It was like he never left us as the late ole/tanjola artist Haydain Neale of jacksoul had his single Lonesome Highway pay him the posthumous honour of a third Juno Award in the category of R&B/Soul Recording of the Year at this year's 39^th annual Juno Awards in St. John's, Newfoundland/Labrador. Neale had previously taken home the 2001 and 2007 award in that same category. Neale's widow, Michaela, and jacksoul band member, Ron Lopata, were in attendance to accept the award on his behalf. 

Lonesome Highway, co-written by Neale and guitarist Stuart Cameron, is from the album SOULmate, which was released shortly after Neale's tragic death in November of 2009. At the time of its release, it had been the first new single from jacksoul in over three years, due in part to his involvement in a devastating motor accident in the summer of 2007.

"The poignancy of the Juno-winning song is to be found in its expression of optimism and hope borne of the love and support that surrounded him during his recuperation," says ole President, Michael McCarty. "It is a cruel irony that cancer ultimately claimed this gifted songwriter's life late last year."

Of course, he lives on in the music - hit songs like Can't Stop and Still Believe in Love - and his inspirational words, some of which can be found in the liner notes of his last album, SOULmate: "I think music can heal and educate. If jacksoul never makes another recording, I'll always be proud that our music was a positive force for not just love between couples, but love of self, community and the world. It's been a crazy place, this earth, since the last record. And if we could all exercise some true tolerance of each others' existence; some understanding of each others' cultures; and accurate knowledge of our common histories, we would then find ourselves in a much better world indeed."