Singer and harmonica player Raful Neal died in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on September 1.
He was 68.Born in Baton Rouge, Neal was raised in tiny Chamberlain, LA. He began playing blues harmonica at 14 and was playing in Louisiana juke joints by the time he was 17. While many of his contemporaries, including bandmate Buddy Guy, moved to Chicago in the 1950s and 60s, Neal chose to stay in Baton Rouge to raise his family. His first recording, Sunny Side of Love, was released in 1958. He continued to record for regional labels. In 1987 Neal received a W.C. Handy Blues Award for his recording Man, Watch Your Woman.