Clifton Chenier

Clifton Chenier (born June 25, 1925, Opelousas, La., U.S.—died Dec. 12, 1987, Lafayette, La.) was an American popular musician and pioneer in the development of zydeco music—a bluesy, southern Louisiana blend of French, African American, Native American, and Afro-Caribbean traditions. He was a master keyboard accordionist, a bold vocalist, and the unofficial (but virtually undisputed) “King of Zydeco.” Chenier was born to a family of sharecroppers (tenant farmers) in south-central Louisiana and spent much of...