Abbie Neal

Esther "Abbie" Neal (April 4, 1918 -February 15, 2004) For a time she left the violin to play Hawaiian guitar, but then she returned to the violin, which she played with the DuBois Symphony Orchestra.

Besides performing music, she worked as a disc jockey on radio in Pittsburgh.

Injury and relocation Neal was hospitalized for 16 weeks Word of her situation brought unsolicited responses—over 600 handkerchiefs and monetary donations (which she donated to help handicapped children). After recovering from that injury, she moved to Nevada, where she performed in venues in Elko, Lake Tahoe, and Las Vegas.

Personal life On October 10, 1953, Neal married Eugene B. Johnson, who was her professional manager and a theatrical agent.

Legacy One fan of Neal's disc jockey program on WMAO was young Lugee Sacco, who later changed his name to Lou Christie and achieved success with "Lightning Strikes" and other recordings. He cited the influence of Neal on the harmonies in his successful songs. Although other musical artists influenced him to some extent, he said, "... my music has always had lots of vocal harmonies, and that goes back to Abbie Neal." After Neal retired, Christie reconnected with her and the two formed a 20-year friendship that lasted until her death. With her cooperation, he compiled material from her performances on radio, stage, and TV to produce "Abbie Neal and Her Ranch Girls", her final album.