Clifton Chenier (June 25, 1925 – December 12, 1987), was an American Creole musician known as a pioneer of

zydeco Zydeco ( or , french: Zarico) is a music genre that evolved in southwest Louisiana by French Creole speakers which blends blues, rhythm and blues, and music indigenous to the Louisiana Creoles and the Native American people of Louisiana. Al ...

, a style of music which arose from Creole music, with R&B,

blues Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads from the ...

, and

Cajun The Cajuns (; French: ''les Cadjins'' or ''les Cadiens'' ), also known as Louisiana ''Acadians'' (French: ''les Acadiens''), are a Louisiana French ethnicity mainly found in the U.S. state of Louisiana. While Cajuns are usually described as ...

influences. He sang and played the

accordion Accordions (from 19th-century German ''Akkordeon'', from ''Akkord''—"musical chord, concord of sounds") are a family of box-shaped musical instruments of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone type (producing sound as air flows past a ree ...

and won a

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...

in 1983. He was known as the King of Zydeco, and also billed as the King of the South.

Biography

Chenier was a native of

Leonville, Louisiana Leonville is a town in St. Landry Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 1,084 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Opelousas– Eunice Micropolitan Statistical Area. Geography Leonville is located at (30.470031, -91.98240 ...

, near

Opelousas :''Opelousas is also a common name of the flathead catfish.'' Opelousas (french: Les Opélousas; Spanish: ''Los Opeluzás'') is a small city and the parish seat of St. Landry Parish, Louisiana, United States. Interstate 49 and U.S. Route 190 were ...

. He spoke

Louisiana French Louisiana French ( frc, français de la Louisiane; lou, françé la lwizyàn) is an umbrella term for the dialects and varieties of the French language spoken traditionally by French Louisianians in colonial Lower Louisiana. As of today Louisi ...

as a first language. Chenier began his recording career in 1954, when he signed with Elko Records and released ''Cliston's Blues'' ic a regional success. In 1955 he signed with

Specialty Records Specialty Records was an American record label founded in Los Angeles in 1945 by Art Rupe. It was known for rhythm and blues, gospel, and early rock and roll, and recorded artists such as Little Richard, Guitar Slim, Percy Mayfield, and Lloyd Pr ...

and garnered his first national hit with his label debut "Ay-Tete Fi" (Hey, Little Girl) (a

cover Cover or covers may refer to: Packaging * Another name for a lid * Cover (philately), generic term for envelope or package * Album cover, the front of the packaging * Book cover or magazine cover ** Book design ** Back cover copy, part of copy ...

of Professor Longhair's song). The national success of the release led to numerous tours with popular rhythm and blues performers such as

Ray Charles Ray Charles Robinson Sr. (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004) was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. He is regarded as one of the most iconic and influential singers in history, and was often referred to by contemporaries as "The Ge ...

Etta James Jamesetta Hawkins (January 25, 1938 – January 20, 2012), known professionally as Etta James, was an American singer who performed in various genres, including gospel, blues, jazz, R&B, rock and roll, and soul. Starting her career in 1954, sh ...

, and

Lowell Fulson Lowell Fulson (March 31, 1921March 7, 1999) was an American blues guitarist and songwriter, in the West Coast blues tradition. He also recorded for contractual reasons as Lowell Fullsom and Lowell Fulsom. After T-Bone Walker, he was the most imp ...

. He also toured in the early days with

Clarence Garlow Clarence Joseph Garlow (February 27, 1911July 24, 1986) was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter who performed in the R&B, jump blues, Texas blues and cajun styles. He is best known for his recording of the song " Bon Ton Roula", which ...

, billed as the Two Crazy Frenchmen. Chenier was signed with

Chess Records Chess Records was an American record company established in 1950 in Chicago, specializing in blues and rhythm and blues. It was the successor to Aristocrat Records, founded in 1947. It expanded into soul music, gospel music, early rock a ...

in Chicago, followed by the Arhoolie label. In April 1966, Chenier appeared at the Berkeley Blues Festival on the

University of California The University of California (UC) is a public land-grant research university system in the U.S. state of California. The system is composed of the campuses at Berkeley, Davis, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, University of Califor ...

campus and was subsequently described by Ralph J. Gleason, jazz critic of the ''

San Francisco Chronicle The ''San Francisco Chronicle'' is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of Northern California. It was founded in 1865 as ''The Daily Dramatic Chronicle'' by teenage brothers Charles de Young and Michael H. de Young. The pa ...

'', as "... one of the most surprising musicians I have heard in some time, with a marvelously moving style of playing the accordion ... blues accordion, that's right, blues accordion." Chenier was the first act to play at

Antone Antone is both a surname and a masculine given name. Notable people with the name include: Surname: *Annie Antone (born 1955), American basket weaver *Bruce Antone (born 1960), American politician * Clifford Antone (1949–2006), American blues mus ...

's, a blues club on Sixth Street in

Austin, Texas Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the seat and largest city of Travis County, with portions extending into Hays and Williamson counties. Incorporated on December 27, 1839, it is the 11th-most-populous city ...

. Later in 1976, he reached a national audience when he appeared on the premiere season of the PBS music program ''

Austin City Limits ''Austin City Limits'' is an American live music television program recorded and produced by Austin PBS. The show helped Austin become widely known in the United States as the "Live Music Capital of the World", and is the only television show to ...

''. Three years later in 1979 he returned to the show with his Red Hot Louisiana Band. Chenier's popularity peaked in the 1980s, and he was recognized with a

in 1983 for his album ''I'm Here''. It was the first Grammy for his new label

Alligator Records Alligator Records is an American, Chicago-based independent blues record label founded by Bruce Iglauer in 1971. Iglauer was also one of the founders of the '' Living Blues'' magazine in Chicago in 1970. History Iglauer started the label using ...

. Chenier followed Queen Ida as the second

Louisiana Creole Louisiana Creole ( lou, Kréyòl Lalwizyàn, links=no) is a French-based creole language spoken by fewer than 10,000 people, mostly in the state of Louisiana. It is spoken today by people who may racially identify as White, Black, mixed, and N ...

to win a Grammy. Chenier is credited with redesigning the wood and crimped tin washboard into the '' vest frottoir'', an instrument that would easily hang from the shoulders. Cleveland Chenier, Clifton's older brother, also played in the Red Hot Louisiana Band. He found popularity for his ability to manipulate the distinctive sound of the frottoir by rubbing several bottle openers (held in each hand) along its ridges. During their prime, Chenier and his band traveled throughout the world.

Later years and death

Chenier suffered from

diabetes Diabetes, also known as diabetes mellitus, is a group of metabolic disorders characterized by a high blood sugar level ( hyperglycemia) over a prolonged period of time. Symptoms often include frequent urination, increased thirst and increased ...

which eventually forced him to have a foot

amputate Amputation is the removal of a limb by trauma, medical illness, or surgery. As a surgical measure, it is used to control pain or a disease process in the affected limb, such as malignancy or gangrene. In some cases, it is carried out on ind ...

d and required dialysis because of associated

kidney The kidneys are two reddish-brown bean-shaped organs found in vertebrates. They are located on the left and right in the retroperitoneal space, and in adult humans are about in length. They receive blood from the paired renal arteries; blo ...

problems. He died of diabetes-related kidney disease in December 1987 in

Lafayette, Louisiana Lafayette (, ) is a city in the U.S. state of Louisiana, and the most populous city and parish seat of Lafayette Parish, located along the Vermilion River. It is Louisiana's fourth largest incorporated municipality by population and the 234t ...

. His funeral took place at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Lafayette.

Legacy and tributes

Since 1987, his son C. J. Chenier (born Clayton Joseph Thompson) has carried on the zydeco tradition by touring with Chenier's band and recording albums.

Rory Gallagher William Rory Gallagher ( ; 2 March 1948 – 14 June 1995) was an Irish guitarist, singer, songwriter, and producer. Due to his virtuosic playing, but relative lack of fame compared to some others, he has been referred to as "the greatest ...

wrote a song in tribute to Chenier entitled "The King of Zydeco".

Paul Simon Paul Frederic Simon (born October 13, 1941) is an American musician, singer, songwriter and actor whose career has spanned six decades. He is one of the most acclaimed songwriters in popular music, both as a solo artist and as half of folk roc ...

mentioned Chenier in his song "That Was Your Mother", from his 1986 album ''

Graceland Graceland is a mansion on a estate in Memphis, Tennessee, United States, which was once owned by rock and roll icon Elvis Presley. His daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, inherited Graceland after his death in 1977. Graceland is located at 3764 Elv ...

'', calling him the "King of the Bayou."

Sonny Landreth Clide Vernon "Sonny" Landreth (born February 1, 1951) is an American blues musician from southwest Louisiana who is especially known as a slide guitar player. He was born in Canton, Mississippi, and settled in Lafayette, Louisiana. He lives in Bre ...

recalls growing up on the rhythm of Clifton and Cleveland and the Red Hot Louisiana Band in

South of I-10 ''South of I-10'' is the fourth studio album from Sonny Landreth. The album features his first collaboration with Mark Knopfler. The album featured the first music video for Sonny Landreth for his song, "Native Stepson". Track listing #"Shooting ...

, songtitle and name of the album released in 1995.

John Mellencamp John J. Mellencamp (born October 7, 1951), previously known as Johnny Cougar, John Cougar, and John Cougar Mellencamp, is an American singer-songwriter. He is known for his catchy brand of heartland rock, which emphasizes traditional instrumen ...

refers to "Clifton" in his song "Lafayette", about the Louisiana city where Chenier often performed. The song is on Mellencamp's 2003 album '' Trouble No More''. Zachary Richard mentioned Chenier in his song "Clif's Zydeco" (on Richard's 2012 album ''Le Fou''). The Squeezebox Stompers' "Zydeco Train" says, "Clifton Chenier, he's the engineer." The jam band

Phish Phish is an American rock band formed in Burlington, Vermont, in 1983. The band is known for musical improvisation, extended jams, blending of genres, and a dedicated fan base. The band consists of guitarist Trey Anastasio, bassist Mike G ...

often covers Chenier's song "My Soul" in live performances. Chenier is the subject of Les Blank's 1973 documentary film, ''Hot Pepper''.

Awards and honors

Chenier was a recipient of a 1984

National Heritage Fellowship The National Heritage Fellowship is a lifetime honor presented to master folk and traditional artists by the National Endowment for the Arts. Similar to Japan's Living National Treasure award, the Fellowship is the United States government's ...

awarded by the

National Endowment for the Arts The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal ...

, which is the United States government's highest honor in the folk and traditional arts. He was inducted posthumously into the

Blues Hall of Fame The Blues Hall of Fame is a music museum located at 421 S. Main Street in Memphis, Tennessee. Initially, the "Blues Hall of Fame" was not a physical building, but a listing of people who have significantly contributed to blues music. Started in 1 ...

in 1989, and the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame in 2011. In 2014, he was a recipient of the

Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award The Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award is a special Grammy Award that is awarded by The Recording Academy The Recording Academy (formally the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences; abbreviated NARAS) is an American learned academy of ...

. In 2015, the

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The libra ...

deemed Chenier's album ''

Bogalusa Boogie ''Bogalusa Boogie'' is a studio album by the American zydeco musician Clifton Chenier. It was released in 1975 via Arhoolie Records. The album was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2011. In 2016, the album was inducted into the Library of ...

'' to be "culturally, historically, or artistically significant" and selected it for preservation in the

National Recording Registry The National Recording Registry is a list of sound recordings that "are culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant, and/or inform or reflect life in the United States." The registry was established by the National Recording Preservat ...

Partial discography

*''Cliston's Blues'' (Elko Records), 1954 *''Ay-Tete Fi'' (

), 1955 *''Louisiana Blues & Zydeco'' (

Arhoolie Records Arhoolie Records is an American small independent record label run by Chris Strachwitz and is based in El Cerrito, California, United States (it is actually located in Richmond Annex but has an El Cerrito postal address.) The label was founded ...

), 1965 *''Bon Ton Roulet !'' (Arhoolie), 1967 *''

'' (Arhoolie), 1975 *''Frenchin' the Boogie'' (Blue Star), 1976 *''Boogie in Black and White'' (with

swamp pop Swamp pop is a music genre indigenous to the Acadiana region of south Louisiana and an adjoining section of southeast Texas. Created in the 1950s by young Cajuns and Creoles, it combines New Orleans–style rhythm and blues, country and weste ...

musician

Rod Bernard Rod Bernard () was an American singer who helped to pioneer the musical genre known as "swamp pop", which combined New Orleans-style rhythm and blues, country and western, and Cajun and black Creole music. He is generally considered one of t ...

, Jin Records), 1976 *''Red Hot Louisiana Band'' (Arhoolie), 1977 * ''New Orleans'' (

GNP Crescendo Records GNP Crescendo Record Co. is an independent record label founded in 1954 by Gene Norman ''(né'' Eugene Abraham Nabatoff; 1922–2015). It started as a producer of jazz, then expanded into many other genres, including comedy, rock, and '' Star Tre ...

GNP 2119) 1978 *''Boogie & Zydeco'' (

Sonet Records Sonet Records was a jazz, pop and rock record label operating as an imprint of Universal Music Sweden. It was founded in Sweden in 1956. Sonet Records was established by Sven Lindholm and Gunnar Bergström, who managed the label into the 1980s ...

SNTF 801), 1979 *''I'm Here'' (

), 1982

References

External links

*
Zydeco Cajun Music & Dance – Historical
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chenier, Clifton 1925 births 1987 deaths People from Opelousas, Louisiana 20th-century African-American male singers American accordionists American blues singers National Heritage Fellowship winners Singers from Louisiana Alligator Records artists Bell Records artists Charly Records artists Imperial Records artists Specialty Records artists Tear Drop Records artists Zydeco accordionists Deaths from kidney failure Louisiana Creole people American amputees Deaths from diabetes Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winners 20th-century accordionists Arhoolie Records artists African-American Catholics