Trivia

He first took up the organ and rhythm and blues, as part of Sam and the Untouchables, and funk and soul as bandleader of Buckwheat and The Hitchhikers. The 15-piece band did well, traveling across the region and recording, but they broke up in the mid 1970s. He played organ with Clifton Chenier's band, and left to form Buckwheat Zydeco and the Ils Sont Partis Band.

In 1987, he became the first zydeco artist to sign with a major label, Islander Records. He performed and recorded with Eric Clapton, Keith Richards, Willie Nelson, Paul Simon, Mavis Staples, and U2, among others.

He began playing piano in childhood. He grew up with the early sounds of zydeco in the Creole French language, his father's accordion playing, and his uncle's washboard scratching. He sneaked into clubs to hear Fats Domino, and was exposed to a range of South Louisiana songs.

He was an organist in the Zydeco band directed by Clifton Chenier.