Fernest Arceneaux (August 27, 1940 – September 4, 2008) was a French-speaking Creole

Zydeco Zydeco ( ; ) is a music genre that was created in rural Southwest Louisiana by French speaking, Afro-Americans of Creole heritage. It blends African and Caribbean rhythms, blues and rhythm and blues with music indigenous to the Louisiana ...

accordionist Accordions (from 19th-century 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 in a frame). The es ...

and singer from

Louisiana Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...

. He was known as "The New Prince of Accordion" for his virtuosity.

Biography

Arceneaux was born to a large Creole family based in

Carencro, Louisiana Carencro (; historically ) is a city in Lafayette Parish, Louisiana, United States. It is a suburb of the nearby city of Lafayette. The population was 7,526 at the 2010 census, up from 6,120 in 2000; at the 2020 census, its population was 9, ...

. Arceneaux first picked up his brother-in-law's

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 ...

as a child and learned to play by copying his father, Ferdinand Arceneaux, a musician whom he backed at local house parties. By the 1960s, Arceneaux had switched to guitar in his rock and roll group Fernest and the Thunders. Not until 1978, at the behest of his hero

Clifton Chenier 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, and Cajun influences. He sang and played the accordion. Chenier won ...

, did Arceneaux return to the accordion. Also in 1978 Arceneaux and his band were discovered by Belgian blues enthusiast Robert Sacre. They recorded their first album, and began touring extensively, particularly in Europe. Arceneaux later earned the title "The New Prince of Accordion" for his virtuostic playing. In addition to his band Fernest and The Thunders, Arceneaux's discography includes recordings under band names Fernest Arceneaux and the Zydeco All Stars, and Fernest Arceneaux & His Louisiana French Band.

Style

Arceneaux's style was heavily influenced by

soul music Soul music is a popular music genre that originated in African-American culture, African-American African-American neighborhood, communities throughout the United States in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Catchy rhythms, stressed by handclaps ...

, including artists

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 ...

and

Johnny Ace John Marshall Alexander Jr. (June 9, 1929 – December 25, 1954), known by the stage name Johnny Ace, was an American rhythm-and-blues singer. He had a string of hit singles in the mid-1950s. He emerged as a prominent figure in postwar R&B an ...

.Herzhaft, Gérard: ''La gran enciclopedia del blues'', Ed. RobinBook, Barcelona, 2003, , p. 381 (''Encyclopedia of the Blues'',

University of Arkansas Press The University of Arkansas Press is a university press that is part of the University of Arkansas and has been a member of the Association of University Presses since 1984. Its mission is to publish peer-reviewed books and academic journals. It wa ...

)

Discography

Studio and live albums

Singles

Various artist compilation albums

Guest appearance credits

References

External links

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Fernest Arceneaux Dies of Natural Causes
{{DEFAULTSORT:Arceneaux, Fernest 1940 births 2008 deaths American blues singers Blues musicians from Louisiana Musicians from Lafayette, Louisiana Singers from Louisiana Zydeco accordionists 20th-century American singers People from Carencro, Louisiana 20th-century American accordionists