Table of Biography
Early Life
On the 29th of May 1974, Russell Neal was born in Waco, Texas, in the United States of America. He holds an American nationality and is 49 years old as of 2023. In addition, he has his belief in Christianity religion and belongs to the African-American ethnicity.
He was born to his father Neal II, and his Mother Dr.Evelyn T. Neal. Professionally, his father was a lawyer while his mother was a doctor. Moreover, he grew up with his two brothers, Rodney Neal, and Ronald Neal.
Talking about his academic qualifications, he went to a local high school and completed his schooling. Later, he went to California University and earned a bachelor’s degree there.
Professional Career
Hi-Five
Talking about his musical career, Russell Neal was passionate about singing from a young age. Moreover, he was one of the established and original members of the platinum-selling R&B music band Hi-Five.
The band was established in the year 1989, along with his fellow friends, Tony Thompson as a Lead Vocalist, and Marcus Sanders, Tristan Irby, Shannon Gill, and Tarrell Carr as Vocals.
Caption: The Hi-Five band (Source: The Hollywood Reporter)
In the year 1990, he became popular, after the group scored Top 10 hits such as “I Like the Way,” even appearing on BET, Arsenio Hall, and “Soul Train. Moreover, the band also scored a top hit on RCA records in 1991 “I Like the Way (The Kissing Game).”
Russell, who was 16 at the time, was at the top of his game, and according to Jonathan Kinloch, the group’s road manager, Russell was referred to as “Cool Russ.” He was endorsed as the dreamy one with the smooth moves labeled as a “Lovelorn Lothario.”
At the last of the year 1992, he felt Hi-Five was stagnated while he needed to have more of a singing role, something contrary to the labels, and the producer didn’t think that that was an appropriate decision so he left.
Relationship Status
Russell Neal was married to his wife, Catherine Martinez. His wife, Martinez was a rising fitness model and social media personality. With the marriage, the couple has two kids whose names are Raphael and Diego.
Caption: Russell Neal with his family (Source: Singersroom)
His past in the spotlight dazzled Catherine, and when they first met, she used to brag about how rich he was and how cool he was. That quickly changed when she realized he was not as well-known as she thought, and to top it all off, he was broke. Catherine was forced to be the breadwinner for herself, Russell, and their two young sons because Russell was unable to provide.
However, that was not the least of their problems because he was extremely rude to Martinez and even charged her $40 to babysit his children. Russell was abusive to her throughout their relationship, and she filed several domestic violence claims against him.
Allegation of murdering his wife
Russell made headlines in June 2014 when he was arrested and charged with the murder of his wife, Catherin. According to reports, Russell went to the police two days after killing his wife. Their kids were locked up in a different room in the same house at the time. As a result, Russell was eventually arrested and charged with first-degree murder.
Despite this, Russell was released on bail, which was revoked about a month later. While in jail, he began referring to himself as Jesus Christ. Prosecutors claimed he began “playing crazy” and was found unfit to stand trial.
Since then, Russell has been admitted to Rusk State Hospital in Texas, despite authorities’ claims that he knew what he was doing when he attacked his wife in 2014.
Russell Neal is currently being evaluated while awaiting trial, and he claims he was temporarily insane at the time of the alleged murder. Despite this, the charges remain, and Russell will almost certainly face a legal battle in the future.
Net Worth 2024
Talking about his earnings, he mainly earned through his singing career. According to an online website, his net worth can accumulate a total of $10 million.
Body Measurements
Caption: Russell posing for a photo (Source: Sportskeeda)
This American singer has a pair of brown eyes with black hair color. Aside from them, there is not much known regarding his exact height, weight, and other body measurements.