Posted on 09/24/2016 10:23:12 PM PDT by nickcarraway
Stanley "Buckwheat" Dural Jr., an international ambassador for Louisiana roots music with his genre-leaping band Buckwheat Zydeco, died early Saturday morning. He was 68.
Dural died of lung cancer at Our Lady of Lourdes Regional Medical Center in Lafayette, La. In August, Cynthia Simien, an agent and manager who is married to Zydeco musician Terrance Simien, and Dural's daughter Tomorrow Dural started a GoFundMe account to defray Dural's medical expenses.
Listen to Buckwheat Zydeco perform in 2009 on World Cafe
Given the easy familiarity of the zydeco sound — accordion, washboard, a driving beat and infectious energy — in everything from pop music to TV commercials, it's sometimes difficult to remember that it was not always instantly recognized outside its home. In 1987, when Island Records, the home of U2, released the Buckwheat Zydeco album On a Night Like This, Dural became the first zydeco artist on a major label. This was just one milestone among decades of them in a career that included a Grammy and performances at the Summer Olympics and President Bill Clinton's inaugural festivities. He performed with musicians as varied as Eric Clapton, Yo La Tengo and the Boston Pops.
Dural, the son of amateur musicians — a singing mother and accordion-playing father — began his career on keyboards. He played R&B and funk until he sat in as organist with the band of one of his father's best friends, Clifton Chenier, "the king of zydeco."
"We played for four hours nonstop," Dural told Weekend Edition Saturday host Scott Simon in 2009, "and he was telling people goodnight and I couldn't believe it. And I thought we had just got onstage; that's how much energy he had projected. I wound up staying with Clifton over two years. I said, 'Next band I get, I'll be playing accordion.'"
Dural took up the accordion in 1978 and founded Buckwheat Zydeco a year later. In 30 years of touring and recording he took zydeco to unexpected physical and musical places. From his take on Bob Dylan's "A Night Like This" for Australian TV in the '80s, to "Hey Joe" on David Letterman's Late Show in the '90s, to the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival in May, Dural was a welcoming presence who made his audiences happy.
"If you want to get respect, you've got to give respect," Dural told World Cafe host David Dye in 2009. "You got to be positive. You can't have no like positive/negative, positive/negative ... It's not like a car battery."
Sad news. Heard him a few times when I lived in Raleigh years ago and enjoyed his shows.
I’ve got one of his CD’s....good music...
Sorry to hear of his passing. I enjoy listening to Zydeco music from time to time. Have a couple of Buckwheat Zydeco’s CD’s. Beausoleil is another great group.
Good music, indeed, and even better live. Impossible to be still. The music just took control and the body had no choice but to dance. LOL
Saw him live years ago at the old Jambalya Jam in Philly. If you’ve never heard his music, try listening to this without moving your feet:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7AtDm8lP6A
I’m in the wrong generation, who thinks of a different “Buckwheat”.
I did see him live in Raleigh and Chapel Hill, NC. Was never still. His music made the feet VERY happy - - had everyone dancing. :-)
Try listening to this without moving my feet? The whole body’s moving. LOL
He be dead fo' 36 yeeahs bro.
Buckwheat is dead......and Texxon is there.
RIP.
God rest his soul, I did enjoy his music.
Guaranteed party fave.
He`s not dead..............he converted to islam and changed his name to Kareem O-wheat
LOL! Me too!
One of the articles I read said he acquired the nickname Buckwheat because at one time he wore his hair like the other Buckwheat.
My first thought was: How could Buckwheat be only 68 years old?
Yeah, I have one of his albums as well “Jackpot!”...
I heard a song somewhere and really liked it, so I looked it up based on the lyrics and bought the album. Had never heard his stuff before.
Love it, high energy, up music. Great driving music when you are in a good mood. It is the antithesis of that rap crap.
RIP, sir. Thank you.
Agreed...music to make you feel like moving...
Here’s part of a benefit for New Orleans with Ry Cooder, Irma Thomas and Lenny Kravits:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NvG5sWjmtts
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