Two-time Grammy nominee Corey Ledet will lead a Tribute to Clifton Chenier on Saturday, June 25, at the St. Landry Parish Visitor Center in Opelousas. The tribute is part of the Zydeco Capital Jam, a series of monthly jam sessions open to musicians of all skill levels at the visitor center.

This special tribute falls on Clifton Chenier Day, which was officially declared last year by the Louisiana legislature along with St. Landry Parish and Chenier’s hometown of Opelousas. Chenier, the “King of Zydeco” who earned a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Grammys, was born June 25, 1925.

The Clifton Chenier Centennial Committee was created last year to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Chenier’s birth in 2025. The committee secured the Clifton Chenier Day proclamations, which remain in effect for the next three years.

Ledet is a Chenier disciple who sharpened his accordion skills during several visits to Chenier’s gravesite in Loreauville. Ledet earned Grammy nominations for his 2021 album Corey Ledet Zydeco and his 2012 albu Nothin’ but the Best. Accordionists Anthony Dopsie, Dwayne Dopsie and Andre Thierry performed as special guests on the 2012 release.

In a BackTalk interview with OffBeat in January 2022, Ledet spoke about his background as a drummer and how playing percussion has influenced his style as a zydeco accordionist: “When I’m playing drums, I have to make sure my beat does not speed up, slow down, get weak. It has to stay consistent. I use the same theory when I jump on accordion. So, when I start a song, it has to stay at that rhythm. It can’t slow down. It can’t speed up. I can’t start pulling softer. It’s the same and that’s what definitely helps me.”

The St. Landry Parish Visitor Center is located at exit 23 off interstate 49 in Opelousas. For more information, visit the St. Landry Parish Tourist Commission web site at cajuntravel.com.