Neal Casal obit

 

Neal Casal, Singer-Songwriter and Veteran Folk Guitarist, Dead at 50

The musician, who has died by suicide, played with Ryan Adams, Cass McCombs, Phil Lesh, and many more

He was not on the list.

Neal Casal, the singer-songwriter and Cardinals multi-instrumentalist, has died by suicide, his representative tells Pitchfork. He was 50 years old. Casal, who left his imprint across folk and Americana in a career spanning three decades, had been recording an album with Circles Around the Sun in the week before his death. His body was found yesterday evening (August 26).

Casal began his career in the late 1980s with a stint in the Florida rock band Blackfoot with Rickey Medlocke. After his debut solo album, 1995’s Fade Away Diamond Time, Casal embarked on a wide-ranging career including several more solo LPs. He performed with the Cardinals from 2005 until the group’s hiatus in 2009, on releases including Ryan Adams’ Easy Tiger and the Willie Nelson album Songbird. His various outfits also include the Chris Robinson Brotherhood and, with Cass McCombs and Beechwood Sparks members, the Skiffle Players. In 2010, he released a book of photography titled Ryan Adams & the Cardinals: A View of Other Windows, with a foreword by Adams and an afterword by Grateful Dead’s Phil Lesh, with whom he often performed.

A statement from Casal’s team reads: “As many of you know, Neal was a gentle, introspective, deeply soulful human being who lived his life through artistry and kindness. His family, friends and fans will always remember him for the light that he brought to the world. Rest easy Neal, we love you.”

Director Ray Foley made a documentary about Casal's influences and inspirations during the making of his sixth album in 2001 entitled Neal Casal: Anytime Tomorrow.

In 2009, two Hazy Malaze songs were featured on Private Practice season three, episode seven "The Hard Part" and Casal's single "The Losing End Again" appeared in Fringe season two, episode seventeen "Olivia. In The Lab. With The Revolver.".

Casal was Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn's voice coach for the 2004 movie Starsky & Hutch and played guitar on Owen Wilson's performance of "Don't Give Up On Us" which was also featured on the soundtrack.

Casal sang the lead vocals on "The Game" on "The Music of Jason Crigler", released on Rudy Records. Casal co-wrote and sang backing vocals on "The Truest Kind", on the album Danny and The Champions of The World.

In 2011, Casal worked as Garrett Hedlund's guitar instructor for the movie Country Strong and also appears in the film  as Gwyneth Paltrow's guitar player.

On July 20, 2021, Highway Butterfly: The Songs of Neal Casal, a 3-CD tribute compilation of cover versions by various performers, was released through the Neal Casal Music Foundation. Contributing artists included Marcus King, Eric Krasno, Phil Lesh, Susan Tedeschi, Derek Trucks, Jimmy Herring, Oteil Burbridge, Bob Weir, Warren Haynes, Steve Earle, and The Allman Betts Band.