Noah "Riley" English

Noah Riley English, known to many as Riley, passed away unexpectedly on July 24 at the age of 27. Riley was well-loved by many & outside of having a genius mind in music, was known for having a great sense of humor & wit, was relentlessly kind, & had an unwavering passion for people.

Born to Aimee Rizan English and Clint Jerome English, Noah grew up in Port Allen, Louisiana, before moving to New Orleans after high school. Noah attended St. Aloysius and graduated from Catholic High School in 2016, where he played mellophone and french horn in the marching band. Noah’s love of guitar was nurtured throughout childhood at Baton Rouge Music Studios, where he performed at Jazz Fest, various Blues Festivals, and Voice of the Wetlands for multiple years.

Noah was accepted into Berklee College of Music and attended Loyola University of New Orleans, earning a Bachelor of Arts in Music Composition in 2019. 

Music was always at the center of Riley’s life. As founder of the band Goon Cocoon, Riley’s first solo album, “Happy Life”, was released in 2022. A name was built across the New Orleans music scene most recently working in tech as well as being a member and co-producer in multiple bands consisting of close friends including Sean Hobbes and the Hi Res co-producing the album “Images of Roses”, Brass Tyrannosaurus, Raph & the Rotation, and Lyla DiPaul’s EP, “Something to Lose”, and latest single, “Sunshine”. Riley sat in with numerous bands & singers over the years & gave shape to bodies of work that touched nearly every corner of the city’s music community.

Riley passionately taught private guitar lessons at after school programs, Loyola, & Spreading the Music New Orleans, passing along a love of the craft to the next generation of musicians. Riley was also a known presence at the legendary Tipitina’s and other prominent venues along Frenchmen Street & around New Orleans. Most recently, Riley was writing a sci-fi novel, “Departure”, and was also writing & producing a solo album, “Eris”, that friends now plan to complete and release in Riley’s honor. 

At home, Riley enjoyed jam sessions with friends, writing & producing music, repairing guitars & music equipment, writing, working in robotics, & studying music theory while being a devoted cat parent to Sabrina and Cosmo.

Riley was preceded in death by grandparents Noah Pierre Rizan, Jr., Thelma Martinez Rizan, Hunter Edward English, and Margaret Gremillion English.

Riley is survived by parents Aimee and Clint, sisters Anna (Vincent) Hunt and Isabelle (fiancé Hunter Goodson) English, nephew & nieces Pierce, Sloan & Véda Hunt, and many more aunts, uncles, relatives, bandmates, coworkers, students, and friends who have been touched through Riley’s music and presence.

There will be a memorial celebration at Riley’s family home in Port Allen on Saturday, August 1st at 10:30 AM. All are welcome - come as you are.

Additional plans are in process for a large celebration of life in New Orleans in the upcoming months - details to be determined. 

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Riley’s memory to an organization of your choice: The Greater New Orleans Youth Orchestras (run by a professor Riley worked with), Second Line Arts Collective (an organization for Jazz education in New Orleans), Save the Music New Orleans (provides instruments to schools in the New Orleans area), or Spreading the Music New Orleans (where Riley taught guitar to students across the New Orleans area).