931 Aaron Neville “Tell It Like It Is” 1966

“When his singing career hit its stride in 1966, ‘Tell It Like It Is’ had zoomed to the No. 1 and No. 2 spots on two of the most respected music charts in the country and generated millions of dollars in record sales. But the money didn’t find its way into Neville’s pockets. He got no royalties, he says, and a 45-rpm that his friends spray painted gold was just about all he had to show for his effort...’Somebody made off with the money, and that song made somebody rich.’ Not Neville. At the height of the song’s popularity, Aaron was breaking his back working on the New Orleans docks to support his family. And over the next few years, he had to move from one job to another—digging ditches, painting houses and even driving a truck to deliver cigarettes and candy for a mere S50 a week” (W. Leavy, Ebony, Dec. 1991). 

Aaron Neville “Tell It Like It Is”