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New Orleans Jazz Museum celebrates Clifton Chenier, zydeco king

NEW ORLEANS, La. (KTAL/KMSS) — Zydeco is a musical style firmly rooted in Louisiana, and Clifton Chenier is known as the undisputed king. The New Orleans Jazz Museum, with support from the Gia Primia Maione Foundation, is honoring him as such during Jazz Fest. Click here for more entertainment news 'The King at 100: Clifton Chenier' debuts Friday, April 25, in the Grandstand at the 2025 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. The exhibition presents the visual and musical story of Chenier's life. Rare photographs, archival materials, and personal artifacts, from his outfits and King of Zydeco crown to his accordion. Director of the New Orleans Jazz Museum Greg Lambousy says, 'This exhibit celebrates his life, his music, and his deep Louisiana roots. We're proud to bring his legacy to life during his centennial year.' Chenier was born in 1925 outside Opelousas, Louisiana. As a French-speaking Afro-Creole artist, he combined French folk songs, jump blues, rhythm and blues, and Creole 'la-la.' The result became known as Zydeco. Zydeco is dance music typically featuring accordion, guitar, fiddle, and washboard, but may include saxophone, keyboard, and bass. Chenier recorded his first hit, 'Ay-Tete_Fee,' in 1955. In 1964, he signed with Arhoolie Records, and his career took off. Touring the country with his Red Hot Louisiana Band, he became a popular regular on the Gulf Coast chitlin' circuit. Ass time went on, the band played for broader audiences. From the Fillmore in San Francisco to Carnegie Hall in New York, the King of Zydeco played virtually everywhere, and acclaim came with it. In 1983, he won a GRAMMY, and in 1984, he was named a National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Heritage Fellow. In his life and posthumously, he won many other awards from groups worldwide. The exhibit draws from collections by Philip Gould, the Chris Strachwitz Collection at the Arhoolie Foundation, The Historic New Orleans Collection, and the New Orleans Jazz Museum. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.