Kermit_Ruffins_at_his_Mother-in-Law_Lounge

The Mother-in-Law Lounge is a live music venue, pub and a shrine in

New Orleans, Louisiana New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster. ; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...

dedicated to the memory of

rhythm and blues Rhythm and blues, frequently abbreviated as R&B or R'n'B, is a genre of popular music that originated in African-American communities in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly ...

singer,

Ernie K-Doe Ernest Kador Jr. (February 22, 1933 – July 5, 2001), known by the stage name Ernie K-Doe, was an American rhythm-and-blues singer best known for his 1961 hit single "Mother-in-Law", which went to number 1 on the ''Billboard'' pop chart in the U ...

. It is at the downtown river corner of Claiborne Avenue and Columbus Street in the

7th Ward of New Orleans The 7th Ward is a section of New Orleans, Louisiana. It is geographically the third largest of the 17 Wards of New Orleans, after the 9th Ward and 15th Ward. New Orleans Districts and Wards Boundaries and geography The 7th Ward stretches from th ...

. The exterior of the building is decorated with colorful murals depicting K-Doe and other prominent figures in New Orleans music, especially people who collaborated with K-Doe. The lounge was originally opened by Ernie K-Doe in 1994, and it has become a historical icon in the local community. It was flooded with five and a half feet of water during

Hurricane Katrina Hurricane Katrina was a destructive Category 5 Atlantic hurricane that caused over 1,800 fatalities and $125 billion in damage in late August 2005, especially in the city of New Orleans and the surrounding areas. It was at the time the cost ...

in 2005. With the help of the

Hands on Network The HandsOn Network was a non-profit organization focusing on community service based in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.A. It sought to bring people together to strengthen communities through meaningful volunteer action, and mobilized some half million vo ...

and Chet Haines, the lounge reopened its doors on 29 August 2006, on the first anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. Mother-in-Law Lounge was owned and operated by K-Doe's widow and musician,

Antoinette K-Doe Antoinette K-Doe (February 3, 1943 - February 24, 2009) was the spouse of R&B singer Ernie K-Doe. She was also owner of the Mother-in-Law Lounge in New Orleans, a pub and shrine to her late husband. She was a notable cook and costume designer, ...

, before she died during Mardi Gras 2009. In 2011, local musician

Kermit Ruffins Kermit Ruffins (born December 19, 1964) is an American jazz trumpeter, singer, composer, and actor from New Orleans. He has been influenced by Louis Armstrong and Louis Jordan and says that the highest note he can hit on trumpet is a high C. He ...

agreed to lease the site, and it reopened on January 20, 2014. Ruffins is now running the establishment as Kermit's Mother-In-Law Lounge.

References

Drinking establishments in New Orleans Music venues in Louisiana Music of New Orleans {{pub-stub