Through the years former
Space For Music Records Ambient Recording Artist, Musician & Film Composer, Neal Merrick Blackwood, has produced and engineered Grammy award-winning artists ranging from instrumental to alternative rock. Neal is a multi-instrumentalist who was born in Nashville, Tennessee, USA. Neal spent most of his early life in the Nashville area studying and performing various musical styles that helped to instill a solid foundation from which a passion for musical experimentation and his cultural heritage developed into Neal's evolving ambient musical approach and love for his own native culture. Neal plays ambient music, native flute and drum music along with other styles of music that he plays and caters to professionally. For many years in Nashville, Neal has worked with various talent and clients as an engineer, producer, keyboardist, synthesist, programmer, percussionist, drummer, flutist, guitarist, composer, arranger, songwriter and vocalist in world-renowned studio facilities, as well as in a wide variety of locations and recording environments throughout the world. Neal Merrick Blackwood states, "The observation of sights, rhythms, harmonies and melodies of sounds out in the every day world and from within the blessings of nature has always been a very powerful influence. The Creator, innocence, family, kindness, sharing, unconditional love, compassion, forgiveness, nature, the balance and purity of nature's sacred undisturbed Way, certain people, places, animals, the earth, spirit, spirituality and heritage are all very powerful influences for me." In addition to being a recording artist, Neal still produces music for select clientele. As an artist, composer and musician, Neal enjoys bringing forth new ideas in collaborating with various artists and performers in both live shows and in making recordings that cater to helping aid the world. Neal is known for compositions showcasing provocative melodies, unusual harmony, sound and rhythms. In 1988, Neal Merrick Blackwood (of Scottish, Cherokee and Seneca ancestry), Robert N. Smith (Neal's adoptive grandfather) and Tony Gerber (of Swiss and Cherokee ancestry) formed Space for Media, one of Nashville's first MIDI recording studios and high-tech multimedia production houses utilizing Apple computers. Among the artists associated with the facility were Gerber, Merrick Blackwood, Giles Reaves, Bet Williams, Brad Jones, Kossie Gardner, Felix Cavaliere (of The Rascals), Jan Pulsford, Jay Joyce, Kirby Shelstad, and Aashid Himons. Neal has composed, performed and recorded ambient music for over 25 years. Adding to Gerber's and Merrick Blackwood's collaborations over the years, Neal signed with Gerber's ambient music record label, Space For Music Records and released his Space For Music Records ambient CD which showcases Neal's veteran use of provocative melodies, harmony, unique tunings, rhythms, sounds and music recording techniques. The CD is laced with instruments such as synthesizers, guitars, cello, violin, trumpet, voice and unusual instruments such as water glasses, water drumming, etc. Neal Merrick Blackwood is featured with performances on Guitars, Bass Instruments, Vocals, All Synthesizers, Flutes, Whistles, Xylophone, Water Drumming, Shakers, Clay Pots, Copper Bowls, Copper Pots, Frame Drums, Whirl Tones, Dumbek Drums, Water Glass Array, Glass Bowls, Didgeridu, Bucket, Cymbals, Udu Drum, Tamboura and Vibraphone. Also, featured on this Space For Music CD release are the amazing talents of Space For Music Records owner and ambient recording artist, Tony Gerber (of Spacecraft); legendary artist, songwriter and guitarist, Mac Gayden on acoustic slide guitar, acoustic guitar and electric sitar; legendary artist and songwriter, Essra Mohawk on vocals; Matt Oakes on trumpet; Tom Shinness ..o and Tim Lorsch on violin. Essra Mohawk is a legendary recording artist and songwriter signed to Evidence Music Records. Essra wrote "Change Of Heart" for Cyndi Lauper, "Stronger Than The Wind" for Tina Turner and other well-known songs. Essra was a member of Frank Zappa and The Mothers Of Invention, The Jerry Garcia Band, etc. Essra is featured with a very special vocal performance. Tony Gerber is the owner of Space For Music Records and is also a fellow Space For Music Records recording artist. Tony is an internationally recognized award-winning recording artist. He is also known for his work as a member of the ambient group, Spacecraft. Tony adds his masterful touch to the recording by playing Electric Guitar and Didgeridu. Mac Gayden is a legendary songwriter, recording artist, guitarist and is the inventor of the slide wah guitar technique. Mac wrote popular songs such as "Everlasting Love" and "She Shot A Hole Through My Soul" as well as many other standards. Gloria Estefan, U2, Robert Knight, Huey Lewis And The News and many others have recorded his songs. Mac was a founding member of Barefoot Jerry, Skyboat, as well as being a member of The Alarm, etc. Mac has played guitar for such artists as Bob Dylan, Linda Ronstadt, J. J. Cale, etc. Mac is now a founding member of the band Zenphonic. Mac Gayden displays his often-imitated amazing original playing style on Acoustic Slide Guitar, Electric Sitar and Acoustic Guitar. Tom Shinness is yet another amazing fellow recording artist on Space For Music Records. Tom's cello performance is spectacular. Tom plays with legendary recording artist and guitarist, Phil Keaggy. Space for Music Records is delighted to offer this landmark recording to the public.
Neal Merrick Blackwood comes from a rich family heritage. Being adopted at birth, Neal has been slowly finding out about his true heritage over many years. After much research and waiting, it is a wonderful blessing to recently get to know his birth family. He continues to find out as much as he can through his birth family and through on-going research. His birth mother passed away in 1980 and he never got to meet her. It turns out that the paternal side of his birth family is the Blackwood gospel family. The Blackwood gospel family has been singing from as long ago as the 1800's. The Blackwoods have performed with and inspired such artists as Johnny Cash, June Carter Cash, Elvis Presley, Porter Wagoner, Charley Pride, Tammy Wynette, Dolly Parton, The Oak Ridge Boys, and have appeared on the Bill Gaither Homecoming videos, etc. The late Elvis Presley often told his friends and audiences that he admired the harmony of The Blackwood Brothers Quartet above all other singing groups and Elvis was a very special friend to the Blackwood family. The Blackwood family has won 8 Grammy Awards, 27 Dove Awards and 5 American Music Awards, recorded over 200 albums and sold over 50 million records. The Blackwood family has been inducted into the
Grammy Hall Of Fame (Listed under F: FAVORITE GOSPEL SONGS AND SPIRITUALS, The Blackwood Brothers Quartet), the
GMA Gospel Music Hall Of Fame, the
SGMA Southern Gospel Music Hall Of Fame, and the
Rockabilly Hall Of Fame. The Blackwood family is heard singing on the radio towards the beginning of the movie "Walk The Line" about Johnny Cash when Johnny (actor-Joaquin Phoenix) was in Memphis. The Blackwood family, Johnny Cash and the Cash family established a wonderful friendship that led to appearing together through the years on both recordings and live performances. The Blackwood Quartet and The Blackwood Singers were among Elvis Presley's favorite musical groups, which led to The Blackwood family and Elvis forming an enduring friendship that would also last a lifetime. The Blackwood family has a long list of wonderful enduring friendships and has performed with many well-known artists over the years. The Blackwood Quartet gospel group features the only two living Blackwood brothers singing together. The Blackwoods also feature the group, The Blackwood Singers. Neal is the son of Ron Blackwood, nephew of R. W. Blackwood, Jr. and grandson of the late RW Blackwood, Senior.
The Blackwoods Website. J. D. Sumner (who is in The Guinness Book of World Records as having the lowest human voice on record) and Cecil Blackwood (Neal's great uncle), of The Blackwood Brothers came up with the idea to customize the first bus to make travel more comfortable for entertainers. They invented the customized "Tour Bus" that many entertainers take for granted these days. Elvis went to see their bus and had one made for him. A replica of the bus can be seen at the
Southern Gospel Museum and Hall of Fame at Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.
