28 May 2026

Big City Rhythm & Blues Mag April-May 2026 Vol32 #2 Eliza Neals spread

https://www.bigcitybluesmag.com/Inside%20Pages/IN_26-4%204-26.html

Image is of Big City Rhythm & Blues Mag April-May 2026 Vol32 #2 CoverWell Big City Rhythm & Blues Magazine did a super review of my album “Thunder In The House” here’s the link here: https://www.elizaneals.com/big-city-blues-mag-ton-of-bricks-thunder-in-the-house-review/ The review was a surprise as I did not think it would be published so quickly and then I came across this great article written by Bob Krause.

I started performing at a bunch of great blues and music festivals around the country and over the years I met and was photographed by Bob Krause. I got to know Bob and then found out he was born in Detroit like myself and we became friends. Big City Rhythm & Blues Mag April-May 2026 Vol32 #2 Eliza Neals & Bob KrauseWell Bob got wind of my new album “THUNDER IN THE HOUSE” and asked to do an interview. I was surprised and said ok lets do it. So over the course of a few emails and a phone call or two Bob put together my story and wrote the “Hastings Street Boogie” article. John Lee Hooker frequented the blues clubs and bars on Hastings Street, the heart of the black entertainment district, on Detroit’s east side. It is nice have these words associated with my long career in and out of Detroit but even a bigger honor to be associated with Mr. Boogie himself.   

“Detroit has a way of shaping voices—gritty, soulful, unfiltered—and Eliza Neals carried that sound long before anyone knew her name.

Born Elizabeth R. Thomasian, she grew up between the hum of Motown history and the hard-edged backdrop of a city that demanded authenticity. As a child, Eliza grew up in a house where music was not just background noise, it was the family’s shared language. Her earliest stages were talent contest and school choirs, the first steps on a path that would eventually lead her into Detroit clubs where the lights were dim, the pianos were out of tune, and the audience could spot a fake from a mile away. She never had to worry about that. Her voice three and half octaves of raw, blues-rock fire, was unmistakably real.

Big City Rhythm & Blues Mag April-May 2026 Vol32 #2 Eliza Neals Pg28 "Big City Rhythm & Blues March 10, 2026 Eliza Neals THUNDER IN THE HOUSE by Bob Krause Detroit has a way of shaping voices—gritty, soulful, unfiltered—and Eliza Neals carried that sound long before anyone knew her name. Born Elizabeth R. Thomasian, she grew up between the hum of Motown history and the hard-edged backdrop of a city that demanded authenticity. As a child, Eliza grew up in a house where music was not just background noise, it was the family’s shared language. Her earliest stages were talent contest and school choirs, the first steps on a path that would eventually lead her into Detroit clubs where the lights were dim, the pianos were out of tune, and the audience could spot a fake from a mile away. She never had to worry about that. Her voice three and half octaves of raw, blues -rock fire, was unmistakably real. She earned a BA in Music from Wayne State University, mastering classical technique even as she craved the grit of the blues. Eventually, as she likes to say, “the blues chose me.” I had inquired about her first professional performance, she replied “I stepped into my professional career at just 22, taking on a three‐year residency as the bandleader, pianist, and vocalist of a trio at Southfield’s elite club The Excalibur , a gig that demanded poise, stamina, and the kind of musical authority most singers don’t find until much later.” It was at the Excalibur along with other Detroit area clubs where she began to sharpen her piano chops and found her sound, a fusion of blues, rock and soul that did not fit neatly into any box, boxes were for other people. Her life changed when Motown legend Barrett Strong Jr. heard her sing. He recognized the rare combination of power and vulnerability in her voice and took her under his wing. With his mentorship, she released her early albums and learned the business from the inside out, including songwriting, arranging, and producing. She was not just a singer, she was a builder, a creator, and a force. The music industry did not always know what to do with a woman who refused to shrink herself. So, she built her own path. She founded her independent label E-H Records LLC., wrote her own songs, produced her own records, and assembled and led her own band. She became the kind of artist who did not wait for permission, she made her own stage and invited the world to listen. Her label became more than a business; it became a declaration. She owned her masters, her sound, and her story. She proved that a woman could run her own house in an industry that still tries to hand women the keys instead of letting them build the foundation. SiriusXM is one of the most influential platforms for breaking and sustaining an artist’s presence especially in niche genres like blues, country, and adult rock. It is uniquely powerful because of its national reach, curated channels, and programs designed specifically to elevate emerging artists. Eliza Neals is one of the first Detroit artists to break onto B.B. King’s Bluesville, earning heavy rotation beginning in 2015, a rare feat in modern blues, and has remained a staple on the channel ever since, with multiple albums receiving consistent national airplay. She has charted Billboard To 25, Roots Music Report #1, and Amazon Hot New Release #1. Her catalog carries the fingerprints of her independence. Cholorchrimes, the album she calls her proudest..."She earned a BA in Music from ‘Wayne State University,’ mastering classical technique even as she craved the grit of the blues. Eventually, as she likes to say, “the blues chose me.” I had inquired about her first professional performance, she replied “I stepped into my professional career at just 22, taking on a three‐year residency as the bandleader, pianist, and vocalist of a trio at Southfield’s elite club The Excalibur, a gig that demanded poise, stamina, and the kind of musical authority most singers don’t find until much later.” It was at the Excalibur along with other Detroit area clubs where she began to sharpen her piano chops and found her sound, a fusion of blues, rock and soul that did not fit neatly into any box, boxes were for other people.

Her life changed when Motown legend Barrett Strong Jr. heard her sing. He recognized the rare combination of power and vulnerability in her voice and took her under his wing. With his mentorship, she released her early albums and learned the business from the inside out, including songwriting, arranging, and producing. She was not just a singer, she was a builder, a creator, and a force.

The music industry did not always know what to do with a woman who refused to shrink herself. So, she built her own path. She founded her independent label E-H Records LLC., wrote her own songs, produced her own records, and assembled and led her own band. She became the kind of artist who did not wait for permission, she made her own stage and invited the world to listen. Her label became more than a business; it became a declaration. She owned her masters, her sound, and her story. She proved that a woman could run her own house in an industry that still tries to hand women the keys instead of letting them build the foundation.

Big City Rhythm & Blues Mag April-May 2026 Vol32 #2 Eliza Neals Pg29 " work, became a healing force for her and for the listeners who found themselves inside its raw, soul‐burning honesty. And now she is stepping into a new era with Thunder In The House, an upcoming release that promises the same electricity she brings to every room she walks into. One of her most unforgettable performances took place at Buddy Guy’s Legends, where Buddy himself stepped onto the stage mid‐set, turning the room electric. A close second was her third invitation to the Mustique Blues Festival, singing with Joe Louis Walker and the All‐Star Band, when she glanced left and realized Mick Jagger was dancing just offstage as she sang. Eliza has opened for Buddy Guy, Joe Louis Walker, Barrett Strong, Four Tops, Walter Trout, Popa Chubby, Tommy Castro, Rick Estrin and more. She has shared the stage with all the abovementioned plus George Clinton and Mike Zito. Not only is Eliza a premiere vocalist, singer‐songwriter, pianist, and performer, but she has also earned a remarkable number of industry accolades. She has received 20 Independent Blues Awards nominations and has won five of her thirty-three nominations from the Detroit Music Awards, along with a Detroit Black Music Award. Among her DMA wins are Outstanding Blues Recording (2016) and Outstanding Blues Songwriter (2015). She was also nominated for the Detroit Black Music Award for “Blues Artist of the Year” in 2017. And these represent only a portion of her extensive nominations and wins. Eliza Neals has pushed the boundaries of modern blues, bending it toward the future without losing the soul of where it came from. She did not just become a Detroit blues-rock powerhouse, she became her own label, her own engine, her own storm." written by Bob Krause

All Photo’s by Bob Krause except Top Right photo taken by Rick Lewis of Florida

SiriusXM is one of the most influential platforms for breaking and sustaining an artist’s presence especially in niche genres like blues, country, and adult rock. It is uniquely powerful because of its national reach, curated channels, and programs designed specifically to elevate emerging artists. Eliza Neals is one of the first Detroit artists to break onto B.B. King’s Bluesville, earning heavy rotation beginning in 2015, a rare feat in modern blues, and has remained a staple on the channel ever since, with multiple albums receiving consistent national airplay. She has charted Billboard To 25, Roots Music Report #1, and Amazon Hot New Release #1. Her catalog carries the fingerprints of her independence. “Colorcrimes”, the album she calls her proudest work, became a healing force for her and for the listeners who found themselves inside its raw, soul‐burning honesty. And now she is stepping into a new era with “Thunder In The House,” an upcoming release that promises the same electricity she brings to every room she walks into. One of her most unforgettable performances took place at Buddy Guy’s Legends, where Buddy himself stepped onto the stage mid‐set, turning the room electric. A close second was her third invitation to the Mustique Blues Festival, singing with Joe Louis Walker and the All‐Star Band, when she glanced left and realized Mick Jagger was dancing just offstage as she sang. Eliza has opened for Buddy Guy, Joe Louis Walker, Barrett Strong, Four Tops, Walter Trout, Popa Chubby, Tommy Castro, Rick Estrin and more. She has shared the stage with all the above mentioned plus George Clinton and Mike Zito.

     Not only is Eliza a premiere vocalist, singer‐songwriter, pianist, and performer, but she has also earned a remarkable number of industry accolades. She has received 20 Independent Blues Awards nominations, including two wins in 2024, and has won five of her thirty-three nominations from the Detroit Music Awards, along with a Detroit Black Music Award. Her DMA honors include Outstanding Blues Recording (2016) and Outstanding Blues Songwriter (2015). She was also nominated for the Detroit Black Music Award for “Blues Artist of the Year” in 2017 and went on to win the 2018 Detroit Black Music Award for ‘Artist of the Year.’ And these represent only a portion of her extensive nominations and wins.

Eliza Neals has pushed the boundaries of modern blues, bending it toward the future without losing the soul of where it came from. She did not just become a Detroit blues-rock powerhouse, she became her own label, her own engine, her own storm.” By Bob Krause

Wow thank you Big City Rhythm and Blues Magazine you have truly lit up my May 2026 thank you Mr. Bob Krause!

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"Eliza Neals and the Narcotics" putting the Magic back into BluesRock with Top Of The Charts Recordings and Mind Blowing LIVE Performances!