Neil C. Buckley

MusicianBOSTON - If there's a rock and roll heaven, you know the solo is Neil's.Neil C. Buckley, 58, singer/drummer of singular style, died Tuesday, Dec. 20 at Mass. General Hospital from injuries sustained in a car accident.The son of the late Marilyn (Clark) and William J. Buckley, he was a Lynn Tech graduate and "Unsung Hero" of its football team. It was a lifelong theme for the entertainer known for off-stage kindness, decency and downplaying his deeds.He was, from "the high chair and a couple of spoons," a drummer who followed his own beat and a "good guy" who banded with all he met. He shared the stage with, among others, Soul Machine, Overdrive and Joe Mack Band. The former carpenter also taught drum lessons on the North Shore and was a member of the Franco-American Club.He leaves his sister, Kendra (Buckley) Kurpieski; his niece, Alyssa and her husband, Tom, Jarczaszek and their twin daughters, Sydney and Morgan, of Colorado Springs, Colo.; his former wife, Diane Buckley, an uncle, many aunts, cousins and friends.Service information: A memorial Mass will be said at St. Mary's Church on Thursday, Jan. 5 at 9 a.m., with visitation beginning at 8 a.m. Family and friends are respectfully invited to attend. Memorial donations may be sent to Music Cares, 11 W. 42nd St., 27th Floor, N.Y., NY 10036.