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.