Clifton Chenier facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Clifton Chenier
|
|
|---|---|
Chenier Brothers performing at Jay's Lounge and Cockpit, Cankton, Louisiana, Mardi Gras, 1975
Clifton Chenier on accordion, brother Cleveland on washboard and John Hart on tenor saxophone. |
|
| Background information | |
| Born | June 25, 1925 Opelousas, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Died | December 12, 1987 (aged 62) Lafayette, Louisiana |
| Genres |
|
| Occupation(s) |
|
| Instruments |
|
| Years active | 1954–1987 |
| Labels | |
| Associated acts |
|
Clifton Chenier (born June 25, 1925 – died December 12, 1987) was a famous American musician. He was from Leonville, Louisiana. He spoke Louisiana French. Clifton Chenier was known as the "King of Zydeco." Zydeco is a lively type of music from Louisiana. It mixes Cajun and Creole music with R&B, jazz, and blues. Clifton Chenier played the accordion and sang. He won a Grammy Award in 1983 for his music. People also called him the "King of the South."
Contents
Clifton Chenier's Music Career
Clifton Chenier started his music career in 1954. He signed with Elko Records. His first song, "Cliston's Blues," became popular in his home area. In 1955, he signed with Specialty Records. He had his first national hit song called "Ay-Tete Fi" (which means "Hey, Little Girl").
Because his music was so popular, he toured with famous R&B artists. These included Ray Charles, Etta James, and Lowell Fulson. He also toured with Clarence Garlow. They were known as the "Two Crazy Frenchmen." Later, Chenier signed with Chess Records and then Arhoolie Records.
In 1966, Chenier performed at the Berkeley Blues Festival in California. A music critic named Ralph J. Gleason praised his accordion playing. He called it "marvelously moving" and "blues accordion."
Chenier was the first musician to play at Antone's, a famous blues club in Austin, Texas. In 1976, he reached a bigger audience. He appeared on the TV music show Austin City Limits. He returned to the show in 1979 with his band, the Red Hot Louisiana Band.
Chenier's music was most popular in the 1980s. He won a Grammy Award in 1983 for his album I'm Here. This was the first Grammy for his new record label, Alligator Records. Clifton Chenier was the second Louisiana Creole artist to win a Grammy.
Chenier also helped improve the washboard. He redesigned it into the vest frottoir. This instrument could hang easily from the shoulders. His older brother, Cleveland Chenier, played the frottoir in the Red Hot Louisiana Band. Cleveland was famous for making special sounds by rubbing bottle openers on the washboard's ridges.
Clifton Chenier and his band traveled all over the world. They shared their unique zydeco music with many people.
Later Life and Passing
Clifton Chenier had diabetes. This illness caused him to become very sick. He had problems with his kidneys and eventually needed a foot amputated.
He passed away in December 1987 in Lafayette, Louisiana. He was buried in All Souls Cemetery in Loreauville, Louisiana.
Clifton Chenier's Legacy
Clifton Chenier left a lasting impact on music. His son, C. J. Chenier, has continued his father's music. He tours with Chenier's old band and records albums.
Many musicians have honored Clifton Chenier in their songs.
- Rory Gallagher wrote "The King of Zydeco" about him.
- Paul Simon mentioned him in "That Was Your Mother." He called him the "King of the Bayou."
- Sonny Landreth remembered Chenier in his song "South of I-10."
- John Mellencamp mentioned "Clifton" in his song "Lafayette."
- Zachary Richard wrote "Clif's Zydeco" for him.
- The Squeezebox Stompers sang, "Clifton Chenier, he's the engineer" in "Zydeco Train."
The band Phish often plays Chenier's song "My Soul" at their live shows.
Clifton Chenier is also the subject of a 1973 documentary film. It is called Hot Pepper.
Awards and Honors
Clifton Chenier received many important awards for his music.
- In 1984, he received a National Heritage Fellowship. This is the highest honor in the United States for folk and traditional arts.
- He was added to the Blues Hall of Fame in 1989.
- In 2011, he was inducted into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame.
- In 2014, he received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. This award honors musicians who have made great contributions to music.
- In 2015, the Library of Congress chose his album Bogalusa Boogie for the National Recording Registry. This means the album is important for its culture, history, or art.
Partial Discography
Here are some of Clifton Chenier's albums and songs:
- Cliston's Blues (Elko Records), 1954
- Ay-Tete Fi (Specialty Records), 1955
- Louisiana Blues & Zydeco (Arhoolie Records), 1965
- Bon Ton Roulet ! (Arhoolie), 1967
- Bogalusa Boogie (Arhoolie), 1976
- Frenchin' the Boogie (Blue Star), 1976
- Boogie in Black and White (with swamp pop musician Rod Bernard, Jin Records), 1976
- Red Hot Louisiana Band (Arhoolie), 1977
- New Orleans (GNP Crescendo Records GNP 2119) 1978
- Boogie & Zydeco (Sonet Records SNTF 801), 1979
- I'm Here (Alligator Records), 1982
See also
In Spanish: Clifton Chenier para niños
