More Info on Clifton ChenierSimilar Undetermined MusicSearch Artistopia
Biography
Refimprove|date=December 2011Infobox musical artist| name = Clifton Chenier| image = Chenier brothers.jpg| caption = Chenier Brothers at Jay's Lounge, Mardi Gras, 1975| background = solo_singer| birth_name =| landscape = yes| alias =| birth_date = Birth date|1925|06|25| birth_place = Opelousas, Louisiana|Opelousas , Louisiana , United States | death_date = death date and age|1987|12|12|1925|06|25| death_place = Lafayette, Louisiana , United States| instrument = Human voice|Vocals , accordion , frottoir| genre = Zydeco , Cajun music|Cajun , Creole music , R& B , swamp blues | occupation = Musician , songwriter | label = Chess Records|Chess , Alligator Records|Alligator , Arhoolie Records|Arhoolie , Elko Records| years_active = 1954–1987| associated_acts = Zydeco Ramblers, Rod Bernard , C.J. Chenier | website =Extra musicsample| Type = single| filename = Clifton Chenier Bon Ton Roulet excerpt.ogg| format = Ogg | title = "Bon Ton Roulet" Clifton Chenier (June 25, 1925 - December 12, 1987), a Louisiana Creole French|Creole French -speaking native of Opelousas, Louisiana , was an eminent performer and recording artist of Zydeco , which arose from Cajun music|Cajun and Creole music , with rhythm and blues|R& B , jazz , and blues influences. He played the accordion and won a Grammy Award in 1983. He also was recognized with a National Heritage Fellowship ,Citation needed|date=June 2011 and in 1989 was inducted posthumously into the Blues Hall of Fame .Citation needed|date=June 2011He was known as the 'King of Zydeco'.
Career
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 version|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'.cite web |url= http://www.yee.ch/winter/Band/winter_band_clarence_garlow.html |title=Clarence Garlow |author= |date= |work= |publisher=Yee.ch |accessdate=December 9, 2011 Chenier was signed with Chess Records in Chicago, followed by the Arhoolie Records|Arhoolie label.
In April 1966, Chenier appeared at the Berkeley, California|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."Chris Strachwitz (1967), sleeve notes to "Bon Ton Roulet", Arhoolie Records, F 1031, 1967.
Chenier was the first act to play at Clifford Antone|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 Public Broadcasting Service|PBS music program Austin City Limits . http://www.pbs.org/klru/austin/artists/program294.html Townes Van Zandt followed by Clifton Chenier, Austin City Limits, 1976 Three years later in 1979 he returned to the show with his Red Hot Louisiana Band. http://www.pbs.org/klru/austin/artists/program268.html Doug Kershaw followed by Clifton Chenier, Austin City Limits , 1979
Chenier's popularity peaked in the 1980s, and he was recognized with a Grammy Award in 1983 for his album ''I'm Here . It was the first Grammy for his new label Alligator Records . Chenier followed Queen Ida as the second Louisiana Creole people|Louisiana Creole to win a Grammy.
Chenier is credited with redesigning the wood and crimped tin washboard into the frottoir , an instrument that would easily hang from the shoulders. Cleveland Chenier, Clifton's older brother, also played in the Red Hot Louisiana Band. He found popularity for his ability to manipulate the distinctive sound of the frottoir by rubbing several bottle openers (held in each hand) along its ridges.
During their prime, Chenier and his band traveled throughout the world.
Later years
Chenier suffered from diabetes mellitus|diabetes which eventually forced him to have a foot amputate d and required dialysis because of associated kidney problems.cite web |url=Allmusic|class=artist|id=p720/biography|pure_url=yes|title=Clifton Chenier|author=Craig Harris |publisher= Allmusic |accessdate=December 9, 2011
He died of diabetes-related kidney disease in December 1987 in Lafayette, Louisiana and was buried in All Souls Cemetery in Loreauville, Louisiana|Loreauville , Iberia Parish, Louisiana|Iberia Parish , Louisiana.
Legacy and tributes
Since 1987 his son C. J. Chenier http://www.cjcheniermusic.com www.cjcheniermusic.com has carried on the Zydeco tradition by touring with his father's band and recording albums. http://www.pbs.org/klru/austin/artists/program323.html Los Lobos followed by C.J. Chenier, Austin City Limits, 1992 http://www.cvsmusic.org/2003_04/Chenierartist_bio.htm C.J. Chenier biography, CVSMusic.org
In 1989, Chenier was inducted posthumously into the Blues Hall of Fame .
Rory Gallagher wrote a song in tribute to Chenier entitled "The King of Zydeco". Paul Simon mentioned Chenier in his song "That Was Your Mother", from his 1986 album Graceland_(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. http://phish.net/song/my-soul/chart My Soul Chart, Phish.net
Partial discography
''Clifton's Blues (Elko Records), 1954
Louisiana Blues & Zydeco ( Arhoolie Records ), 1965
Bon Ton Roulet ! ( Arhoolie Records ), 1967
Bogalusa Boogie - Blues & Zydeco ( Arhoolie Records ), 1975
Persondata | NAME = Chenier, Clifton | ALTERNATIVE NAMES = | SHORT DESCRIPTION = American zydeco accordionist and musician | DATE OF BIRTH = June 25, 1925 | PLACE OF BIRTH = Opelousas, Louisiana|Opelousas , Louisiana , United States | DATE OF DEATH = December 12, 1987 | PLACE OF DEATH = Lafayette, Louisiana , United States DEFAULTSORT:Chenier, Clifton Category:1925 births Category:1987 deaths Category:People from Opelousas, Louisiana Category:African American musicians Category:American accordionists Category:American blues singers Category:Blues Hall of Fame inductees Category:National Heritage Fellowship winners Category:Musicians from Louisiana Category:Imperial Records artists Category:Bell Records artists Category:Charly Records artists Category:Specialty Records artists Category:Tear Drop Records artists Category:Zydeco musicians Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Deaths from renal failure
