Every memory in the archive
Browse the full archive of Zydeco music and Louisiana & Texas Creole culture, filtered by category.
Ida Guillory was born in Lake Charles, Louisiana on January 15, 1929. She grew up in the Cajun/Creole communities of Southwest Louisiana and East Texas. She later became know to the world as Queen Ida...
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was born on January 15, 1929 in Atlanta, Georgia. He was the son of the Reverend Martin Luther King, Sr. and Alberta Williams King. Dr King helped break down the color barri...
On Wednesday, October 2, 1929, Douglas Bellard and Kirby Riley became the first rural Afro-Creoles from Southwest Louisiana to commercially record Louisiana Creole music on Vocalion and Columbia Recor...
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...
Ms. Eartha Kitt was born on January 17, 1927 on a cotton plantation in the tiny town of North, South Carolina. Her mother (black cotton picker) was of Cherokee and African-American descent, and her fa...
Skipper Lee Frazier, Houston radio disc jockey, record label owner, businessman, and promoter, was born on July 31, 1927 in Magnolia Springs, Texas to James Frazier and Dora Lee Traylor. For over 22 y...
E. Rodney Jones, legendary radio personality, DJ, and Bluseologist, was born on August 8, 1927 in Texarkana, Arkansas. E. Rodney Jones was a member of the Black Radio Hall of Fame and the Louisiana Bl...
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...
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...
Joe Simien, esteemed Creole Accordionist, was born on October 3, 1923, in Le Beau, Louisiana. He moved to Los Angeles, California in the 1950's where he pioneered and kept Louisiana Creole music alive...
Blues Legend Charles Brown was born on September 13, 1922 Texas City, Texas. Mr. Charles Brown was a major musical figure in the pre-rock and roll era of the late Forties and early Fifties. As a membe...
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...