Clifton Chenier and Lightning Hopkins
Photo by Chris Strachwitz
Clifton Chenier was born 97 years ago today.
Chenier was a Creole French-speaking native of Opelousas, Louisiana and an eminent performer and recording artist of Zydeco, which arose from Cajun and Creole music, with R&B, jazz and blues influences. He was known as the “King of Zydeco,” and also billed as the “King of the South.”
Chenier began his recording career in 1954, when he signed with Elko Records and released Clifton's Blues, a regional success. His first hit record was soon followed by "Ay 'Tite Fille (Hey, Little Girl)" (a cover of Professor Longhair's song). This received some mainstream success.
With the Zydeco Ramblers, Chenier toured extensively. He also toured in the early days with Clarence Garlow, billed as the “Two Crazy Frenchmen.”
In April, 1966, Chenier appeared at the Berkeley Blues Festival on the University of California campus and was subsequently described by Ralph J. Gleason, Jazz critic of the San Francisco Chronicle, 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."
Chenier was the first act to play at Antone's, a blues club on Sixth Street in Austin, Texas. Later in 1976, he reached a national audience when he appeared on the premiere season of the PBS music program, Austin City Limits. Three years later in 1979, he returned to the show with his Red Hot Louisiana Band.
Chenier is credited with redesigning the wood and crimped tin washboard into the frottoir, an instrument that would easily hang from the shoulders.
Chenier suffered from diabetes 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 at age 62.
Paul Simon mentioned Chenier in his song "That Was Your Mother," from his 1986 album, Graceland. John Mellencamp refers to "Clifton" in his song "Lafayette," about the Louisiana city where Chenier often performed. The song is on Mellencamp's 2003 album Trouble No More. The jam band, Phish, often covers Chenier's song, "My Soul," in live performances.
Chenier is the subject of Les Blank's 1973 documentary film, Hot Pepper.
Here, is an American Songwriter article on Chenier’s “I’m Comin’ Home”