June 23

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...

Clifton Chenier, “the King of Zydeco” was born on June 25, 1925 in the rural community of Notleyville, just east of Opelousas, Louisiana. Clifton Chenier was the first Creole artist to win a Grammy aw...

Derrick J. Guidry, scrubboard player for the Zydeco Boneshakers, was born June 20, 1986 in Lake Charles, Louisiana.

Albert John Lewis, lead accordionist for Al Rapone & The Zydeco Express was born on Friday, June 26, 1936 in Lake Charles, Louisiana. He partnered with his sister Ida Guillory and brother Willie Lewis...

Thomas Andrew Dorsey, the father of gospel music, was born on July 1, 1899 in the small town of Villa Rica, Georgia. Earlier in his life he was a leading blues pianist known as Georgia Tom. As Georgia...

Wilbert Guillory, agricultural organizer and activist, Zydeco music promoter and long time director of the Original Southwest Louisiana Zydeco Music Festival in Plaisance, Louisiana died on June 14, 2...

Highly respected creole fiddler Canray Fontenot was born October 23, 1918, in d l'Anse des Rougeaux, Louisiana (an unincorporated community outside Eunice, Louisiana). His family was originally from t...

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...

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...

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...

Tabby’s Blues Box and Heritage Hall, a mainstay in the blues community in Baton Rouge for over 24 years until its closure on November 20, 2004. Respected Blues musician, Tabby Thomas owned and operate...

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.