Died On This Date (May 4, 2010) Joseph Roy Carrier / Zydeco Great
themusicsover Roy Carrier
1947 – May 4, 2010
Roy Carrier was an accomplished accordion player and singer who was part of a musical family that was highly influential to world of Zydeco and Cajun music. He was considered to be one of the last living original Zydeco greats of the 50’s and ’60s. Over a career that began when he was just ten years old, Carrier and his bands drew large crowds at festivals and clubs across the country and beyond. In 1980, he opened the Offshore Lounge (named so since he earned his living on the offshore oil rigs along the Louisiana coast.) The club soon became a beacon for up-and-coming zydeco musicians to jam with, or just learn from the area’s best. During the late ’80s, Carrier said goodbye to the oil business to focus on his music career full time. He began making records in 1987. On May 4, 2010, Roy Carrier lost his battle with lung cancer. He was 63.
What You Should Own
Bobby Charles is best remembered as the gifted Cajun songwriter who penned “Walking to New Orleans,” a hit for Fats Domino, and “See You Later, Alligator,” a hit for 
Clifton Chenier was an accordion player, singer, and songwriter who was considered the undisputed king of zydeco music. The Louisiana native began his music career in 1954, releasing his debut album on a small label that same year. Thanks to regional touring and local airplay, the album became a minor hit, helping him land a deal with the legendary label, Chess Records. By the mid ’70s, he was appearing on national television, which expanded his following even more. In 1983, he won a Grammy for Best Ethnic or Traditional Folk Album for I’m Here. Clifton Chenier was 62 when he died of diabetes related kidney failure on December 12, 1987.
Beau Jocque was a Zydeco singer and accordion player who came to prominence in Louisiana during the ’90s. With his band, the Zydeco Hi-Rollers, Jocque injected rock and funk into the Zydeco sound, endearing him to fans throughout the local clubs. A big man, standing 6′ 6″ and weighing in at nearly 275 pounds, Jocque died of a fatal heart attack at the age of 46.