ZydecoOnline Remembers The King of Zydeco Legacy
2019 Marks the 32nd Anniversary of the Death of Clifton Chenier
December 10, 2019
by Rod Sias
ZydecoOnline.com
Uniting the Zydeco Nation
LEGACY & THOUGHTS
December 12, 1987 was a sad day for the Zydeco Nation when the King of Zydeco Music, Clifton Chenier died at the age of 62 after a long struggle with kidney disease and diabetes.
Although it has been 32 long years since the death of Clifton Chenier, his legacy is just as profound and influential as it was when he and his band (the Red Hot Louisiana Band) performed all over the world.
Many of us in the Zydeco Nation fortunate enough to have talked to Clifton Chenier or saw him perform are living witnesses to the power of his legacy. Those of us in the Zydeco Nation who know Clifton Chenier through his music and dance are living witnesses to the longevity and continuation of his legacy.
Even though it is the 32nd anniversary of his death, Clifton Chenier is and remains synonymous with Zydeco Music, his musical catalog is one of the top selling Zydeco catalogs in the world, and his music is often a first introduction for many new (young and old) Zydeco Enthusiast to the music and culture of the black Creole traditions of Southwest Louisiana and Texas.
Many of our current and present day Zydeco Musicians are best equipped to preserve the essence and traditions of Zydeco Music, while maintaining a creative vision of incorporating different musical elements, making the Zydeco Music Culture vibrant and open to new generations of musicians, trailriders, cultural custodians, and dancers to continuously create new musical sounds and dance traditions, as well re-define and re-interpret traditional and contemporary Creole culture and Zydeco Music.
This would not be possible without the musical contributions of Clifton Chenier. This is Clifton Chenier's legacy, and our Zydeco Music culture is strong, vibrant, and creatively growing because it stands on the strong foundation Clifton Chenier and the Red Hot Louisiana Band built.
Clifton Chenier was not the first Creole Accordion player or the first to Creole to play the old Creole "la la" (French) style of music. In fact, Clifton Chenier came from an extended family of musicians steeped in playing and passing down the old Creole "la la" and blues music and tradition down from generation to generation.
Clifton Chenier was born on June 25, 1925 to Joseph and Olivia (Kennerson) Chenier, in a rural unincorporated community outside of Opelousas, Louisiana called Notelyville. His father, Joseph Chenier, a skilled accordion player who worked as a sharecropper, taught Clifton Chenier to play the accordion. He was heavily influenced by the recordings and live performances of black Creole accordionist Amédé Ardoin, the father of Creole Music and the first Creole to record French Music and Sidney Babineaux, a Creole musician who was skilled with the piano accordion, which would be the primary musical instrument of Clifton Chenier.
He also learned from and was heavily influenced by unrecorded Creole musicians Jesse and ZoZo Reynolds, Claude Falk, and Izeb Laza (Isaie “Easy” Blasa) who also gave Clifton Chenier his first accordion. His uncle, Morris "Big" Chenier, blues guitarist and fiddle player, who also owned and operated the Horseshoe Club in Lake Charles, and later recorded with Clifton Chenier on his hit "Black Gal" exposed Clifton to wider influences of the blues, that included Roscoe Chenier (his cousin), Muddy Waters, Peetie Wheatstraw, and Lightnin’ Hopkins, the New Orleans R&B of Fats Domino, Professor Longhair and the "jump blues" style of Louis Jordan.
During the 1940's Clifton Chenier and his brother Cleveland Chenier began playing dances on the "chitlin circuit" where he perfected the fusion of musical elements of blues, R&B, Creole French Music, along with his design of the "frottoir" to compliment the accordion. He refined his musical sound by adding trumpets, saxophones and an organ in addition to the accordion, frottoir, guitars and drums. Out of this fusion of musical elements and instruments, the modern Zydeco sound was created.
Clifton Chenier began touring with Clarence “Bon Ton” Garlow where they were billed as the Two Crazy Frenchmen. "Bon Ton" Garlow introduced Clifton Chenier to J. R. Fulbright, who signed Clifton Chenier to a recording contract. In 1954, he recorded Clifton's Blues (Cliston's Blues) on the Elko Record label which became a regional hit. In 1955 Clifton Chenier released his first major hit, “Ay Tete Fee,” on the Speciality label and began touring on the national R&B circuit with headliner acts like Etta James and "Big" Joe Turner. After a recording stint with Chess Records, Clifton Chenier signed with the Arhoolie record label where he was able to build up an extensive and loyal following performing frequently nationally and overseas.
Clifton Chenier recorded of long repertoire of "Zydeco Standards" that included album "Bogalusa Boogie" which received a "rated five star “indispensable” album in the 1979 edition of The Rolling Stone Record Guide (later renamed The Rolling Stone Album Guide)." In 2016, the Library of Congress deemed Bogalusa Boogie to be "culturally, historically, or artistically significant" and selected it for preservation in the National Recording Registry.
In 1983, Clifton Chenier & the Red Hot Louisiana band won a Grammy Award for the album “I’m Here!” as the best traditional or ethnic recording of 1983 and was the second Louisiana Creole to do so, following Queen Ida. Clifton Chenier was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame posthumously in 1989, and The Louisiana Music Hall of Fame in 2011.
In 2014, Clifton Chenier was recognized and awarded a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award by the Recording Academy as part of induction class that included the Beatles, the Isley Brothers, Kris Kristofferson, electronic music pioneers Kraftwerk, Maud Powell and Armando Manzanero.
Clifton Chenier's son, C.J. Chenier summed up his father's musical legacy as he accepted the award on his father's behalf.
"My father was a brave pioneer. "I've been a musician all my life," said C.J. Chenier. "I know what it takes to get here.
2019 Marks the 32nd Anniversary of the Death of Clifton Chenier
December 10, 2019
by Rod Sias
ZydecoOnline.com
Uniting the Zydeco Nation
 |
Clifton Chenier
The King of Zydeco Music
(June 25, 1925 – December 12, 1987)
|
December 12, 1987 was a sad day for the Zydeco Nation when the King of Zydeco Music, Clifton Chenier died at the age of 62 after a long struggle with kidney disease and diabetes.
Although it has been 32 long years since the death of Clifton Chenier, his legacy is just as profound and influential as it was when he and his band (the Red Hot Louisiana Band) performed all over the world.
 |
Clifton Chenier
The King of Zydeco Music
(June 25, 1925 – December 12, 1987)
|
Many of us in the Zydeco Nation fortunate enough to have talked to Clifton Chenier or saw him perform are living witnesses to the power of his legacy. Those of us in the Zydeco Nation who know Clifton Chenier through his music and dance are living witnesses to the longevity and continuation of his legacy.
Even though it is the 32nd anniversary of his death, Clifton Chenier is and remains synonymous with Zydeco Music, his musical catalog is one of the top selling Zydeco catalogs in the world, and his music is often a first introduction for many new (young and old) Zydeco Enthusiast to the music and culture of the black Creole traditions of Southwest Louisiana and Texas.
 |
Clifton Chenier
The King of Zydeco Music
(June 25, 1925 – December 12, 1987)
|
Many of our current and present day Zydeco Musicians are best equipped to preserve the essence and traditions of Zydeco Music, while maintaining a creative vision of incorporating different musical elements, making the Zydeco Music Culture vibrant and open to new generations of musicians, trailriders, cultural custodians, and dancers to continuously create new musical sounds and dance traditions, as well re-define and re-interpret traditional and contemporary Creole culture and Zydeco Music.
This would not be possible without the musical contributions of Clifton Chenier. This is Clifton Chenier's legacy, and our Zydeco Music culture is strong, vibrant, and creatively growing because it stands on the strong foundation Clifton Chenier and the Red Hot Louisiana Band built.
 |
| Clifton Chenier performing along with his son C.J. Chenier on the saxophone. |
Clifton Chenier was not the first Creole Accordion player or the first to Creole to play the old Creole "la la" (French) style of music. In fact, Clifton Chenier came from an extended family of musicians steeped in playing and passing down the old Creole "la la" and blues music and tradition down from generation to generation.
"Back in the '40s, my father took the accordion and decided to hit the road. He wanted to play this music that nobody (knew) about. He brought it to the world and to me, this (award) legitimizes zydeco by being recognized by the Recording Academy."
C.J. Chenier - Son of Clifton Chenier
 |
| Cleveland Chenier (l), Clifton Chenier (c) & C.J. Chenier (r) Three Generations of Chenier Family |
During the 1940's Clifton Chenier and his brother Cleveland Chenier began playing dances on the "chitlin circuit" where he perfected the fusion of musical elements of blues, R&B, Creole French Music, along with his design of the "frottoir" to compliment the accordion. He refined his musical sound by adding trumpets, saxophones and an organ in addition to the accordion, frottoir, guitars and drums. Out of this fusion of musical elements and instruments, the modern Zydeco sound was created.
Clifton Chenier performing on TopPop, a weekly pop music
show on Dutch television from 1970 to 1988.
 |
Clifton Chenier
The King of Zydeco Music
(June 25, 1925 – December 12, 1987)
|
Clifton Chenier recorded of long repertoire of "Zydeco Standards" that included album "Bogalusa Boogie" which received a "rated five star “indispensable” album in the 1979 edition of The Rolling Stone Record Guide (later renamed The Rolling Stone Album Guide)." In 2016, the Library of Congress deemed Bogalusa Boogie to be "culturally, historically, or artistically significant" and selected it for preservation in the National Recording Registry.
 |
Clifton Chenier
The King of Zydeco Music
(June 25, 1925 – December 12, 1987)
|
In 1983, Clifton Chenier & the Red Hot Louisiana band won a Grammy Award for the album “I’m Here!” as the best traditional or ethnic recording of 1983 and was the second Louisiana Creole to do so, following Queen Ida. Clifton Chenier was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame posthumously in 1989, and The Louisiana Music Hall of Fame in 2011.
 |
Clifton Chenier
The King of Zydeco Music
(June 25, 1925 – December 12, 1987)
|
In 2014, Clifton Chenier was recognized and awarded a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award by the Recording Academy as part of induction class that included the Beatles, the Isley Brothers, Kris Kristofferson, electronic music pioneers Kraftwerk, Maud Powell and Armando Manzanero.
Lil' Buck Sinegal on playing holiday shows with
Clifton Chenier & His Red Hot Louisiana Band
Clifton Chenier's son, C.J. Chenier summed up his father's musical legacy as he accepted the award on his father's behalf.
"My father was a brave pioneer. "I've been a musician all my life," said C.J. Chenier. "I know what it takes to get here.
"Back in the '40s, my father took the accordion and decided to hit the road. He wanted to play this music that nobody (knew) about. He brought it to the world and to me, this (award) legitimizes zydeco by being recognized by the Recording Academy."
Thank You Clifton Chenier for keeping our
Zydeco & Creole Roots Proud & Strong!!!
#CliftonChenier #KingOfZydeco
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