A New Orleans musician and singer who was one of the founders of the Meters and the Neville Brothers has officially retired from music. The AP reports that keyboardist Art Neville, 81, announced his retirement in a press release Wednesday.

“The New Orleans Advocate reports Neville has battled a number of health issues recently that have severely limited his mobility, including complications from back surgery. He has not performed publicly in more than a year,” the AP reports. “In July, the Recording Academy bestowed its Lifetime Achievement Award on the Meters. Neville did not attend the ceremony in Los Angeles; his son represented him.”

The report adds: “He was barely 17 when, in 1954, he sang lead on the Hawketts’ remake of a country song called ‘Mardi Gras Mambo.’ More than 60 years later, the song is still a staple of the Carnival season.”