Multi-Instrumentalist Neal Casal Dead At 50 — What We Know About His Death
Rest in peace, Neal Casal.
Instagram He was a multi-instrumentalist who worked with a variety of musicians from a variety of genres. But, his death literally shook Twitter to its core. How did Neal Casal die?
Let's look at what we know about this legend who is, unfortunately, gone too soon.
1. He was first known as a folk guitarist.
According to Pitchfork, Neal Casal got his start back in the 1980s as a founding member of the folk band Blackfoot. The band got its start in Florida in the late 1980s, but he didn't make a "splash" until he released his 1995 solo album, Fade Away Diamond Time.
2. Neal Casal played with some of the biggest names in the entertainment industry.
"Neal Casal, the influential roots guitarist who played with Willie Nelson, Shooter Jennings, Ryan Adams, Phil Lesh and more, has died at the age of 50. Best known for his work as the lead guitarist in Ryan Adams’ backing band the Cardinals, Casal also played with the Jayhawks, the Chris Robinson Brotherhood and the Hard Working Americans. As an in-demand studio musician, he played on records by Nelson, Jennings, Lucinda Williams, Amanda Shires and Tift Merritt. Casal was also a prolific singer-songwriter in his own right, releasing numerous solo albums and founding the group Circles Around the Sun," read, in part, the obituary for Rolling Stone.
3. His longest gig was for the Chris Robinson Brotherhood.
According to JamBands, Neal Casal was best known for his work with the Chris Robinson Brotherhood. The Brotherhood, which was Chris's follow-up band from the infamous Black Crowes, first recruited Casale in 2011, after he'd played as part of the Brotherhood's opening band.
4. Neal Casal formed a variety of "jam bands."
According to Pollstar, in addition to being part of the Blackfoot band, Neal Casal was a member of The Cardinals, The Hard Working Americans, Oteil & Friends, and of course Circles Around The Sun.
5. Shooter Jennings has released a statement about Neal Casal's passing.
"I am absolutely devastated with the news of the loss of my dear friend and consistent collaborator Neal Casal — he was always my favorite picker in LA and we’d all just finished some beautiful music together. I’m really just hollowed out by this," he said to Louder Music.
6. The cause of death was suicide.
According to Ultimate Classic Rock, Neal Casal's cause of death was suicide.
Our thoughts are with Neal Casal's family during this difficult time.
Bernadette Giacomazzo is an editor, writer, and photographer whose work has appeared in People, Teen Vogue, Us Weekly, The Source, XXL, HipHopDX, The Los Angeles Times, The New York Post, and more. She is also the author of The Uprising series. For more information about Bernadette Giacomazzo, click here.