Clifton Donato and The La La Kings “Now that’s a man that plays Zydeco.”
Clifton Donato and the La La Kings to perform at New Year’s Eve Benefit
December 30, 2014
by Robert L. Schaadt
The Vindicator
“Now that’s a man that plays Zydeco, that’s a Zydeco man.” “Which is one, but only one of many ways of saying, Now that’s a Frenchman.”
L. C. Donatto, Sr.
Clifton Donato and the La La Kings will provide the music for the Zydeco dance at The Vindicator’s New Year’s Eve Benefit for the Spirit of Sharing.
Clifton Donato and the La La Kings are known for their exciting performances, a blend of traditional Creole and Zydeco standards along with Clifton’s own compositions.
Clifton’s band is composed of veteran musicians who have played for many years.
Clifton Donato expresses his love for his family’s heritage and the music that he grew up with in McNair, Texas, the Creole Music along with Zydeco.
A noted accordion player, he writes much of his material and is a modern traditionalist in his musical repertoire.
You will hear favorites and new selections that will become your favorites.
With musique créole, le blues français, and le Zydeco, you will be entertained by Clifton Donato and the La La Kings.
His tight band consists of Edward Guillory, guitar and vocals; Lawrence Howard, bass; Ray Harris, drums; L. C. Donatto, rubboard; and Robert Blues, keyboard.
Growing up in McNair, Texas, Clifton Donato, like so many Zydeco artists, embraced his Louisiana and family heritage taught to him by his grandmother, Birdie Mary Williams Donato, who moved to Texas from St. Landry Parish.
His grandmother taught him French, how to cook and his family history. She was a great influence for Clifton until her death in 2009 at the age of 100.
None of his immediate family were musicians, but the sounds of Southwest Louisiana, Zydeco and French Creole were abundant, and the La La, a house or Saturday night dance, was a way of life.
However, his father’s first cousin, Alcide “L. C.” Donato, Sr. was considered by many Creoles and Cajuns alike to be the finest accordion player in Houston, Harris County and even Texas for over four decades.
Between his family, the community and attending the Holy Family Catholic Church, he was immersed as a child in the Creole culture brought to McNair by the Louisiana natives who came to Texas for the jobs and a more prosperous life.
At the Catholic bazaars and yearly festivals, Clifton heard Zydeco bands. His father, a noted dancer, taught him to Zydeco one night so that he could impress the girls when Beau Jocque was on the band stand at the J. D. Walker Community Center.
The fast tempo, the blends of French blues, waltzes and two-steps, caught his attention and made an impression on Clifton.
The domination of the music by the button accordion and the full range of the piano accordion struck the young man.
After graduating from Ross Sterling High School, Donato studied Electrical Technology at Lee College in Baytown and became an Inspector for the City of Houston for his occupation.
Clifton continued to learn from his grandmother, especially the Creole cooking, and enjoyed a wide variety of music as a teenager and college student.
But it was not until the age of 27, with an interest in becoming a player, that Clifton listened again to his Creole musical roots. At the age of 29 he bought a beginning accordion, a French button accordion that is vital to the La La music sound.
Practicing constantly with a passion, Clifton learned songs backwards and forwards, honing his timing with the in and out.
Little by little he learned to play, first the song One Hour Too Late and then No Sad Songs.
Encouraged by his cousin L. C. Donatto, Clifton studied the Creole and French Music recordings and was influenced by the playing of John Delafose, 1939-1994. Clifton liked John’s music due to its having lots of energy and the French sound, a bridge between Zydeco’s roots and the contemporary sound. Clifton Chenier was another artist that influenced his early playing.
While learning the accordion, Clifton practiced his French language skills with his grandmother and other family members in Louisiana, and a good friend Lejeune Bellard from Eunice, Louisiana, and with Edward Poullard of Beaumont.
Clifton understands French, sings in it passionately, and enjoys conversing in it.
By 2007 Clifton Donato started playing professionally in the Houston area. He credits his sister, Alaina J. Donato, for encouraging him to play, and teaching him how to improve his showmanship, how to judge an audience and how to get involved and relate with your audience.
When the audience interacts, Clifton plays with even more intensity and gets his hard working band to come together into that zone that is enjoyable for the band and the audience. When Clifton Donato and the La La Kings play, people move, dance, interact, enjoy, and respond to the driving music.
Starting at a Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen, Clifton Donato has progressed by playing at private parties, nursing homes, church bazaars, as guest accordionist with Bon Ton Mickey in 2010, playing at the Big Easy in 2011, Gino’s Lounge, Mardi Gras parties, the Déjà Vu Showcase Club in Baytown, the 2013 Juneteenth Celebration at J. D. Walker Park, and a long standing engagement at the Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen on I-10 East in 2014.
In 2011 Clifton recorded his first CD, Creole is Here to Stay, that features several of his original compositions including Creole is Here to Stay, You Drive Me Crazy and Grand Mere and Mon Pere. Several live performances are on YouTube.
Clifton Donato is on his way to bigger and better things in 2015.
He plays six different accordions and has the right band that compliments his musical intentions. A new CD is in the making and his success will continue.
This descendant of Martin Donato (Donatto) (1770-1848), son of Donato Bello, a Spanish infantry officer, and Marie Jeanne Talliaferro, of Saint Landry Parish, honors his Creole heritage with his musical efforts that inspire us.
The La La Kings are a band of experienced professionals that “Makes me sound even better and inspires me as we play,” stated Clifton.
L. C. Donatto, also known as Alcide Donatto, Jr. or Little L. C. when he played with his famous father, grew up with Zydeco and Creole Music. He began a career as a rubboard player before he was out of grade school, creating that rhythmic sound for over 50 years in 2014. His style is unique and very powerful, a deep sound emanates from his rubboard.
His father, originally from Opelousas, started playing accordion in Houston in 1961 when L. C. was eight years old, and is considered one of the Houston Zydeco pioneers.
L. C., Jr. grew up with his father’s bands, L. C. Donatto and the Zydeco Slippers and L. C. Donatto and the Drifters, and the recording of My Baby Left Me Blues and Zydeco De Lafayette on the Maison De Soul label, along with Texas Zydeco, a CD recorded in 1994.
L. C., Jr. played all of the major venues in Southeast Texas including Miller Theatre and the Texas Folklife Festival in San Antonio.
With his father, he toured Europe playing the Creole and Zydeco music to thousands.
L. C. Donatto brings his experience, his mature rubboard style to the La La Kings, proving once again that family runs deep in Zydeco music.
L. C. shares Clifton’s passion in preserving Zydeco’s integrity despite the mounting temptation to mix it up with other styles.
Edward Guillory is a true professional, an experienced guitarist and performer.
Clifton states that Edward knows his French music and knows how to play it correctly.
Edward started playing guitar at the age of three and obtained his first guitar at the age of 10.
His family was from Elton, Louisiana, and brought their musical heritage to Houston where Edward grew up.
They were strong church members and with his mother, Sister Rose Biggs (Rose Andrews Guillory), Edward played gospel music with his four brothers. They were known as the Glory Gospel Group featuring Sister Rose Biggs.
His vast experience includes playing with Willie Dixon when he was in town, with numerous Zydeco bands including Willie T. and in the 1970s, Edward Guillory played in a noted Houston R&B band, Gods Gift to Women, that was well received.
One of his cherished memories was playing bass many years for Rayfield Jackson who was known as Houston’s Guitar Slim.
Edward grew up across the street from Houston’s Guitar Slim’s niece, Patricia, who later became Guillory’s wife.
Guillory has played a number of instruments and has recorded a number of records, albums and CDs over the years as a band member and session man.
Edward brings over 50 years of experience on the Houston music scene, from church music to the major clubs, to the La La Kings.
Additionally Guillory plays with his brother Xavier Guillory, a drummer, in the Guillory Brothers Band, playing blues and R&B standards.
Ray Harris, a master drummer from Houston, has played R&B, jazz, classical, gospel, rock, funk, and of course Zydeco. Clifton often mentions that Ray is the drummer that drives his style. He is skilled in keeping the beat and keeping the band in the groove with his double bass peddle.
Ray started playing drums in high school in 1967 and learned quickly, becoming Kashmere High School’s Drum Captain under Conrad Johnson and a distinguished member of the Kashmere’s Stage Band by the time he graduated.
Following graduation he played with the TSU band, and became a session drummer.
Ray was in a number of bands who backed up the stars when they played in Houston including Al Green, Ike & Tina Turner, Gladys Knight and the Pips, B. B. King, Clarence Carter, Bobby “Blue” Bland, Betty Wright, Joe Tex, Edwin Star, Frank Rollins, and for Little Stanley and the Executives.
Harris played the drums wherever needed, in town or on the road, and went to Memphis for six to seven years.
When his family life became more important to him, he came home from the road.
While playing in Houston, he worked in the grocers supply business for seventeen years and currently works as the Supervisor of General Services for the City of Houston.
Joe Reiner and Allan Dorsett of Houston are two of his mentors.
Ray Harris is the drummer not only for Clifton Donato, but two churches every Sunday, St. Bennet Catholic Church and Green Grove Missionary Church.
With Ray, bass player Lawrence Howard keeps the music in the pocket.
Lawrence Howard started playing bass at the age of 14, accumulating 57 years of experience playing many musical genres.
He is a seasoned professional, noted for his guitar and bass work.
Growing up he wanted to be a blues singer, but never achieved that dream even though he has played with the best.
Lawrence played with Sunnyland Slim, Guitar Slim, John Delafose, Chuck Martin, and Sammy Rays, to name just a few.
When the national acts came to the Houston area, Lawrence often ended up on stage, playing blues, jazz and Zydeco.
Originally from Louisiana, Howard spent many years in Galveston before moving to Houston.
He worked as a machinist for many years and drove trucks for the oil field suppliers.
Never losing his touch Lawrence Howard is one of Houston’s professional bass players and joined up with Clifton Donato in early 2014.
Robert Blues is the most recent member of the La La Kings as their keyboard player.
He bought a bass in 1967 wanting to learn how to play blues, a guitar in 1971, and played piano when one was available.
He played in a number of rock and blues bands, a stint in a country band, and was the bassist for four years for the Dan Scott Group, an avant-garde jazz group in Detroit, Michigan, before moving to Southern California in 1975.
After completing graduate school in 1978, Robert gave up a musical calling for a thirty-five year career as an archivist and historian, retiring in 2010, resuming music as a full time pursuit.
In 2010 guitarist J. R. Austin and he started playing blues together and established the ongoing Liberty County Blues Band.
In the fall of 2014 Robert Blues began his stint as the keyboard player for Clifton Donato as one of the La La Kings, learning Zydeco from the band’s professionals.
Robert has loved Creole, Zydeco and the French blues since he moved to Southeast Texas in 1978 from Los Angeles where he discovered the music after listening to Clifton Chenier and his Red Hot Louisiana Band.
Robert said “Playing with Clifton Donato and the La La Kings is always an exhilarating experience”.
Clifton Donato and the LaLa Kings will bring in the New Year with an exciting style that will be memorable.
December 30, 2014
by Robert L. Schaadt
The Vindicator
 |
| Clifton Donato expresses his love for his family’s heritage and the music that he grew-up with in McNair, Texas, the Creole Music along with Zydeco |
“Now that’s a man that plays Zydeco, that’s a Zydeco man.” “Which is one, but only one of many ways of saying, Now that’s a Frenchman.”
L. C. Donatto, Sr.
Clifton Donato and the La La Kings will provide the music for the Zydeco dance at The Vindicator’s New Year’s Eve Benefit for the Spirit of Sharing.
Clifton Donato and the La La Kings are known for their exciting performances, a blend of traditional Creole and Zydeco standards along with Clifton’s own compositions.
Clifton’s band is composed of veteran musicians who have played for many years.
Clifton Donato expresses his love for his family’s heritage and the music that he grew up with in McNair, Texas, the Creole Music along with Zydeco.
A noted accordion player, he writes much of his material and is a modern traditionalist in his musical repertoire.
You will hear favorites and new selections that will become your favorites.
With musique créole, le blues français, and le Zydeco, you will be entertained by Clifton Donato and the La La Kings.
His tight band consists of Edward Guillory, guitar and vocals; Lawrence Howard, bass; Ray Harris, drums; L. C. Donatto, rubboard; and Robert Blues, keyboard.
Growing up in McNair, Texas, Clifton Donato, like so many Zydeco artists, embraced his Louisiana and family heritage taught to him by his grandmother, Birdie Mary Williams Donato, who moved to Texas from St. Landry Parish.
His grandmother taught him French, how to cook and his family history. She was a great influence for Clifton until her death in 2009 at the age of 100.
None of his immediate family were musicians, but the sounds of Southwest Louisiana, Zydeco and French Creole were abundant, and the La La, a house or Saturday night dance, was a way of life.
However, his father’s first cousin, Alcide “L. C.” Donato, Sr. was considered by many Creoles and Cajuns alike to be the finest accordion player in Houston, Harris County and even Texas for over four decades.
Between his family, the community and attending the Holy Family Catholic Church, he was immersed as a child in the Creole culture brought to McNair by the Louisiana natives who came to Texas for the jobs and a more prosperous life.
At the Catholic bazaars and yearly festivals, Clifton heard Zydeco bands. His father, a noted dancer, taught him to Zydeco one night so that he could impress the girls when Beau Jocque was on the band stand at the J. D. Walker Community Center.
The fast tempo, the blends of French blues, waltzes and two-steps, caught his attention and made an impression on Clifton.
 |
| SOS Benefit ~ New Year's Eve Dance |
The domination of the music by the button accordion and the full range of the piano accordion struck the young man.
After graduating from Ross Sterling High School, Donato studied Electrical Technology at Lee College in Baytown and became an Inspector for the City of Houston for his occupation.
Clifton continued to learn from his grandmother, especially the Creole cooking, and enjoyed a wide variety of music as a teenager and college student.
But it was not until the age of 27, with an interest in becoming a player, that Clifton listened again to his Creole musical roots. At the age of 29 he bought a beginning accordion, a French button accordion that is vital to the La La music sound.
Practicing constantly with a passion, Clifton learned songs backwards and forwards, honing his timing with the in and out.
Little by little he learned to play, first the song One Hour Too Late and then No Sad Songs.
Encouraged by his cousin L. C. Donatto, Clifton studied the Creole and French Music recordings and was influenced by the playing of John Delafose, 1939-1994. Clifton liked John’s music due to its having lots of energy and the French sound, a bridge between Zydeco’s roots and the contemporary sound. Clifton Chenier was another artist that influenced his early playing.
While learning the accordion, Clifton practiced his French language skills with his grandmother and other family members in Louisiana, and a good friend Lejeune Bellard from Eunice, Louisiana, and with Edward Poullard of Beaumont.
Clifton understands French, sings in it passionately, and enjoys conversing in it.
By 2007 Clifton Donato started playing professionally in the Houston area. He credits his sister, Alaina J. Donato, for encouraging him to play, and teaching him how to improve his showmanship, how to judge an audience and how to get involved and relate with your audience.
When the audience interacts, Clifton plays with even more intensity and gets his hard working band to come together into that zone that is enjoyable for the band and the audience. When Clifton Donato and the La La Kings play, people move, dance, interact, enjoy, and respond to the driving music.
 |
| SOS Benefit ~ New Year's Eve Dance |
Starting at a Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen, Clifton Donato has progressed by playing at private parties, nursing homes, church bazaars, as guest accordionist with Bon Ton Mickey in 2010, playing at the Big Easy in 2011, Gino’s Lounge, Mardi Gras parties, the Déjà Vu Showcase Club in Baytown, the 2013 Juneteenth Celebration at J. D. Walker Park, and a long standing engagement at the Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen on I-10 East in 2014.
In 2011 Clifton recorded his first CD, Creole is Here to Stay, that features several of his original compositions including Creole is Here to Stay, You Drive Me Crazy and Grand Mere and Mon Pere. Several live performances are on YouTube.
Clifton Donato is on his way to bigger and better things in 2015.
He plays six different accordions and has the right band that compliments his musical intentions. A new CD is in the making and his success will continue.
This descendant of Martin Donato (Donatto) (1770-1848), son of Donato Bello, a Spanish infantry officer, and Marie Jeanne Talliaferro, of Saint Landry Parish, honors his Creole heritage with his musical efforts that inspire us.
The La La Kings are a band of experienced professionals that “Makes me sound even better and inspires me as we play,” stated Clifton.
L. C. Donatto, also known as Alcide Donatto, Jr. or Little L. C. when he played with his famous father, grew up with Zydeco and Creole Music. He began a career as a rubboard player before he was out of grade school, creating that rhythmic sound for over 50 years in 2014. His style is unique and very powerful, a deep sound emanates from his rubboard.
His father, originally from Opelousas, started playing accordion in Houston in 1961 when L. C. was eight years old, and is considered one of the Houston Zydeco pioneers.
L. C., Jr. grew up with his father’s bands, L. C. Donatto and the Zydeco Slippers and L. C. Donatto and the Drifters, and the recording of My Baby Left Me Blues and Zydeco De Lafayette on the Maison De Soul label, along with Texas Zydeco, a CD recorded in 1994.
L. C., Jr. played all of the major venues in Southeast Texas including Miller Theatre and the Texas Folklife Festival in San Antonio.
With his father, he toured Europe playing the Creole and Zydeco music to thousands.
L. C. Donatto brings his experience, his mature rubboard style to the La La Kings, proving once again that family runs deep in Zydeco music.
L. C. shares Clifton’s passion in preserving Zydeco’s integrity despite the mounting temptation to mix it up with other styles.
Edward Guillory is a true professional, an experienced guitarist and performer.
Clifton states that Edward knows his French music and knows how to play it correctly.
Edward started playing guitar at the age of three and obtained his first guitar at the age of 10.
 |
| L. C. Donatto shows a photograph of his father, the late L. C. Donatto, Sr., that he always carries in his wallet. |
His family was from Elton, Louisiana, and brought their musical heritage to Houston where Edward grew up.
They were strong church members and with his mother, Sister Rose Biggs (Rose Andrews Guillory), Edward played gospel music with his four brothers. They were known as the Glory Gospel Group featuring Sister Rose Biggs.
His vast experience includes playing with Willie Dixon when he was in town, with numerous Zydeco bands including Willie T. and in the 1970s, Edward Guillory played in a noted Houston R&B band, Gods Gift to Women, that was well received.
One of his cherished memories was playing bass many years for Rayfield Jackson who was known as Houston’s Guitar Slim.
Edward grew up across the street from Houston’s Guitar Slim’s niece, Patricia, who later became Guillory’s wife.
Guillory has played a number of instruments and has recorded a number of records, albums and CDs over the years as a band member and session man.
Edward brings over 50 years of experience on the Houston music scene, from church music to the major clubs, to the La La Kings.
Additionally Guillory plays with his brother Xavier Guillory, a drummer, in the Guillory Brothers Band, playing blues and R&B standards.
Ray Harris, a master drummer from Houston, has played R&B, jazz, classical, gospel, rock, funk, and of course Zydeco. Clifton often mentions that Ray is the drummer that drives his style. He is skilled in keeping the beat and keeping the band in the groove with his double bass peddle.
Ray started playing drums in high school in 1967 and learned quickly, becoming Kashmere High School’s Drum Captain under Conrad Johnson and a distinguished member of the Kashmere’s Stage Band by the time he graduated.
Following graduation he played with the TSU band, and became a session drummer.
Ray was in a number of bands who backed up the stars when they played in Houston including Al Green, Ike & Tina Turner, Gladys Knight and the Pips, B. B. King, Clarence Carter, Bobby “Blue” Bland, Betty Wright, Joe Tex, Edwin Star, Frank Rollins, and for Little Stanley and the Executives.
Harris played the drums wherever needed, in town or on the road, and went to Memphis for six to seven years.
When his family life became more important to him, he came home from the road.
While playing in Houston, he worked in the grocers supply business for seventeen years and currently works as the Supervisor of General Services for the City of Houston.
Joe Reiner and Allan Dorsett of Houston are two of his mentors.
Ray Harris is the drummer not only for Clifton Donato, but two churches every Sunday, St. Bennet Catholic Church and Green Grove Missionary Church.
With Ray, bass player Lawrence Howard keeps the music in the pocket.
Lawrence Howard started playing bass at the age of 14, accumulating 57 years of experience playing many musical genres.
He is a seasoned professional, noted for his guitar and bass work.
Growing up he wanted to be a blues singer, but never achieved that dream even though he has played with the best.
Lawrence played with Sunnyland Slim, Guitar Slim, John Delafose, Chuck Martin, and Sammy Rays, to name just a few.
When the national acts came to the Houston area, Lawrence often ended up on stage, playing blues, jazz and Zydeco.
Originally from Louisiana, Howard spent many years in Galveston before moving to Houston.
He worked as a machinist for many years and drove trucks for the oil field suppliers.
Never losing his touch Lawrence Howard is one of Houston’s professional bass players and joined up with Clifton Donato in early 2014.
Robert Blues is the most recent member of the La La Kings as their keyboard player.
He bought a bass in 1967 wanting to learn how to play blues, a guitar in 1971, and played piano when one was available.
He played in a number of rock and blues bands, a stint in a country band, and was the bassist for four years for the Dan Scott Group, an avant-garde jazz group in Detroit, Michigan, before moving to Southern California in 1975.
After completing graduate school in 1978, Robert gave up a musical calling for a thirty-five year career as an archivist and historian, retiring in 2010, resuming music as a full time pursuit.
In 2010 guitarist J. R. Austin and he started playing blues together and established the ongoing Liberty County Blues Band.
In the fall of 2014 Robert Blues began his stint as the keyboard player for Clifton Donato as one of the La La Kings, learning Zydeco from the band’s professionals.
Robert has loved Creole, Zydeco and the French blues since he moved to Southeast Texas in 1978 from Los Angeles where he discovered the music after listening to Clifton Chenier and his Red Hot Louisiana Band.
Robert said “Playing with Clifton Donato and the La La Kings is always an exhilarating experience”.
Clifton Donato and the LaLa Kings will bring in the New Year with an exciting style that will be memorable.
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