October 1

On Wednesday, October 2, 1929, Douglas Bellard and Kirby Riley became the first rural Afro-Creoles from Southwest Louisiana to commercially record Louisiana Creole music on Vocalion and Columbia Recor...

Talented blues and jazz singer Alton "Big Al" Carson was born on October 2, 1953 in New Orleans, Louisiana. At the urging of his mother and grandmother, Big Al started his blues journey by learning to...

Freddie "Big Roger" Collins, native of Bayou Chicot, Louisiana and Houston Bluesman died on October 2, 2001 at the age of 66."Big Roger" Collins hosted a blues show on KPFT in Houston, and organized "...

Joe Simien, esteemed Creole Accordionist, was born on October 3, 1923, in Le Beau, Louisiana. He moved to Los Angeles, California in the 1950's where he pioneered and kept Louisiana Creole music alive...

Willis Prudhomme, lead accordionist of Willis Prudhomme & the Zydeco Express was born on Tuesday, September 22, 1931 in Kinder, Louisiana. Willis Prudhomme was one of twelve children and grew up as a...

Baldemar Huerta, known to the world as Freddy Fender, transitioned at 12:14 PM on October 14, 2006 at the age of 69 of lung cancer at his home in Corpus Christi, Texas. Hi is buried in his hometown of...

Soul singer Louis "Big Lou" Washington Sr passed away on Monday, November 4, 2019 in St Martinville, Louisiana. He was the fourth child of Nathan Washington and Stella Moore-Washington. "Big Lou" Wash...

Leo "The Bull" Thomas died on Tuesday, April 13, 2021 at the age of 84 in Elton, Louisiana. Known in the Zydeco Nation as "The Bull" and the "Best Dress Man In Zydeco," Leo Thomas was the first and on...

Paul "Lil Buck" Sinegal, internationally known Blues and Zydeco guitarist and singer was born on Friday, January 14, 1944 in Lafayette, Louisiana. He was given the nickname "Lil Buck" because of his s...

Lee Allen Zeno died on Sunday, May 3, 2026 at 3:30 pm at the age of 71 after a long struggle with cancer at his residence in Lafayette, Louisiana. An accomplished, world-renowned, and two-time Grammy...

Odetta Holmes, "The Voice of the Civil Rights Movement" and "The queen of American folk music", most affectionately known as Odetta, died on December 2, 2008 from heart disease in New York City at the...

Talented female Zydeco accordionist for the Zydeco Brothers and the Zydeco Boneshakers, Ann “Queen Ann” Goodly, was born on November 28, 1971 in Lake Charles, Louisiana.