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Jo-El Sonnier

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Jo-El Sonnier
Sonnier in 2006
Sonnier in 2006
Background information
Birth nameJoel Sonnier
Born(1946-10-02)October 2, 1946
Rayne, Louisiana, U.S.
DiedJanuary 13, 2024(2024-01-13) (aged 77)
Llano, Texas, U.S.
GenresCountry, Cajun
OccupationsSinger-songwriter
InstrumentsCajun accordion, guitar, harmonica, vocals
Years active1967–2024
LabelsGoldband, Mercury, Rounder, RCA, Capitol, Liberty
Websitehttp://www.jo-elsonnier.com/

Jo-El Sonnier (/ʒoʊˌɛl sɒnˈjeɪ/; born Joel Sonnier; October 2, 1946 – January 13, 2024) was an American singer-songwriter and accordionist who performed country music and Cajun music. Originally signed to Mercury Nashville Records, Sonnier charted several minor singles on the Billboard country charts in the late 1970s. By the late 1980s, he had signed to RCA Records, breaking through with the Top Ten hits "No More One More Time" and a cover of Richard Thompson's "Tear-Stained Letter". Although his chart success waned at the beginning of the 1990s, he continued recording music, releasing more than thirty albums primarily on independent labels.

Biography

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Jo-El Sonnier was born to French-speaking sharecroppers in Rayne, Louisiana, on October 2, 1946.[1][2][3] At age three, he began to play his brother's accordion. By age six, Sonnier had performed on the radio; at age 11, he made his first recordings.[4] He also released several independent singles and four albums as a teenager.[4] By the 1970s, he was signed to Mercury Nashville Records, but without much success in the country music field.

Sonnier temporarily abandoned his pursuit of a country music career in favor of recording Cajun music on the independent Rounder Records label.[1] Although his independent album did not produce much commercial success, it was nominated for a Grammy Award.[4] After being signed as Merle Haggard's opening act, Sonnier later decided to return to country music; he was signed to RCA Records in the 1980s, where his biggest successes came in the singles "No More One More Time" and a cover of British singer Richard Thompson's "Tear-Stained Letter", songs which landed in the Top 10 on the country charts.[4]

In the 1990s, Sonnier moved to Capitol Records, but his solo career faltered soon afterwards. He continued to find success as a session musician, and briefly took up acting as well.[4] In the late 1990s, he returned to Rounder Records to record Cajun music once more, occasionally collaborating with Michael Doucet of BeauSoleil. Sonnier also saw his second Grammy nomination, for the 1997 album Cajun Pride; a third soon followed with 2001's Cajun Blood being nominated for Best Traditional Folk Album.[4]

In 2009, Sonnier was inducted into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame.[citation needed]

Sonnier made a brief cameo appearance as a member of a dance band in the third episode of the first season of the HBO crime series True Detective, which is set in southern Louisiana.[5]

On February 8, 2015, Sonnier won a Grammy Award for Best Regional Roots Music Album.

Sonnier died of a heart attack on January 13, 2024, just after a performance at Llano Country Opry in Llano, Texas, where he had played for over an hour and received a standing ovation. His performance ended with his signature "Tear-Stained Letter" and an encore of "Jambalaya". He was 77.[6][7]

Personal life

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In 2017, Sonnier self-published a book titled The Little Boy Under the Wagon, in which he revealed that he had been diagnosed with Asperger syndrome.[8]

Discography

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Albums

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Year Album Chart Positions Label
US Country[9]
1967 Hurricane Audry — Goldband
1968 The Scene Today in Cajun Music —
1969 The Cajun Valentino —
1980 Cajun Life — Rounder
1987 Come On Joe 17 RCA
1989 Right Next Door to Texas — Goldband
The Cajun Troubadour —
1990 Have a Little Faith 45 RCA
1991 Tears of Joy — Capitol
1992 Hello Happiness Again — Liberty
Complete Mercury Session — Mercury
1994 Cajun Roots — Rounder
1995 Cajun Kids — Little Morganville
1996 Live in Canada — Stony Plain
Cookin' Cajun (with Eddy Raven) — K-Tel
1997 Cajun Young Blood — Ace
Cajun Pride — Rounder
1998 Here to Stay — Intersound
Cajun Memories — Green Hill
1999 Cajun Blood — Musique de' Jo-El
2000 Cajun Tradition — Green Hill
2001 The L.A. Sessions — Musique de' Jo-El
2004 Yesterdays with Jo-El Sonnier — Green Hill
Cajun Christmas —
Cajun Hymns —
Cajun Mardis Gras —
2005 Back by Request — Musique de' Jo-El
2013 The Legacy — Takau Records
"—" denotes releases that did not chart

Singles

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Year Single Peak chart
positions 		Album
US Country[2] CAN Country[10]
1975 "I've Been Around Enough to Know" 78 — —
1976 "Always Late (With Your Kisses)" 99 —
"He's Still All Over You" 100 —
1987 "Come On Joe" 39 — Come On Joe
1988 "No More One More Time" 7 2
"Tear-Stained Letter" 9 5
1989 "Rainin' in My Heart" 35 34
"(Blue, Blue, Blue) Blue, Blue" 47 50 Have a Little Faith
1990 "If Your Heart Should Ever Roll This Way Again" 24 26
"The Scene of the Crime" 65 46
1991 "You May Change Your Mind" — — Tears of Joy
1998 "Broken Hearted Side of New Orleans" — — Here to Stay
"—" denotes releases that did not chart

Guest singles

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Year Single Artist Album
1998 "Catahoula" The Bellamy Brothers (with Eddy Raven) Over the Line

Music videos

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Year Video Director
1988 "Tear-Stained Letter"[11] S. A. Baron
"Rainin' in My Heart"[12] Steve Boyle
1989 "(Blue, Blue, Blue) Blue, Blue" Jim May
"If Your Heart Should Ever Roll This Way Again"
1990 "The Scene of the Crime"
1996 "Fais Do Do" (with Eddy Raven) Bob Whitt
1997 "Sugar Bee" (with Eddy Raven)
1998 "Catahoula" (with The Bellamy Brothers and Eddy Raven) chris rogers [sic]

Awards and nominations

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Grammy Awards

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Year Nominee / work Award Result
2015 The Legacy Best Regional Roots Music Album Won

Academy of Country Music Awards

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Year Nominee / work Award Result
1988 Jo-El Sonnier Top New Male Vocalist Nominated

References

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  1. ^ a b Sonnier, Jo-el. "Jo-el Sonnier". Jo-el sonnier.com. Retrieved January 8, 2020.
  2. ^ a b Whitburn, Joel (2017). Hot Country Songs 1944 to 2017. Record Research, Inc. p. 338. ISBN 978-0-89820-229-8.
  3. ^ Colin Larkin, ed. (1993). The Guinness Who's Who of Country Music (First ed.). Guinness Publishing. pp. 384/5. ISBN 0-85112-726-6.
  4. ^ a b c d e f Sonnier, Jo-El. Jo-El Sonnier Biography at AllMusic
  5. ^ "True Detective (TV Series 2014– )". IMDb.com. Retrieved January 8, 2020.
  6. ^ Digital, DJ (January 14, 2024). "Louisiana Cajun and Country Legend Jo-El Sonnier Passes Away After Show in Texas". 99.9 KTDY.
  7. ^ Iasimone, Ashley (January 15, 2024). "Jo-El Sonnier, Grammy-Winning Cajun & Country Singer-Songwriter, Dies at 77". Billboard.
  8. ^ "Cajun musician's new book addresses his autism challenges". The Advertiser. December 6, 2017. Retrieved May 29, 2024.
  9. ^ "Hot Country Albums for February 10, 1989". Billboard. Retrieved May 24, 2022.
  10. ^ "Search results for Jo-El Sonnier". RPM. July 17, 2013. Retrieved May 24, 2022.
  11. ^ "New Videoclips" (PDF). Billboard. July 9, 1988.
  12. ^ "JO-EL SONNIER Rainin' In My Heart 1988 [4K UHD]". YouTube. July 26, 2017. Archived from the original on December 21, 2021. Retrieved September 3, 2018.
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