February 1

Mr. Stanley Dural Jr., known to the Zydeco Nation and the world as “Buckwheat Zydeco” and leader of the Zydeco outfit “Buckwheat Zydeco and the Ils Sont Partis Band” was awarded the 2009 Grammy Award...

Henry Roeland Byrd, known to the world, as Professor Longhair, one of New Orleans’s greatest pianist, died on January 30, 1980 at the age of 62 peacefully in his sleep in New Orleans, Louisiana. His f...

Carlton Frank, one of the last of the old-time Creole fiddlers, died February 5, 2005, at the age of 74 at a hospital in Jennings, Louisiana. His music lives on through his recordings. In 2001, Keith...

Geno Delafose, lead singer and accordionist of the Zydeco Band Geno Delafose & French Rockin' Boogie Saturday, February 6, 1971 in Eunice, Louisiana. Geno Delafose is the son of Zydeco Legend John Del...

Marvin Matthew Sease Sr., Southern Soul and Blues Legend died of pneumonia at River Region Medical Center in Vicksburg, Mississippi, on February 8, 2011, eight days before his 65th birthday. His music...

Southern Soul and Blues singer, Tyrone Davis, died on February 9, 2007 in a Chicago hospital at the age of 66. In October 2004, he suffered a stroke which curtailed his career. Working as a valet/chaf...

Blues pianist Albert "Sunnyland Slim" Luandrew died on March 17, 1995 in Chicago, Illinois at the age of 87. He was coming home from a winter show, he slipped and fell on some ice which led to medical...

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...

Albert “Little Smokey” Smothers was born on January 2, 1939, in Tchula, Mississippi, and began playing guitar at 15. Two years later, Smothers moved to Chicago and shortly after landed gigs with Arthu...

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...

Soul singer Louis "Big Lou" Washington Sr was born on Monday, August 4, 1941 in Opelousas, Louisiana. He was the fourth child of Nathan Washington and Stella Moore-Washington. "Big Lou" Washington beg...

Thomas Andrew Dorsey, the father of gospel music, died on January 23, 1993 in Chicago, Illinois at the age of 93. He is interred there in the Oak Woods Cemetery. Earlier in his life he was a leading b...