Cajun and country music singer, songwriter, and accordionist Jo-El Sonnier was born Joel Sonnier on October 2, 1946. Although he began recording in the 1960s, he didn’t come to commercial prominence until 1988 when he scored two Top 10 singles in the US and Canada. His musical journey began at the age of three when he began playing his brother’s accordion. Three years later, he was performing on the radio and would start his recording career at the age of 11. He issued his first single, “Bayou Beauf Waltz,” in 1960 but didn’t return to recording until the late 1960s with albums such as Hurricane Audry (1968), The Scene Today in Cajun Music (1968), and The Cajun Valentino (1969). After releasing three non-album singles in the 1970s – all of which entered the Top 100 on Billboard’s Country Music singles chart - he signed with Rounder Records and released the Grammy-nominated album Cajun Life in 1980. He didn’t return with a studio recording until 1987 when he signed with RCA Records and released the album Come On Joe. The album included three singles, two of which entered the Top 10 in 1988: “No More One More Time” (number 7) and “Tear-Stained Letter” (number 9). The album was also a hit, reaching number 17 on Billboard’s Country Albums chart. Because of his commercial success, his 1960s recordings were repackaged for several album releases by his old label, Goldband Records, in 1989. Jo-El Sonnier didn’t return with new studio recordings until his 1990 album Have a Little Faith, which reached number 45 on the Country Albums chart. Leaving RCA, he signed with Capitol Records and released the album Tears of Joy in 1991, which was not as successful as his RCA releases. While his commercial success tapered off with subsequent releases, Jo-El Sonnier’s albums Cajun Pride (1997) and Cajun Blood (2001) were both nominated for a Grammy Award. After being inducted into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame in 2009,he continued to release music and finally won a Grammy Award – for Best Regional Roots Music Album – in 2015 for his album The Legacy (2013). He continued to perform but did not release another album during his lifetime. Shortly after a live performance in Austin, Texas, Jo-El Sonnier died of a heart attack on January 13, 2024, at the age of 77.
