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Last edited by JDDJS (talk | contribs) 16 days ago. (Update) |
Neal Gladstone | |
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 Neal Gladstone at a 2017 tribute concert held in his honor at the Whiteside Theater, Corvallis, Oregon, USA. | |
| Background information | |
| Also known as |
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| Born | July 23, 1945 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Origin | Stillwater, Oklahoma, U.S. |
| Died | April 5, 2024 (aged 78) Corvallis, Oregon, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupations |
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| Instruments |
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| Discography | [1] |
| Years active | 1962–2011 |
| Labels |
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| Formerly of |
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| Spouse(s) | Barbara Gladstone |
| Website | nealgladstone |
Early Life edit
Neal was born on 23 July 1945 in Chicago, Illinois, into a musical family where everyone played piano. He and his sister also played violin. The family moved to Stillwater, Oklahoma when Neal was five, where his father, Roy, was Professor of Educational Psychology at Oklahoma State University. His mother, Lillian, encouraged Neal's creativity, and was involved in theater and music herself.
Neal spent a year in India when he was sixteen, when his father won a Fulbright sabbatical. In India, Neal learned guitar and began composing his own songs.
His first paid performance was in 1962 in Stillwater, Okalahoma, and like John Lennon’s first public performance in Liverpool, it was done from the back of a truck. He graduated from Stillwater High School in 1963, and then attended the University of Chicago. He officially majored in psychology, but, as he noted, he really majored in "The Beatles." He received his degree in Psychology in 1967.
Early Career edit
Neal joined with Kristi Kuchler and Bob Behling at the University of Chicago to form “Dr. Kudley’s Prescription,” a trio that achieved regional success, recording four original songs for PKC Records between 1967 and 1968. One song, Losing You was a local hit in Milwaukie, Wisconsin. In 1973, Neal and Kuchler recorded Children’s Voices for an educational video that was played internationally, and then in 1974, they recorded another that received national recognition, Terry, Terry, a video about autism. Hearing his songs on the radio set him on his life’s path.
In 1976 Neal met his future wife, Barbara, in a psychology class. They immediately hit it off and were married in 1977, at which point, they travelled westward, landing in Corvallis, Oregon, to meet up with his Chicago bandmate Bob Behling. Within months, adding the guitar and vocals of Tommy Rox, they formed the popular dance band Bentley, playing covers six nights a week in disco dance clubs up and down the Willamette Valley in Western Oregon.
Neal met vocalist Audrey Perkins in 1980, beginning a musical relationship that lasted thirty years. Recognizing his unique talent, Audrey urged him to form a band that exclusively played his music. Over the 30 years of performances as an original music band, Neal, Audrey, and Barbara joined many talented Corvallis musicians on stage and on recordings. Neal Gladstone and Company concerts sold-out in Corvallis for over twenty years, most notably their annual Valentine’s Day performances at the Majestic Theater and summer concerts at Tyee Winery[1]. Audiences were treated to surprising antics, including appearances by the zany "Gin(seng) and Tonic Singers" — fun-loving friends performing pastiche parodies of well-known songs, orchestrated and directed by Neal.
During this time, using his life-long hobby of following financial markets and business classes he took, Neal became a Registered Investment Adviser, starting Sector Advantage, a financial management company he ran successfully for many years.
The Neal Gladstone Radio Show edit
In 1987 Neal, Audrey and Fred Child ventured into new territory, writing, producing and performing an original music and comedy radio show for Oregon Public Broadcasting[2]. One regular segment of the show, “Nick Drosophila, Private Eye” is thought by some to have been the inspiration for Garrison Keillor’s “Guy Noir,” on Prairie Home Companion. Over the next few years, four 13-week series of The Neal Gladstone Radio Show were broadcast on Oregon Public Radio, as well as on KLCC in Eugene, and KUOW, Seattle Public Radio.
Recording Career edit
Following a promotional trip to California, San Francisco-based Kaleidoscope Records signed Gladstone to a record contract, releasing the album "Sleep Neat" in late 1988[3]. As Neal continued to write and record, the band played to receptive audiences all over the Northwest, including Bumbershoot, Northwest Folklife, the Britt Festival, Albany’s River Rhythms, and the Sandy Bradley show in Seattle. His compositions aired on NPR's All Things Considered, Car Talk, Weekend Edition, and Dr. Demento.
Musical Philosophy edit
Neal's wide variety of musical styles and clever lyrics fostered a rabidly loyal fan base in Oregon. But he valued friendships and community far more than fame or money, and so resisted the temptation to "make it big" on the national scene. He preferred composition to performance, and he performed primarily in the US Pacific Northwest, reserving two concerts a year for his loyal Corvallis fan base.
Neal was meticulous, both in his musical writing and as a performer, releasing or performing only when he felt fully satisfied with his work. He enjoyed "playing with" audiences, charming them with a gentle self-effacing wit and surprising them with songs on subjects ranging from the angst of losing his hair, to a paean to grapefruit, to getting a traffic ticket from a handsome cop, to going to the landfill.
Although best known for his parody and satire, Neal’s musical repertoire includes serious compositions, such as Dark Blue, To See You Again, and Save Our Planet. The latter became popular as an anthem in the environmental movement. At the request of his fans, in 1998 he compiled his ballads into the CD Song for us All. Many of his compositions can be found on his YouTube channel[4].
Later Life edit
In 2008, Neal was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. He continued performing until 2011 when he officially retired.
On 28 January 2017, over 850 people gathered to honor Neal at a tribute concert. Local bands each selected some of his more than sixty songs to perform for his fans at the historic Whiteside Theater in Corvallis, Oregon.[5]
As his health failed, it pleased him to know that, with the advent of Internet music sharing, people everywhere were finding his music on iTunes, YouTube, and Spotify. He published the lyrics to each of his songs on his web site[6] for fans to enjoy.
Neal died of Parkinson's Disease on 5 April 2024[7] at his residence in Corvallis, with his wife, Barbara, by his side.
Neal was preceded in death by his parents and is survived by his wife, Barbara, and a sister, Renée Gladstone, in Chicago.
Prominent Performances edit
- Waterworks Park, 1987, Vancouver, Washington
- I'm a Liberal, YouTube
- Neal Gladstone Radio Show, Oregon Public Broadcasting
- Tyee Winery (annually), Corvallis, Oregon
- Sandy Bradley's Potluck (Live, Nationally Syndicated from Seattle)
- Brit Festival, Jacksonville, Oregon
- Bumbershoot, Seattle, Washington
- Hult Center, Eugene, Oregon
- Summer Festival, McCall, Idaho
- Folklife Festival, Seattle, Washington
- Salem Art Festival, Salem, Oregon
- River Rhythms, Albany, Oregon
- Majestic Theatre, Corvallis, Oregon
- East Avenue Tavern, Portland, Oregon
- Antique Sandwich in Tacoma, Washington
- Tyee Wine Cellars, Corvallis, Oregon
- Governor's Conference, Salishan Lodge, Oregon
- Fund Raiser for Mike Kopetski, Salem, Oregon
- LaSells Stewart Center, Oregon State University
- Performing Arts Series, Lincoln City, Oregon
- MacMillans, Eugene, Oregon
- Parks and Recreation, McMinnville, Oregon
- Roseburg Folklore Society, Roseburg, Oregon
- Western Economists Conference, Salem, Oregon
- Corvallis High School, Corvallis, Oregon
- Folk Concert Series, Ashland, Oregon
- Grand Theater, Salem, Oregon
- Travel Writers Conference, Jacksonville, Oregon
- Beatlesfest #1 thru #9, Corvallis, Oregon
- Benton County Fair, Corvallis, Oregon
- Best Cellar Series, Corvallis, Oregon
- Cycle Oregon, Numerous Sites
- Festival Corvallis, Corvallis, Oregon
- Central Oregon Arts Festival, Hermiston, Oregon
- Medical Workers Conference, Portland, Oregon
Discography edit
- You Can't Stay Here, 1986
- Sleep Neat, 1988
- An American Dawg, 1990
- Mixed Company, 1993
- Song For Us All, 1998
- Big Fish, 2003
- Odd Penny, 2009
References edit
- ^ Tyee Winery, Summer 2010, Corvallis, Oregon
- ^ Neil (sic) Gladstone Radio Show listing
- ^ Neal Gladstone discography, including Kaleidoscope Records
- ^ Neal Gladstone's YouTube Channel
- ^ Neal Gladstone Tribute Concert, Whiteside Theater, Corvallis, Oregon
- ^ Lyrics to all Neal's songs
- ^ Corvallis songwriter Neal Gladstone dies at 78, Corvallis Gazette-Times, Corvallis, Oregon
- (need more Wikipedia-compliant references here)