Jo-El Sonnier

Jo-el Sonnier was born the son of French-speaking sharecroppers near Rayne, Louisiana. Sonnier began playing his older brother's accordion at age three and first performed on the radio when he was six. Influenced by the great Iry LeJeune, he began playing Cajun music in local clubs, making his recording debut at age 13. When Jo-el finished school, he moved to Lake Charles and joined Robert Bertrand's Louisiana Ramblers. Billed as "The Cajun Valentino" and sporting a handsome Arab kaffiye, Sonnier recorded a number of songs for the Goldband label both as a member of the Ramblers and as a solo artist.