Biography
Born into an adoptive family of dairy farmers, Neal Coty spent his formative years in rural Maryland, shaped profoundly by a pair of uncles—one who acquainted him with seventies Southern rock outfits such as Lynyrd Skynyrd and the Allman Brothers, the other, Uncle Buzz, who instilled a lasting passion for traditional country. A grandmother employed as a church organist presented him with a guitar at age five; he commenced songwriting at eight and, after encountering Jimmy Webb’s landmark “Wichita Lineman,” resolved to devote his life to performing.
An abortive stint in beauty college steered Coty into Towson State’s theater curriculum, where he began delivering pop-tinged acoustic material at open-mic nights. An enterprising Baltimore club owner identified his promise and promptly slotted him into bills supporting such contrasting artists as Kathy Mattea and Concrete Blonde.
A brief excursion into commercial and jingle composition took him to L.A., yet authentic contentment awaited in Nashville, where Mercury placed him on its roster and issued his debut album, Chance and Circumstance, in 1997. With rising popularity came sharpened songwriting craft, displayed on Legacy, which appeared in 2000.
An abortive stint in beauty college steered Coty into Towson State’s theater curriculum, where he began delivering pop-tinged acoustic material at open-mic nights. An enterprising Baltimore club owner identified his promise and promptly slotted him into bills supporting such contrasting artists as Kathy Mattea and Concrete Blonde.
A brief excursion into commercial and jingle composition took him to L.A., yet authentic contentment awaited in Nashville, where Mercury placed him on its roster and issued his debut album, Chance and Circumstance, in 1997. With rising popularity came sharpened songwriting craft, displayed on Legacy, which appeared in 2000.
Albums