Hope we don’t hear Neville say never

Aaron Neville, above, whose New Orleans home was severely damaged by Hurricane Katrina, says he isn’t ready to return just yet.

“I have asthma and can’t inhale that stuff that they have in the air down there,” says Neville, who is living in Tennessee.

The Grammy-winning singer will perform the national anthem at Sunday’s Super Bowl in Detroit along with fellow New Orleans musician Dr. John and Motown legend Aretha Franklin.

Neville said he’s hoping his appearance will call attention to the rebuilding efforts in his hometown.

“I’m trying to keep this thing in the focus,” he says. “We can’t let it get out of people’s minds that something tragic happened in New Orleans.”

Meanwhile, Neville is getting ready to record an R&B album in Nashville “for people my age.”

“They say I’m 65, but I feel like I’m 35,” he says.