Born October 26, 1929,
Matthews began singing second tenor in
the Jordanaires in 1953. The group began doing background vocals for
Elvis Presley three years later. The gospel-ish harmonizing can be heard on hits by
Presley, Ricky Nelson,
Jimmy Dean,
Merle Haggard, and
Tom Jones. He also authored a book, The Nashville Numbering System, originally published in June 1988 by Hal Leonard. At the age of 70,
Neal Matthews died from a heart attack in his Brentwood, TN, home on April 21, 2000.
Neal Matthews-related releases are
Patsy Cline's The Patsy Cline Story, Patsy Cline Showcase,
Sweet Dreams,
Last Sessions, Remembering, Sentimentally Yours, A Portrait of Patsy Cline, Here's Patsy Cline;
Elvis Presley's Known Only to Him: Elvis Gospel 1957-1971, The King of Rock 'n' Roll: The Complete 50's Masters,
The Collection, His Life & His Music;
k.d. lang's
Shadowland;
Gordon Lightfoot's
Songbook;
Jerry Lee Lewis' All Killer, No Filler: The Anthology;
Loretta Lynn's All Time Gospel Favorites;
Reba McEntire's Reba McEntire;
Don Gibson's
A Legend in My Time;
Scotty Moore's
All the King's Men;
Billy Ray Cyrus'
It Won't Be the Last;
Don McLean's
For the Memories;
Sugar Ray Norcia's Sweet & Swingin';
the Jordanaires' Sing Gospel, Sing Elvis' Favorite Gospel Songs;
Jimmy Sturr's Polka! All Night Long, Living on Polka Time; Get Hot or Go Home: Vintage RCA Rockabilly '56-'59, Vols. 1 & 2;
Hank Locklin's Please Help Me I'm Falling;
Ronnie McDowell's Greatest Tribute to the King;
Lefty Frizzell's
Life's Like Poetry;
Charlie McCoy's Out on a Limb; and
Duane Eddy's Twangin' From Phoenix to L.A. ~ Ed Hogan, All Music Guide