Art Neville, a member of one of New Orleans' storied musical families, the Neville Brothers, and a founding member of the groundbreaking funk band The Meters, has died at age 81.
Neville's manager, Kent Sorrell, confirmed that Neville died Monday morning. The cause of death was not immediately available but Neville had battled a number of health issues including complications from back surgery.
Neville announced his retirement in December.
In 1954 he was barely 17 when he sang the lead on the Hawketts' remake of a country song called "Mardi Gras Mambo."
More than 60 years later, the song is still a staple of the Carnival season.
The other members of the Neville Brothers included Charles, Cyril, and Aaron. Charles died in 2018.
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