April 9

Highly respected and sultry jazz and blues singer, Ms. Dakota Staton, (pronounced STAY-Ton) died on Tuesday, April 10, 2007 at the Isabella Geriatric Center in New York City at the age of 76. Sharynn...

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...

Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated on April 4, 1968, at 6:01 PM, on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee, while preparing to lead a local march in support of the heavily black...

Clinton “Santy” Runyon (b 1907) died on April 4, 2003 in Lafayette, Louisiana at the age of 96. Santy Runyon was a world renowned saxophonist, who played in Al Capone's speakeasy club, The Coliseum, a...

Edward Gay Robinson known to the world as Eddie Robinson was died on Tuesday, April 3, 2007 at 11:30 p.m. at Lincoln General Hospital. He is survived by his wife, Doris, two children, five grandchildr...

Harry 'Big Daddy' Hypolite, talented guitarist and sideman for more than 40 years, most notably in the bands of the Zydeco great Clifton Chenier, later Chenier's son C.J. Chenier and Nathan & the Zyde...

Southern Soul & Blues singer Jacqueline "Jazzy Jackie" Neal was born on July 7, 1967 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She was the daughter of internationally known Baton Rouge blues man Raful Neal. Eight of...

Trey Ardoin, lead guitar player for Chris Ardoin and NuStep and Sean Ardoin & Zydekool, was born on July 12, 1985 in Lake Charles, Louisiana.

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.

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...

Alphonse “Bois Sec” Ardoin was born on November 16, 1915, at l'Anse de Prien Noir (Black Cyprian's Cove) near Bayou Duralde, Louisiana. He began playing music (on the triangle) with Amédé when he was...

Fernest Arceneaux, "The New Prince of Accordion" passed away on this day of September 4, 2008 at the age of 68. Fernest Arceneaux , born August 27, 1940, died in Lafayette of natural causes. Known for...