Clifton Chenier (June 25, 1925 – December 12, 1987), was an American musician known as a pioneer of zydeco, a style of music that arose from Creole music, with R&B,

blues Blues is a music genre and musical form that originated among African Americans in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues has incorporated spiritual (music), spirituals, work songs, field hollers, Ring shout, shouts, cha ...

, 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 US state of Louisiana and surrounding Gulf Coast states. Whi ...

influences. He sang and played the

accordion Accordions (from 19th-century German language, German ', from '—"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 Reed (mou ...

. Chenier won a

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...

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

Biography

Chenier was a native of Leonville, Louisiana, near Opelousas. He spoke

Louisiana French Louisiana French (Louisiana French: ''français louisianais''; ) includes the dialects and varieties of the French language spoken traditionally by French Louisianians in colonial Lower Louisiana. As of today Louisiana French is primarily use ...

as a first language. Chenier was exposed to music growing up, as he accompanied his father, Joseph Chenier, a farmer and player of the single-row diatonic accordion, to dances. His uncle, Morris Chenier, played

fiddle A fiddle is a Bow (music), bowed String instrument, string musical instrument, most often a violin or a bass. It is a colloquial term for the violin, used by players in all genres, including European classical music, classical music. Althou ...

. Musical influences that he cited from radio were

Muddy Waters McKinley Morganfield (April 4, 1913April 30, 1983), better known as Muddy Waters, was an American blues singer-songwriter and musician who was an important figure in the post-World War II blues scene, and is often cited as the "father of moder ...

, Peetie Wheatstraw, and Lightning Hopkins, while local influences included Creole musicians Claude Faulk, Jesse and ZoZo Reynolds, and Sidney Babineaux. Clifton began playing accordion around 1947, and by 1950 was playing in a club in Basile with his brother Cleveland Chenier on rubboard. Before launching a professional music career, Chenier worked in fields and at a

Gulf Oil Gulf Oil was a major global oil company in operation from 1901 to 1985. The eighth-largest American manufacturing company in 1941 and the ninth largest in 1979, Gulf Oil was one of the Seven Sisters (oil companies), Seven Sisters oil companies. ...

refinery in

Port Arthur, Texas Port Arthur is a city in the state of Texas, United States of America, located east of metro Houston. Part of the Beaumont–Port Arthur metropolitan area, the city lies primarily in Jefferson County, with a small extension in Orange County. ...

, outside of whose gates he also played music with Cleveland. Chenier began his recording career in 1954, when he signed with Elko Records and released ''Cliston Blues'' ic a regional success. Imperial Records picked up and reissued the single and Chenier cut four more sides for their "Post" subsidiary. These early sides were credited to Cliston Chanier. In 1955, he signed with Specialty Records and garnered his first national hit with his label debut "Eh, 'tite Fille" ("Hey, Little Girl", a cover of

Professor Longhair Henry Roeland Byrd (December 19, 1918 – January 30, 1980), better known as Professor Longhair or "Fess" for short, was an American singer and pianist who performed New Orleans blues. He was active in two distinct periods, first in the heyday o ...

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

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

Etta James Jamesetta Hawkins (January 25, 1938 – January 20, 2012), known professionally as Etta James, was an American singer and songwriter. Starting her career in 1954, James frequently performed in Nashville's R&B clubs, collectively known as the Ch ...

Chuck Berry Charles Edward Anderson Berry (October 18, 1926 – March 18, 2017) was an American singer, guitarist and songwriter who pioneered rock and roll. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Father of Rock and Roll", he refined and de ...

Little Richard Richard Wayne Penniman (December 5, 1932 – May 9, 2020), known professionally as Little Richard, was an American singer, pianist, and songwriter. He was an influential figure in popular music and culture for seven decades. Described as the "Ar ...

, T-Bone Walker, and Lowell Fulson. He also toured in the early days with Clarence Garlow, 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 an ...

in Chicago, followed by the Arhoolie label in the early 1960s. Arhoolie gave Chenier exposure to new audiences of blues and rock listeners across the US. In April 1966, Chenier appeared at the Berkeley Blues Festival on the

University of California The University of California (UC) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university, research university system in the U.S. state of California. Headquartered in Oakland, California, Oakland, the system is co ...

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 M. H. de Young, Michael H. ...

'', 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." Over time, the band expanded to include

saxophone The saxophone (often referred to colloquially as the sax) is a type of single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical body, usually made of brass. As with all single-reed instruments, sound is produced when a reed on a mouthpiece vibrates to p ...

and

organ Organ and organs may refer to: Biology * Organ (biology), a group of tissues organized to serve a common function * Organ system, a collection of organs that function together to carry out specific functions within the body. Musical instruments ...

, and electric

effects pedals An effects unit, effects processor, or effects pedal is an electronic device that alters the sound of a musical instrument or other audio source through audio signal processing. Common effects include distortion (music), distortion/overdrive, ...

, with all melody instruments taking turns at solos. 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 m ...

's, a blues club on Sixth Street in

Austin, Texas Austin ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Texas. It is the county seat and most populous city of Travis County, Texas, Travis County, with portions extending into Hays County, Texas, Hays and W ...

. In 1976, he reached a national audience by appearing on the first season of the PBS music program ''

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

''. 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. Chenier followed Queen Ida as the second

Louisiana Creole Louisiana Creole is a French-based creole language spoken by fewer than 10,000 people, mostly in the U.S. state of Louisiana. Also known as Kouri-Vini, it is spoken today by people who may racially identify as white, black, mixed, and Native ...

to win a Grammy. Chenier is credited with redesigning the wood and crimped tin washboard into the '' vest frottoir'', an instrument that easily hung from the shoulders. He sketched his idea for a metalworker in Port Arthur named Willie Landry, who made the first frottoir. 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 mellitus, commonly known as diabetes, is a group of common endocrine diseases characterized by sustained high blood sugar levels. Diabetes is due to either the pancreas not producing enough of the hormone insulin, or the cells of th ...

, which eventually forced him to have a foot amputated and required dialysis because of associated kidney problems. He died of diabetes-related kidney disease in December 1987 in

Lafayette, Louisiana Lafayette ( , ) is the most populous city in and parish seat of Lafayette Parish, Louisiana, Lafayette Parish in the U.S. state of Louisiana, located along the Vermilion River (Louisiana), Vermilion River. It is Louisiana's List of municipaliti ...

. 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. Clifton Chenier's bandmate and protégé Buckwheat Zydeco achieved national success playing the piano accordion.

Paul Simon Paul Frederic Simon (born October 13, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter known for his solo work and his collaborations with Art Garfunkel. He and Garfunkel, whom he met in elementary school in 1953, came to prominence in the 1960s as Sim ...

mentioned Chenier in his song "That Was Your Mother" on his 1986 album '' Graceland'', calling him the "King of the Bayou."

Rory Gallagher William Rory Gallagher ( ; 2 March 1948 – 14 June 1995) was an Irish musician, singer, and songwriter. Regarded as "Ireland's first rock star", he is known for his virtuosic style of guitar playing and live performances. He has sometim ...

wrote a song in tribute to Chenier, "The King of Zydeco" on his last studio album '' Fresh Evidence'' (1990). Sonny Landreth recalls growing up on the rhythm of Clifton and Cleveland and the Red Hot Louisiana Band in '' South of I-10'', song title 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 brand of heartland rock, which emphasizes traditional instrumentation ...

refers to "Clifton" in his song "Lafayette", about the Louisiana city where Chenier often performed, on Mellencamp's 2003 album '' Trouble No More''. Zachary Richard mentions 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 consists of guitarist Trey Anastasio, bassist Mike Gordon, drummer Jon Fishman, and keyboardist Page McConnell, all of whom perform vocals, with Anastasio being the ...

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 received a 1984 National Heritage Fellowship from 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 feder ...

, the U.S. government's highest honor in folk and traditional arts. He was inducted posthumously into the

Blues Hall of Fame The Blues Hall of Fame is a music museum operated by the Blues Foundation 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 b ...

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

Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award The Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award is a special Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achiev ...

. In 2016, the

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is a research library in Washington, D.C., serving as the library and research service for the United States Congress and the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It also administers Copyright law o ...

deemed Chenier's album '' Bogalusa Boogie'' to be "culturally, historically, or aesthetically 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 inform or reflect life in the United States." The registry was established by the National Recording Preservation ...

Discography

Early singles

* Louisiana Stomp / Cliston Blues (as Cliston Chanier) (Elko 920, 1954) * Louisiana Stomp / Cliston Blues (as Cliston Chanier) ( Imperial 5352, 5/55) reissue * Rockin' The Bop / Country Bred (as Cliston Chanier) (Post 2010, 1955) * Rockin' Hop / Tell Me (as Cliston Chanier) (Post 2016, 1955) * Ay-Tete Fee (Eh 'tite Fille) Hey Little Girl/ Boppin' The Rock ( Specialty 552, 5/55) * The Things I Did For You / Think It Over (Specialty 556, 8/55) * Squeeze Box Boogie / The Cat's Dreamin' (Specialty 568, 1/56) * Where Can My Baby Be / The Big Wheel (

Argo In Greek mythology, the ''Argo'' ( ; ) was the ship of Jason and the Argonauts. The ship was built with divine aid, and some ancient sources describe her as the first ship to sail the seas. The ''Argo'' carried the Argonauts on their quest fo ...

5262, 2/57) * Standing On The Corner / The Big Wheel (Argo 5262, 2/57) there are two issues of Argo 5262, one with "Standing On The Corner" as the A-side, the other showing "Where Can My Baby Be" as the A-side; they are the same song (with the same matrix number) under two different titles. * Sloppy / My Soul (Argo 5289, 1/58) * It Happened So Fast / Goodbye Baby (Zynn 506, 1958) * Worried Life Blues / Hey Ma Ma (Zynn 1004, 1959) * Night & Day, My Love / Rockin' Accordion (Zynn 1011, 1959) * Bajou Drive (Sloppy) / My Soul (Checker 939, 12/59) reissue * Ay Ai Ai / Why Did You Go Last Night ( Arhoolie 506, 1964) * Hot Rod / Louisiana Blues (Arhoolie 509, 1965) * Zydeco Et Pas Sale / I Can Look Down At Your Woman (Arhoolie 511, 1965) * Keep On Scratching / It's Hard (Arhoolie 518, 1966)

Albums

* ''Louisiana Blues and Zydeco'' (Arhoolie 1024, 3/66) * ''Bon Ton Roulet!'' (Arhoolie 1031, 5/67) * ''Bayou Soul'' (Crazy Cajun 1002, 1967; Maison de Soul 1002, 1976) compilation of Huey P. Meaux produced material * ''Black Snake Blues'' (Arhoolie 1038, 4/69) * ''Clifton Chenier's Very Best'' ( Blue Thumb BTS-15, 1969) compilation of Arhoolie material from first 3 albums: 1024/1031/1038 * ''King of the Bayous'' (Arhoolie 1052, 1970) * ''Bayou Blues'' (Specialty 2139, 1971) compilation of Specialty material * ''Live (At St. Mark's)'' (Arhoolie 1059, 11/72) * ''Out West'' (Arhoolie 1072, 1974) * '' Bogalusa Boogie'' (Arhoolie 1076, 1976) * ''Frenchin' the Boogie'' (Blue Star r80.608, 1976; Verve 519724, 1993) * ''Boogie in Black & White'' with Rod Bernard (Jin 9014, 1976) * ''Boogie 'N' Zydeco'' (Maison de Soul 1003, 1977; Sonet SNTF-801, 1979) recorded 11/19/75 * ''Clifton Chenier and His Red Hot Louisiana Band'' (Arhoolie 1078, 8/78) * ''Cajun Swamp Music Live (Recorded at the Montreux Festival 1977)'' (

Tomato The tomato (, ), ''Solanum lycopersicum'', is a plant whose fruit is an edible Berry (botany), berry that is eaten as a vegetable. The tomato is a member of the nightshade family that includes tobacco, potato, and chili peppers. It originate ...

7002, 1978) 2-LP * ''In New Orleans'' ( GNP Crescendo 2119, 1978) * ''Classic Clifton'' (Arhoolie 1082, 1980) compilation of Arhoolie material from all 8 albums * ''The King of Zydeco (Live At Montreux)'' (Arhoolie 1086, 1981) recorded 7/12/75 * '' I'm Here!'' (

Alligator An alligator, or colloquially gator, is a large reptile in the genus ''Alligator'' of the Family (biology), family Alligatoridae in the Order (biology), order Crocodilia. The two Extant taxon, extant species are the American alligator (''A. mis ...

4729; Sonet SNTF-882, 1982) * ''Country Boy Now Grammy Award Winner 1984!'' (Caillier 8401, 1984; Maison de Soul 1012, 1985; Ace CDCH-234, 1988) * ''Live at the San Francisco Blues Festival'' (Arhoolie 1093, 1985) recorded 9/12/82 * ''Black Snake Blues'' (Arhoolie 1038, 1986 re-press with 2 tracks added on; uses same part number) * ''Sings the Blues'' (Arhoolie 1097, 1987) recorded 4/01/69 * ''Clifton Chenier – 60 Minutes With the King of Zydeco'' (Arhoolie CD-301, 1988) reissue of Arhoolie 1082, plus 3 bonus tracks * ''Live! At the Long Beach and San Francisco Blues Festivals'' (Arhoolie CD-404, 1993) includes an entire previously unreleased performance at the 1983 Long Beach Blues Festival, plus the reissue of Arhoolie 1093 * ''Zydeco Dynamite: The Clifton Chenier Anthology'' (

Rhino A rhinoceros ( ; ; ; : rhinoceros or rhinoceroses), commonly abbreviated to rhino, is a member of any of the five extant taxon, extant species (or numerous extinct species) of odd-toed ungulates (perissodactyls) in the family (biology), famil ...

R2-71194, 1993) 2-CD * ''Squeezebox Boogie (Recorded at the Rising Sun Club, Montreal / August 1978)'' (Just A Memory/ Justin Time JAM-9141, 1999) * ''Live! At Grant Street'' (Arhoolie CD-487, 2000) recorded 4/28/81 * ''Clifton Chenier's Rockin' Accordion: A Selection of His Earliest Recordings 1954–1960'' (

Jasmine Jasmine (botanical name: ''Jasminum'', pronounced ) is a genus of shrubs and vines in the olive family of Oleaceae. It contains around 200 species native to tropical and warm temperate regions of Eurasia, Africa, and Oceania. Jasmines are wid ...

JASMCD-3046, 2015) * ''Clifton Chenier And His Red Hot Louisiana Band Live At Tipitina's / June 7, 1980'' (501/Tipitina's Record Club TRC-0306, 2023)

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 20th-century American male singers 20th-century American singers 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 in the United States Louisiana Creole people American amputees Deaths from diabetes in the United States Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winners 20th-century American accordionists Arhoolie Records artists