R. I. P. Stanley ‘Buckwheat Zydeco’ Dural

One of America’s greatest musical ambassadors has died.  Stanley Dural, who helped propel zydeco into the public consciousness, has passed at the age of 68.  He once told me that his goal was to pass this great Creole music (do not call it ‘Cajun’) down from generation to generation.  And, with his family-friendly shows, he, along with his band known collectively as Buckwheat Zydeco, accomplished just that.

I know that my kids remember, and all the kids who came to his Arden shows remember, when Buck got them up onstage to sing and dance along to “Hey, Good Lookin'”.  They fell in love with him and the music, which was exactly his intent.

You can read about him and his incredible career here.

But here’s why I love him:

Stanley started out as a Hammond B3 player with Clifton Chenier.  We were fortunate enough to have him break out the B3 in Arden.  Here’s an example:

Rest In Peace, Stanley.  We’ll never forget you.