Willis Prudhomme, lead accordionist of Willis Prudhomme & the Zydeco Express was born on Tuesday, September 22, 1931 in Kinder, Louisiana.
Willis Prudhomme, lead accordionist of Willis Prudhomme & the Zydeco Express was born on Tuesday, September 22, 1931 in Kinder, Louisiana. Willis Prudhomme was one of twelve children and grew up as a member of a sharecropper family and eventually became a rice and soybean farmer himself. At the age of 45, he taught himself how to play the harmonica and the accordion, in which became his focal instrument. He founded his band Willis Prudhomme & the Zydeco Express” and recorded their first landmark double album as a live performance in 1989 at the legendary Richard’s Club near Lawtell, Louisiana and was featured in the movie "Passion Fish" performing “Zydeco Queen." Willis Prudhomme recorded several Zydeco albums which became well known for his Zydeco hits like like “My Woman is a Salty Dog,” “Trying to Love Two,” “Enola’s Stepping Out Tonight” and “Cornbread” which was later recorded by Beau Jocque & the Zydeco Hi Rollers.