Clifton Chenier (June 25, 1925 - December 12, 1987) was the pre-eminent performer of zydeco music, a blend of Cajun and Creole music with R&B, jazz and blues influences. June 25 is the 176th day of the year (177th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 189 days remaining. ... 1925 was a common year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar). ... December 12 is the 346th day (347th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1987 is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Zydeco is a form of folk music, originated in the beginning of the 20th century among the Creole peoples of south-west Louisiana and influenced by the music of the French-speaking Cajuns. ... The Cajuns are an ethnic group consisting essentially of the descendants of Acadians who came from Nova Scotia to Louisiana as a result of their refusal to swear allegiance to the British Crown. ... The term Creole is used with different meanings in different contexts, which can generate confusion. ... Rhythm and blues (or R & B) is a musical marketing term introduced in the United States in the late 1940s by Billboard magazine. ... Jazz is a musical art form characterized by blue notes, syncopation, swing, call and response, polyrhythms, and improvisation. ... For the emotional state, see Depression (mood). ...

Chenier's career began in 1954, when he signed with Elko Records and released "Cliston's Blues", a regional hit. It was soon followed by "Ay Tete Fille (Hey, Little Girl)" (cover of Professor Longhair), which released some mainstream success. With the Zydeco Ramblers, Chenier toured extensively and soon signed to Chicago's Chess Records, followed by Arhoolie. His popularity peaked in the 1980s, when he won a Grammy Award, the first Creole to do so. In pop music a cover version is a new rendition of a previously recorded song. ... Professor Longhair (nee Henry Roeland Byrd and aka Fess) (December 19, 1918 - January 30, 1980) was a legendary New Orleans blues musician. ... Chicago (officially named the City of Chicago) is the third largest city in the United States (after New York City and Los Angeles), with an official population of 2,896,016, as of the 2000 census. ... This is an article about the phonograph record label Chess Records. For records in the game of Chess, see World records in Chess. ... Grammy Award statuette The Grammy Awards, presented by the Recording Academy (an association of Americans professionally involved in the recorded music industry) for outstanding achievements in the recording industry, is one of four major music awards shows held annually in the United States (the Billboard Music Awards, the American Music...

Chenier died of kidney disease in 1987. Fortunately his son CJ Chenier is carrying on in the zydeco tradition with a touring band and quality album releases. See the article on the kidney for the anatomy and function of healthy kidneys and a list of diseases involving the kidney. ...