
“The fund supports our facilities, encouraging them to expand and attract top sporting events throughout the year as the sports tourism industry grows in our state,” said Rep. Heffernan. “By providing financial support to these facilities, we can make certain that large sports events will continue to attract visitors who will spend money at local businesses, boost our economy and promote Delaware as an ideal destination.”
The facilities receiving funding through the Sports Tourism Capital Investment Fund are:
- Factory Sports ($577,000), to construct two additional basketball courts, two volleyball courts, and six pickleball courts in order to host larger and more frequent tournaments at their facility in Frankford.
- Hudson Fields ($1,123,000), to take initial steps to modernize the facility in Milton by upgrading nine outdoor playing fields, installing two turf soccer fields, and improving seven existing grass fields to tournament standards.
- Bethany Tennis Club ($3,800,000), to build a new structure with multiple interior courts and social gathering spaces to attract year-round events for tennis, pickleball, and padel sports at their Ocean View facility.
- Dover Motor Speedway ($500,000), to implement upgrades to the facility allowing it to continue hosting large-scale events with new paving, elevator upgrades, Infield Media Center refurbishments, and an improved audio system.
- Kirkwood Sports Complex ($4,000,000), to make enhancements to the New Castle facility by upgrading parking infrastructure and expanding parking with 300 additional spots, installing artificial turf on five sports fields, and lighting five turf fields.
On Nov. 15, the Delaware Tourism Office released a sports tourism economic impact study completed by Tourism Economics. The study showed that the sports tourism sector’s direct spending impact in Delaware was $257.9 million in 2023. Those sales supported more than 3,000 part-time and full-time jobs and generated $20.2 million in state and local taxes.
“The recent economic impact study confirmed that sports tourism is a significant economic driver in our state, attracting millions of visitors to Delaware each year and generating millions of dollars in revenue,” said Jessica Welch, director of the Delaware Tourism Office. “We are pleased to be able to support nine different facilities, through the first and second rounds of the capital investment fund, in their expansion efforts and ensure that Delaware offers top-notch sports facilities to event operators and visitors.”
The Delaware Tourism Office, a division of the Delaware Division of Small Business, promotes tourism and economic growth in Delaware. For more information, visit the official Delaware Tourism website at www.visitdelaware.com or call toll-free at 866-284-7483.
###
Media Contact:
Allyson Ennis
Allyson.Ennis@Delaware.gov
Related Topics: Delaware Tourism Office, Sports Tourism, Sports Tourism Capital Investment Fund, tourism
Keep up to date by receiving a daily digest email, around noon, of current news release posts from state agencies on news.delaware.gov.
Here you can subscribe to future news updates.
DOVER, Del. – Today, the Delaware Tourism Office announced Sports Tourism Capital Investment Fund awards to five Delaware sports facilities. Established through the Fiscal Year 2024 Bond and Capital Improvements Act, the fund provides financial support to new or existing sports facilities that hold events throughout the year to attract out-of-state visitors and contribute to the state and local economy.
The Delaware Tourism Office accepted applications for the fund from Aug. 1 through Sept. 13, 2024. The office received 17 applications requesting more than $47 million. Available funds totaled $10 million.
Applications were reviewed by a panel, including the co-chairs of the Joint Capital Improvement Committee, Sen. Jack Walsh and Rep. Debra Heffernan, and representatives of the Delaware Tourism Office, the Greater Wilmington Convention and Visitors Bureau, Kent County Tourism, and Southern Delaware Tourism. The panel met on Oct. 24 to begin reviewing the applications and finalized their funding decisions at a meeting on Dec. 12 in Dover.
“Once again, this was a very competitive application process. The panel worked diligently to consider the merits of each facility that applied,” said Sen. Walsh. “The facilities receiving funding play an integral role in encouraging out-of-state visitation and positively impacting our economy. We will continue to encourage visitation through the fund, ensuring that sporting event operators think of Delaware when looking for states to host their tournaments and other competitions in.”
“The fund supports our facilities, encouraging them to expand and attract top sporting events throughout the year as the sports tourism industry grows in our state,” said Rep. Heffernan. “By providing financial support to these facilities, we can make certain that large sports events will continue to attract visitors who will spend money at local businesses, boost our economy and promote Delaware as an ideal destination.”
The facilities receiving funding through the Sports Tourism Capital Investment Fund are:
- Factory Sports ($577,000), to construct two additional basketball courts, two volleyball courts, and six pickleball courts in order to host larger and more frequent tournaments at their facility in Frankford.
- Hudson Fields ($1,123,000), to take initial steps to modernize the facility in Milton by upgrading nine outdoor playing fields, installing two turf soccer fields, and improving seven existing grass fields to tournament standards.
- Bethany Tennis Club ($3,800,000), to build a new structure with multiple interior courts and social gathering spaces to attract year-round events for tennis, pickleball, and padel sports at their Ocean View facility.
- Dover Motor Speedway ($500,000), to implement upgrades to the facility allowing it to continue hosting large-scale events with new paving, elevator upgrades, Infield Media Center refurbishments, and an improved audio system.
- Kirkwood Sports Complex ($4,000,000), to make enhancements to the New Castle facility by upgrading parking infrastructure and expanding parking with 300 additional spots, installing artificial turf on five sports fields, and lighting five turf fields.
On Nov. 15, the Delaware Tourism Office released a sports tourism economic impact study completed by Tourism Economics. The study showed that the sports tourism sector’s direct spending impact in Delaware was $257.9 million in 2023. Those sales supported more than 3,000 part-time and full-time jobs and generated $20.2 million in state and local taxes.
“The recent economic impact study confirmed that sports tourism is a significant economic driver in our state, attracting millions of visitors to Delaware each year and generating millions of dollars in revenue,” said Jessica Welch, director of the Delaware Tourism Office. “We are pleased to be able to support nine different facilities, through the first and second rounds of the capital investment fund, in their expansion efforts and ensure that Delaware offers top-notch sports facilities to event operators and visitors.”
The Delaware Tourism Office, a division of the Delaware Division of Small Business, promotes tourism and economic growth in Delaware. For more information, visit the official Delaware Tourism website at www.visitdelaware.com or call toll-free at 866-284-7483.
###
Media Contact:
Allyson Ennis
Allyson.Ennis@Delaware.gov
Related Topics: Delaware Tourism Office, Sports Tourism, Sports Tourism Capital Investment Fund, tourism
Keep up to date by receiving a daily digest email, around noon, of current news release posts from state agencies on news.delaware.gov.
Here you can subscribe to future news updates.
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