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December 24

Quiet day in the archive

Nothing is filed for December 24 — yet.

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Around December 24

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Zydeco Music
DEC · 23, 2001
Charles Chavis Dies

Charles Chavis, son of famed zydeco accordionist Boozoo Chavis and rubboard player in Boozoo’s Magic Sound, died on December 23, 2001 at the age of 45.

Uncategorized
DEC · 25, 2006
James Brown Dies

James Joseph Brown, commonly referred to as "The Godfather of Soul" and "The Hardest Working Man in Show Business", died on December 25, 2006 at approximately 1:45 a.m. from congestive heart failure r...

African American History
DEC · 25, 2008
Eartha Kitt Dies

Eartha Kitt, world renowned singer and actress died on Thursday morning, December 25, 2008 of colon cancer at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital at the age of 81. Mostly know for her roles as catwoman in...

Jazz Music
DEC · 19, 1918
Professor Longhair Born

Henry Roeland Byrd, known to the world, as Professor Longhair, one of New Orleans’ greatest pianist, was born December 19, 1918 in the small rural town of Bogalusa, Louisiana, the only son of Ella Mae...

Uncategorized
DEC · 18, 2021
Joe Walker Dies

Joseph Melvin Walker died on Saturday, December 18, 2021 at 2:00 am in Lake Charles, Louisiana. An accomplished accordionist, guitarist and keyboardist with a powerful and unique gospel influenced voi...

Blues Music
DEC · 30, 1928
Bo Diddley Born

Ellas “Bo Diddley” Bates, known to the world as “Bo Diddley” was born on Sunday, December 30, 1928, on a small farm near the town of McComb, Mississippi, in rural Pike County, close to the Louisiana b...

From the archive

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Uncategorized
MAR · 07, 1981
Chris Ardoin Born

Zydeco musician Chirs Ardoin, lead singer and accordionist of Chris Ardoin & Nu Step Zydeko was born on March 7, 1981 in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Chris Ardoin helped pioneer and develop the "Double Cl...

Zydeco Music
JUN · 03, 2001
Bobby Jackson Dies

Crowley, Louisiana natives Bobby Jackson, age 46 (Guitarist), and Bradley Guilbeau, age 39 (Drummer), musicians with the Zydeco Band Dikki Du & the Zydeco Crew were killed in an auto accident on June...

Zydeco Music
JUN · 02, 1968
Pernell Babineaux Born

Pernell Babineaux, bass guitarist for the Zydeco Boneshakers, was born on June 2, 1968 in Houston, Texas.

Uncategorized
JAN · 17, 1927
Eartha Kitt Born

Ms. Eartha Kitt was born on January 17, 1927 on a cotton plantation in the tiny town of North, South Carolina. Her mother (black cotton picker) was of Cherokee and African-American descent, and her fa...

Uncategorized
SEP · 10, 1999
Beau Jocque Dies

Andrus Espreé, known to the Zydeco Nation as Beau Jocque (which means Big Guy), died of a heart attack in Kinder, Louisiana on September 10, 1999, at the age of 47. Lead singer of the Zydeco group Bea...

Jazz Music
MAY · 06, 2007
Alvin Batiste Dies

Alvin Batiste, a widely respected jazz clarinetist, composer and educator who played across the musical spectrum, from traditional to avant-garde styles, and was a prolific figure on the jazz festival...

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