August 25

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...

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...

Joseph Wilfred Chavis born on Saturday, May 5, 1945 Church Point, Louisiana. He grew up immersed and grounded in the black Creole tradition of southwest Louisiana and became a student of the old Creol...

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...

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...

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...

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...