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May 13

Quiet day in the archive

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Zydeco Music
MAY · 16, 1921
Cleveland Chenier Born

Cleveland Chenier, rubboard innovator, band member and brother of Clifton Chenier, was born on May 16, 1921 in the rural community of Notleyville, just east of Opelousas, Louisiana. Cleveland was also...

Uncategorized
MAY · 16, 2007
Alphonse “Bois Sec” Ardoin Dies

Mr. Alphonse “Bois Sec” Ardoin, internationally known Creole accordionist, singer, and one of the Zydeco Nation’s last living link to the old Creole musical tradition called “la la music” or “la musiq...

Uncategorized
MAY · 16, 2026
Ike Willis Dies

Isaac "Ike" Willis died on Saturday, May 16, 2026 of prostate cancer at the age of 70. A guitar protege since the age of 8, Ike Willis was a mainstay in progressive rock, alternative rock and R&B and...

Zydeco Music
MAY · 09, 2006
ZydecoOnline Website (Version #4) Goes Live Online

Zydeco Historical & Preservation Society web developer Rob Ricks brought the fourth (4th) version ZydecoOnline website online. The original and first version of the ZydecoOnline.com website was launch...

Blues Music
MAY · 08, 1911
Robert Johnson Born

Robert Leroy Johnson, one of the greatest blues musicians of all time, was born on May 8, 1911 in Hazlehurst, Mississippi to Julia Major Dodds and Noah Johnson. Although his records sold poorly during...

Zydeco Music
MAY · 07, 1991
Cleveland Chenier Dies

Cleveland Chenier, rubboard innovator, band member and brother of Clifton Chenier, died Tuesday May 7, 1991 at 11:10 a.m. at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Lafayette, Louisiana at the age of 70. He i...

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SEP · 22, 1931
Willis Prudhomme Born

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...

Creole History
FEB · 19, 2004
Luke Collin Dies

Creole enthusiast and Zydeco music pioneer Luke Collins (b 1941) died on February 19, 2004 in Opelousas, Louisiana at the age of 63 after suffering a stroke a week earlier. Affectionately known as "th...

Zydeco Music
MAY · 04, 2010
Roy Carrier Dies

Joseph Roy Carrier, leader of Roy Carrier & the Night Rockers died on May 4, 2010 at 12:15am of a heart attack at the age of 63 at the Opelousas General Hospital in Opelousas, Louisiana. His black Cre...

World History
OCT · 14, 2006
Freddy Fender Dies

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...

Uncategorized
DEC · 14, 1944
Joe Walker Born

Joseph Melvin Walker was born on Thursday, December 14, 1944 in Lafayette, Louisiana. An accomplished accordionist, guitarist and keyboardist with a powerful and unique gospel influenced voice, Joe Wa...

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...

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Zydeco Workout featuring Lola Love

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