Artist: Clifton Chenier
Genre(s):
Blues
Ethnic
Discography:
Frenchin' the Boogie
Year: 2007
Tracks: 13
Zydeco Dynamite - 2
Year: 1993
Tracks: 20
Zydeco Dynamite - 1
Year: 1993
Tracks: 20
The unchallenged "Martin Luther King Jr. of Zydeco," Clifton Chenier was the number one Creole to be presented a Grammy awarding on national television. Blending the French and Cajun two-steps and waltzes of southwest Louisiana with New Orleans R&B, Texas blues and magnanimous dance orchestra jazz, Chenier created the modern, dance-inspiring, sounds of zydeco. A showy personality, remembered for his gold tooth and the cape and crown that he wore during concerts, Chenier set the standard for all the zydeco players world Health Organization get followed in his footsteps. In an question from Ann Savoy's volume, Cajun Music: Reflection of a People, Chenier explained, "Zydeco is rock and French mixed together, you screw, like French music and rock with a beat to it. It's the same thing as rock and flap only it's different because I'm vocalizing in French." The boy of sharecrop farmer and amateur squeeze box thespian, Joe Chenier, and the nephew of a guitarist, twiddler and dance clubhouse owner, Maurice "Magnanimous" Chenier, Chenier found his earliest influences in the vapours of Muddy Waters, Peetie Wheatstraw and Lightnin' Hopkins, the New Orleans R&B of Fats Domino and Professor Longhair, the twenties and '30s recordings by zydeco accordionist Amede Ardoin and the playing of puerility friends Claude Faulk and Jesse and Zozo Reynolds. Acquiring his number 1 accordion from a neighbour, Isaie (leisurely) Blasa in 1947, Chenier was taught the basics of the instruments by his forefather. By 1944, Chenier was acting, with his brother Cleveland on frottoir (rub-board) in the dance halls of Lake Charles.
Moving to New Iberia in the mid-'40s, Chenier worked in the sugar fields cut saccharide cane. After moving, to Port Arthur, Texas, in 1947, he divided his prison term 'tween drive a refinery hand truck and hauling piping for Gulf and Texaco and playing with his brother. In 1954, Chenier gestural with Elko Records. His number 1 recording academic term, at Lake Charles radio set station KAOK, yielded seven-spot tunes including the regional strike single, "Cliston's Blues" and "LA Stomp."
Chenier's number 1 national attention came with his first individual for the Specialty record label, "Ay Tete Fille (Hey, Little Girl)," a cover of a Professor Longhair tune, released in May 1955. The song was one of 12 that he recorded during two roger Sessions produced by Bumps Blackwell, best known for his work with Little Richard. By 1956, Chenier had left his day job to pay his full-time attention to music, Touring with his band, the Zydeco Ramblers, which included vapours guitar player Philip Walker. The following year, Chenier left Specialty and gestural with the Chess label in Chicago. Although he toured, along with Etta James, passim the United States, Chenier's career suffered when the popularity of heathenish and regional music styles began to correct. Although he recorded long dozen songs for the Crowley, Louisiana-based Zynn label, 'tween 1958 and 1960, none charted.
The turning point in Chenier's life history came when Lightnin' Hopkins' married woman, world Health Organization was a first cousin, introduced Chris Strachwitz, possessor of the roots music label, Arhoolie, to his early recordings. Strachwitz speedily gestural Chenier to Arhoolie, producing his first single, "Ay Yi Yi"/"Why Did You Go Last Night?," in quatern years. Although they continued to work together until the early '70s, Chenier and Strachwitz differed artistically. While Chenier wanted to criminal record commercial-minded R&B, Strachwitz bucked up him to focussing on traditional zydeco. Chenier's first album for Arhoolie, Pelican State Blues and Zydeco, featured i position of blues and R&B and one side of French two-steps and waltzes.
In 1976, Chenier recorded i of his best albums, Bogalusa Boogie, and formed a newfangled grouping, the Red Hot Louisiana Band, featuring tenor saxophonist "Blind" John Hart and guitarist Paul Senegal.
Chenier reached the extremum of his popularity in the 1980s. In 1983, he standard a Grammy accolade for his album, I'm Here!, recorded in vIII hours in Bogalusa, Louisiana. The following class, he performed at the White House. Although he suffered from kidney disease and a partially amputated foot and was required to undergo dialysis treatment every 3 years, Chenier continued to do until 1 workweek earlier his death on December 12, 1987. Following his death, his logos, C.J. Chenier, took over leadership of the Red Hot Louisiana Band.
A documentary tV of Chenier's performances at the San Francisco Blues Festival, the New orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival and on Louisiana television was released by Arhoolie.
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