May 20

Malcolm X born Malcolm Little and also known as El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz was born on May 19, 1925 in Omaha, Nebraska to Earl and Louise Little (Louisa Norton). His father was an outspoken Baptist lay...

Henry Lee Williams, known to the Southern Soul and Blues Nation as Lee "Shot" Williams was born on May 21, 1938 in the small country town of Lexington, Mississippi.He grew up singing in local gospel g...

On Wednesday, May 21, 2014, Creole musician, Goldman Thibodeaux was presented the Louisiana Folk Life Heritage Award as part of the Louisiana Culture Awards by Lt. Governor Jay Dardenne.

Herman Fuselier, On Air Radio Personality and Host of “The Zydeco Stomp” program at KRVS radio in Lafayette, Louisiana; Music Writer for The Times of Acadiana; and Host of the “Bayou Boogie” TV progra...

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...

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...

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...

Baldemar Huerta, known to the world as Freddy Fender, was born on June 4, 1937 in San Benito, Texas. Freddy Fender was a Mexican-American, Tejano, country, and rock and roll musician, known for his wo...

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...

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...

Edward Gay Robinson known to the world as "Eddie Robinson" was born on February 13, 1919 in Jackson, Louisiana to the son of a sharecropper and a domestic worker. Eddie Robinson spent fifty-six years...

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...