Issue Articles — Obituaries
Obituary: Joseph “Smokey” Johnson
Joseph “Smokey” Johnson, a master of jazz, an originator of funk and an influential force in rhythm and blues, died on Tuesday, October 6, 2015. He was 78. “If there […]
Obituary: Paul Prudhomme
(1940–2015) Chef Paul Prudhomme passed away on October 8, 2015 after a brief illness. He was 75. The Opelousas-born Prudhomme first gained local notoriety in 1975 as the chef at […]
Obituary: Syndey Byrd
Renowned New Orleans photographer Syndey Byrd passed away on October 2, after a long illness. She was 71 years old. Syndey Byrd was born July 3, 1944 in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, […]
Obituary: Steve Steinberg
There were gigs in New Orleans where one would just expect to see Steve Steinberg. Many folks and musicians first starting noticing him as a denizen of Donna’s Bar & […]
Obituary: Richard “Tricky Dick” Dixon
Dixon was a free- hearted person who would give you the shirt off his back,” recalled Walter “Wolfman” Washington about his long-time friend, bassist Richard “Tricky Dick” Dixon. When Dixon […]
Obituary: Phil Parnell
Pianist and songwriter Phil Parnell passed away September 2, 2015 after a battle with liver cancer. Phil began performing at an early age: A picture that hung in his parents’ […]
Obituary: Jillian Johnson
Out of the many mourners remembering Jillian Johnson, one put it best: everything she did was a love letter to Lafayette. A victim of the July 23rd shooting at Lafayette’s […]
Obituary: Lenny McDaniel
New Orleans-born singer-songwriter Lenny McDaniel passed away July 3 after a long battle with kidney failure. He was 65 years old. Like most teenagers during the ’60s, McDaniel started a […]
Obituary: Camille Bob
Camille Bob, known as “Lil’ Bob,” the creator of the swamp pop R&B party classic “I Got Loaded,” succumbed to cancer at Opelousas General Hospital July 6. He was 77. […]
Obituary: Milton Vanicor
ajun music lost its iron horse rock star, 96-year-old Milton Vanicor, who died peacefully at home in Welsh, Louisiana, on Friday June 5, 2015, of congestive heart failure. He leaves […]
