John Irvin Delafose was an American zydeco accordionist and singer born on April 16, 1939, in Duralde, Louisiana. Born into a family of sharecroppers, Delafose constructed violins and guitars from cigar boxes as a child. He began performing on the button accordion at age 18 and started his musical career in the early 1970s. In the mid-1970s, he formed the ensemble John Delafose & the Eunice Playboys, which featured several of his sons. His repertoire included both English and French vocals, as well as two-steps and waltzes. His discography included the studio recordings Zydeco Man (1981) and Joe Pete Got Two Women (1990). He also appeared in the 1989 documentary J’ai été au bal. Delafose released the album Blues Stay Away from Me in 1993. Following a heart attack that year, he experienced ongoing fatigue. Delafose died at age 55 on September 18, 1994, in Opelousas.
