Artist Profile

Neil O’Neill was born in the Clyde Valley town of Johnstone, Scotland. He began singing at age 6, before taking up the guitar at 16. Early musical influences included his parents' Scotch/Irish repertoire sung around the house, as well as his grandfather’s great tenor singing at family gatherings: Scottish folk standards, WW I & II songs and John McCormack, and Liturgical church music.

Neil's performing arts career developed in two directions: rock bands (Cream, Beatles, pop standards, and blues), and acoustic music of the singer-songwriter era: Bob Dylan, Donovan, James Taylor, Cat Stevens, Simon & Garfunkel, Jim Croce, etc., as well as Celtic folk and world music. Today, Neil O’Neill performs solo Celtic/Popular music, and with his band the Celtic Tyger.

In 2004 Neil was awarded the Twenty-Year performer award by Bread & Roses , for musical outreach services in the San Francisco/ Bay area community, he also received received the Trouper-Of-the Year award. Also in 2004, Neil debuted on the Glenlivet Stage at the Pleasanton Scottish Highland Games in Pleasanton California, and he sang national anthems at the Livermore and at the Dixon Scottish Games. To complete the year he entertained the Paisley Buddies in Paisley, Scotland.

In 2005 Neil presented the Immortal Memory for The Caledonian Club Of San Francisco, and sang national anthems at the Livermore Games. He returned to the Pleasanton Games where his latest CD Scotch Melody Maker was debuted. A sprinkling of Scotch/Irish folk and dance songs, this upbeat sing-a-long compilation CD is currently available at noneill690@aol.com or online at this site.

Neil and the Celtic Tyger continue to perform at many Celtic festivals, Highland Games and Gatherings throughout the western United States including Las Vegas, Seaside, Pomona, Dixon, Woodland, Ben Lomond, Dunsmuir (he also MC'd the 2007 Games) and at the "Big One," the Pleasanton Scottish Highland Games and Gatherings. Neil also coordinates the Glasgow Stage at The Caledonian Club Of San Francisco's Pleasanton Games.

Neil was drawn to acting, and has appeared in over 80 productions (Shakespeare to Gilbert and Sullivan), around the greater Bay Area and Northern California. He tudied at ACT, and with Tony Taccone, in his master class. He has appeared in TV commercials and film roles as well as in SF Shakespeare Festivals, and individual plays. In 1997, as part of the ensemble, Neil was awarded the SF Bay Area Critics Award for Frank McGuinness’s WWI play, Observe the Sons of Ulster Marching Towards the Somme. (And in 1993, for the character Scotty, in Eugene O’Neill’s SS Glencairn Sea Plays.)

Current film appearances include a short film which won best acting and directing, Doing Time, 48 Hr Film Fest awards was submitted to the 2006 Sundance Film Festival. In 2007, the docudrama, Honest Man is still in production, and the indie western, Coyote Hole, is scheduled for production. You may check out his filmography at IMDB

Neil O’Neill is represented by Look Talent San Francisco and is a member of AFTRA.