About

Eliza Neals

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Award winning multi-talented musician

Standing before one of America’s truest art forms with an unconditional passion to give the Blues everything she’s got. Eliza Neals, a Detroit born blues-rock star on the rise, honors the gut-wrenching, soul splitting intent the American roots of contemporary blues represents with inspired songwriting, live performances, and magic not seen in years…

Original compositions have garnered Eliza a 2018 Detroit Black Music Award for “Blues Artist of the Year.” and FIVE Detroit Music Awards. A total of seventeen nominations in the “Independent Blues Awards” along with “Get Ready To Rock UK’s” glowing Best Artists awards in five categories. 

Eliza’s history of performing/opening for legendary musicians goes back many years from Detroit’s songwriting godfather Barrett Strong to George Clinton, The Four Tops, Kenny Olson, Tony Joe White, Lance Lopez, Mike Zito, Tommy Castro, Walter Trout, Poppa Chubby, Albert Castiglia, Micki Free, Victor Wainwright, King Solomon Hicks, Peter Keys and Blues Foundation HOF bluesman Joe Louis Walker.

Eliza last full album “Black Crow Moan” is a ‘Top Album of 2020’ after landing on so many best of lists. “Black Crow Moan” finished 2020 on a high note with continued radio play and rescheduled tours in 2021.

SIRIUS XM CH.74 B.B. Kings Bluesville has had Eliza Neals in rotation since she released her incendiary ‘Breaking and Entering’ literally breaking her into the National Blues scene. A total of sixteen of Eliza’s songs have been played on Sirius XM satellite radio. Her blues ballad “Another Lifetime” reached #6 on Rack-of-Blues and her last album “Black Crow Moan” reached #9 on Rack-of-Blues in 2020. “Sugar Daddy” released the summer of 2021 reached #5 and remained on for twelve weeks and finished #12 in the TOP 15 Blues Songs of 2021 on RACK-OF-BLUES year end list. “Queen of the Nile”, Eliza’s latest blues ballad from blues-rock critical acclaimed 2022 album “Badder to the Bone” is currently in heavy rotation and reached #5 on Rack-of-Blues. Eliza’s albums have reached onto Billboard Top #25 and had 5 singles, and albums in the TOP 5 spots on Amazon and Itunes for over 3 months.

A cadre of amazing musicians has backed up Eliza Neals over the years. “The best in the business” is what people are saying with an all-star line-up wherever Eliza goes, the audience will be thrilled with her band and plethora of special guests.

Her radio charting and press is phenomenal, however, the standout is seeing Eliza Neals perform live. Eliza’s live shows are exciting, intoxicating and jam-packed with sultry powerful vocals, spirited moves, and soulful piano playing, all while leading her stellar band not missing a beat. Phil Ohlinger the president of the Ohio “Big Bend Blues Bash” who booked Eliza said… “In seventeen years we have had some great women vocalists perform but NOT ONE has outperformed Eliza. I think we have a new crowd favorite!.”

WIKIPEDIA

Eliza Neals started out singing and performing with her sisters and eventually was told, “you have to get a degree to live under this roof.” So Eliza chose Opera studies and graduated from Detroit’s Wayne State University (WSU) with a Bachelor of Arts degree, minor in piano. Touring with WSU concert chorale performing in Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Belgium and UK’s Glastonbury as a Mezzo Soprano Opera singer was thrilling but not enough for Eliza Neals, eventually the blues chose Eliza.

Back in Detroit sitting in and performing at clubs like: Floods, Old Detroit, Burt’s Warehouse, The Rhinoceros, Soup Kitchen, Bakers Keyboard Lounge and more, honed her voice, signature style and piano chops. A chance meeting with the Motown Legend Barrett Strong Jr. led to Eliza signing to his record label, learning to produce and arrange (vocals to strings) in his multi-million dollar studio. Eliza and Barrett became good friends; he showed her the many hidden secrets of a Motown trained singer, songwriter and performer. The previous artist’s Barrett Strong produced were Marvin Gaye and Gladys Night making Eliza Neals the last Motown trained R&B vocalist from Detroit. Eliza Neals has credit as co-songwriter and co-producer on “Stronghold II” Barrett Strong’s latest album.

Eliza Neals Sugar Daddy Top 15 Blues Songs of 2021 by Sirius XM Bluesville
2021 Top 15 Songs SiriusXM Bluesville
#12 Sugar Daddy
About Eliza Neals Detroit Black Music Awards Winner
2018 Detroit Black Music Award
"Blues Artist of the Year"
About Eliza Neals Detroit Music Awards Winner 2016
2016 Detroit Music Award
"Outstanding Blues Recording"
About Eliza Neals Detroit Music Awards Winner 2015
2015 Detroit Music Award
"Outstanding Blues Songwriter"
Independent Blues Awards 2015-2022 Seventeen Nominations for Eliza Neals
2015-22 Independent Blues Awards
"17 Nominations"
About Eliza Neals Music Connection Hot 100
2014 Music Connection
"Hot 100 Live Unsigned" Artist/Musician/Band
About Eliza Neals Detroit Music Awards Winner 2013
2013 Detroit Music Award
“Outstanding Rock/Pop Songwriter”
About Eliza Neals Detroit Music Awards Winner 2013
2013 Detroit Music Award
“Outstanding Blues/R&B Recording”
2013 Real Detroit's
“Best of Detroit Blues Artist/Group”
About Eliza Neals Detroit Music Awards Winner 2012
2012 Detroit Music Award
"Outstanding Blues Songwriter"
DMAs Eliza Neals 30+ Nominations Blues Rock Vocalist Songwriter Music Video National Single + more
1999 - 2021 DMA Noms
33+ Blues Rock Vocalist Writer +
Eliza Neals Blues-Rock album 10,000 feet below
“10,000 Feet Below”
Critical Acclaim

#1 New York Album Charts for 4 Weeks straight!
#2 Blues-Rock Charts
#8 Blues Worldwide

"Breaking and Entering"
Critical Acclaim

Top 10 Album on Amazon for 4 months straight
#11 Debut Weekly Album Blues Chart

Eliza Neals You Aint My Dog No More
“You Ain’t My Dog No More”
Critical Acclaim

#1 New York Single Charts
#3 Blues-Rock Single Charts
#10 Blues Radio Charts

“On this Merry Christmas Day” w/ Barrett Strong
Critical Acclaim

#1 Song on debut
#1 Album Roots Music Report

"the Narcotics"

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Present and Past Band Members
Frankie Maneiro
Guitarist
About Eliza Neals John Abraham
John Abraham
Bassist
About Eliza Neals Lenny Bradford
Lenny Bradford
Bassist
About Eliza Neals John Medeiros on drums
John Medeiros
Drummer
Chris Vega
Bassist
Barrett Strong Jr.
Barrett Strong
Motown Legendary Songwriter
Eliza Neals standing room only show in the most famous blues club in the USA Buddy Guy's Legends

Eliza Neals standing room only show in the most famous blues club in the USA Buddy Guy’s Legends

More About Eliza Neals

Barrett Strong is one of my mentors after graduating from Wayne State University in Detroit. I received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Voice for Opera and a minor in piano. I traveled to Europe and felt the opera lifestyle was not suited for me at the time. I returned to Detroit and performed five nights a week in smokey clubs and everywhere else. I met Barrett and worked in his studio as tons of artists came in and out everyday. He showed me (almost) every trick in the book and you can hear some of them on my records. I love classic, late 60’s rock and 70’s soul; Jackson Browne, Bonnie Raitt, Marvin Gaye, Jimi Hendrix, and Aretha Franklin. My sisters and I would play their records and the piano as kids. I would take their music and play it my way, and make it my own. I still love all the greats, Doobie Brothers, Elton John, Rolling Stones, Carole King, James Taylor, Albert Collins, Blind Faith, Neil Young, Koko Taylor, B.B. King and so many more.

I learned the blues and started making these songs, mashed together with rock, and Southern rock. That’s when it really stoked me. I mean, Jackson Brown; the way he would play the piano was just so soulful, yet, so bluesy. All those people really got into my bloodstream. Of course there was Led Zeppelin too, and as far as female singers, Janis Joplin was way up there for me. I love Bonnie Raitt, and I listen to her constantly. I love funk, and Motown…” – American Blues Scene 2015 Interview

Eliza Neals live performances are stunning

Eliza Neals the bluesrock stunning powerhouse fills Buddy Guy’s Legends to capacity on a rainy Sunday night.