“We were really looking forward to the album coming out. Everyone in the community was waiting for him to come back to the scene,” says singer Saidah Baba Talibah about the loss of her friend, Haydain Neale, the embodiment of jackSOUL. Neale tragically died on Nov. 22 at age 39, cut down by lung cancer about which few outside his immediate family knew. Neale will be remembered as a guiding force and inspiration for soul music in Toronto and beyond. Those close to him say he sang soul like he lived his life — gently passionate, assertive when necessary, and overflowing with love.
jackSOUL, one of Toronto’s few breakthrough soul music acts of the '90s, had just returned from a prolonged hiatus with a new single “Lonesome Highway” released earlier this month. The release of the song and the impending album, SOULmate (to be released by Sony on Dec. 1) came as a surprise to many. Neale had been involved in a horrific motor vehicle accident in 2007, and had laid low during his ongoing recovery. SOULmate’s tracks were recorded prior to the accident, but finished over the past six months. In the album’s press release, Neale stated, “It takes me more time now, but I still orchestrate the room.”
Everyone — from his band, to his family, to a deep and wide cross-section of Canadian musicians — was rooting for this comeback. Talibah came up around the same time and place as jackSOUL, and toured with them during the '90s. “It was a great live band, with a dynamic performing style,” she recalls. “He really forged long-lasting relationships with his band,” she adds, both out of the commitment to his music and because of his personality. “He had a way with people,” says Talibah. “He was a mentor, and a very nurturing, loving person whether it was his music or his family. He was a really chill guy.”
jackSOUL recorded one of their best known albums, 2000's Sleepless, with Peter Hudson at Hudson's Hallamusic studios 10 years ago. Hudson echoes Talibah’s perspective: “He was one of the brightest lights in the Toronto music community and one of the nicest people I have ever met. When I was working on Sleepless with him, he was able to create a great album in the face of ridiculous adversity from various sides. [He was] incredibly gifted, but never [with an attitude of] being better than those around him. He treated everyone like family."
Despite the band’s Juno awards and national profile, it was difficult to build on modest successes due to Canada’s lack of radio outlets, venues and retail presence for soul music. Ryan Patrick’s landmark 2006 Exclaim! magazine article “Canada’s Got Soul?” describes Neale’s view of his career as a "beautiful struggle." Yet Neale was upbeat and defiant. “You’ve got to create it yourself,” he says in the article. “It’s real easy to say that people don’t want to show us love, but you’ve got to demand that respect.”
Commenting on Neale’s death, Patrick says: “Haydain had a unique position in the Canadian R&B scene. Despite all the odds, he proved that it was possible to be successful in the larger Canadian music industry. He was never shy about calling his sound soul music. Haydain Neale was easily one of the most recognized African-Canadians in the country and has left a lasting impact on the local soul scene. He worked extremely hard to earn that.
“He was a joy to interview. He was able to talk about his passion for music and casually segue into his love for personal things, like summer barbeques and spending time with his family. He was truly blessed with the life he led."
Proceeds from SOULmate will go to the Haydain Neale Family Trust. Messages of condolence can be left at www.jacksoul.com.