Born: June 27, 1913 Gueydan, Louisiana

Died: May 13, 1983 Basile, Louisiana

Cajun musician Nathan Abshire, a collaborator with the immortal Amédé Ardoin, never learned to read or sign his name. Abshire’s motto was short and bittersweet: “The good times are killing me."

One of the most colorful and greatest Cajun musicians of all time was the late Nathan Abshire. Abshire’s unique style—best heard on the likes of “Pine Grove Blues,” “Mam...