August 21

Alton Rubin, known to the Zydeco Nation as Rockin' Dopsie "the Prince of Zydeco", died on August 26, 1993 in Opelousas, Louisiana of heart failure at the age of 64. He was married Alvina LeBlanc and h...

Fernest Arceneaux, lead accordionist for Fernest and the Thunders, was born on August 27, 1940 to a large sharecropping family based in Lafayette, Louisiana. He learned to play an accordion owned by h...

Albert John Lewis, lead accordionist for Al Rapone & The Zydeco Express died peacefully in the arms of his loving wife Alice of 45 years Thursday August 30, 2018 in Pacifica, California. He partnered...

Southern Soul and Blues singer Isaac “Big Ike” Martin died on August 31, 2003 from complications from a gastric bypass operation in his hometown of Lake Charles, Louisiana. Big Ike became lead singer...

Willis Prudhomme, lead accordionist of Willis Prudhomme & the Zydeco Express died on Monday, August 31, 2020 from complications of COVID-19. Willis Prudhomme was one of twelve children and grew up as...

Archie Bell, lead singer of Archie Bell & the Drells from Houston, Texas, was born on September 1, 1944 in Henderson, Texas. Archie Bell grew up in Houston, Texas in a household that included seven br...

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...

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...

Eddie Shuler, renowned pioneering Southwest Louisiana recording engineer and founder of Goldband Records, the nation's longest running independent record label, was born on March 27, 1913 in Wrightsbo...

Highly respected and sultry jazz and blues singer, Ms. Dakota Staton, (pronounced STAY-Ton) was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on June 3, 1930. She began singing and dancing at the age of 7 She rece...

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...

Gerald Dunnaway, drummer for the Zydeco Boneshakers, was born on January 16, 1958 in Lake Charles, Louisiana.