Sam Neely(1948-2006)

Country music singer/songwriter Sam Neely was born on August 22, 1948 in Cuervo, Texas. Neely learned how to play guitar when he was ten and moved with his family to Corpus Christi, Texas. At age fifteen Neely was playing guitar in bands at local dances. He joined a group called Buckle in 1966. Sam's professional music career started when at age nineteen he gave some material to a movie producer who was asking for song submissions for a film soundtrack. Neely contributed songs to the soundtracks of the motion pictures "Bonnie's Kids" and "Tilt." Moreover, Sam sang the song "The Party's Over (Farewell to M*A*S*H*)" for "Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen," which was the final episode of the hit TV series "M*A*S*H*". Neely appeared as himself on the TV programs "The Merv Griffin Show," "American Bandstand," "The Midnight Special," and "Nashville Now." Among the artists he performed on stage with are Juice Newton, the Guess Who, Con Hanley, Janie Fricke, and John Conlee. Sam had a Top 30 country chart hit with "Loving You Just Crossed My Mind" while both "Rosalie" and "You Can Have Her" were Top 40 country chart hits. Neely recorded albums on the MCA, Elektra, Capitol, and A&M labels. He not only performed at the clubs the Palomino, the Bitter End, and the Troubador, but also was the house musician at the club the Electric Eel in Corpus Christi, Texas. In addition, Sam ran and owned his own club called Neely's. He won a Golden Addy Award for a Coors beer radio commercial. Neely was honored with a star on the South Texas Music Walk of Fame on Water Street Market in 2005. Sam collapsed and died while mowing his lawn at his home in Corpus Christi, Texas on July 19, 2006.