WATERLOO -- In the span of one year, blues artist Kenny Neal lost his father and a brother to illness, mourned the murder of a sister, and grieved the death of his longtime drummer Kennard Johnson, who had suffered from diabetes.

Shortly after the last tragedy, in spring 2005, Neal was diagnosed with hepatitis C, a virus that affects the liver. He stopped touring during a 58-week treatment cycle and put prior recording plans aside.

"I was going to focus on some earlier stuff from the '50s and '40s," said Neal, now 51. "Then after I went through all that tragedy, a whole different kind of album developed."

On Nov. 22, Neal will headline the fall KUNI Blues Blowout. After spending so much time off the road, the singer-songwriter is happy to be back on stage and anxious to share his latest creation, "Let Life Flow," with fans.

"These songs came out of a pretty dark place," said Neal, who wrote many of the tunes during treatment. "I'd keep a pen and my guitar by my bed. When an idea came to me, I'd mark it down and go from there."

Neal, who headlined a 1995 Blues Blowout, has been making music most of his life. As a child growing up in Baton Rouge, La., he learned to play harmonica, bass, piano, guitar and trumpet, joining his father's band at age 13. The region introduced Neal to a variety of blues styles, including Cajun, zydeco and second line jazz.

"I try to take hold of the tradition that I came up around -- interpret it in my own way and keep the flavor there at the same time," he said. "You don't want to lose that."

The show starts at 8 p.m. at Waterloo's Electric Park Ballroom. Tickets are $20 in advance or $25 at the door. The 2008 Iowa Blues Challenge Winner, the Avey Brothers, of Davenport, open the concert.

KUNI spokesperson Scott Vezdos said show organizers are excited to welcome Neal back to the Cedar Valley. The musician was awarded the Big Broonzy Blues Award in 1989, the Slim Harpo Award in 2003 and the Junior Wells Harmonica Award in 2007.

"Kenny hadn't been touring or releasing any studio albums because he's had some health problems," Vezdos said. "So when we saw that he was healthy again, making music and touring, we thought this would be a great time to bring him back."

Neal's band is composed of several family members, including his brother Darnell Neal on bass and his brother Frederick Neal and nephew Tyree Neal on keys.

Although he's always toured with relatives, Neal said the recent hardships in his life have reminded him of the importance of family. He envisions several more years touring the country with his loved ones, making the music that first spoke to him as a child.

"The blues is the music that I love," he said. "You play what you feel, simple as that."

Contact Mary Stegmeir at (319) 291-1482 or mary.stegmeir@wcfcourier.com.