Queen Ida
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| Queen Ida | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Ida Lewis Guillory |
| Born | January 15, 1929 |
| Origin | Lake Charles, Louisiana, United States |
| Genres | Zydeco |
| Occupations | Accordionist, Producer |
| Instruments | Accordion |
| Years active | 1975 — Present |
| Labels | GNP Crescendo |
| Website | Queen Ida |
Ida Lewis "Queen Ida" Guillory (born January 15, 1929 in Lake Charles, Louisiana) is an Louisiana Creole accordionist. She was the first female accordion player to lead a zydeco band.[citation needed] Queen Ida's music is an eclectic mix of R&B, Caribbean, and Cajun, though the presence of her accordion always keeps it traditional.[citation needed]
Contents |
[edit] Biography
Queen Ida is a proud Creole woman, Born Ida Lewis Guillory to a musically talented family in Lake Charles, Queen Ida learned to play accordion from her mother after she spent a few years learning the piano.[citation needed] Her family moved to Beaumont, Texas, when she was ten and eight years later moved to San Francisco, California. Her first language is French, and wherever they went, took their Creole culture and music with them.[citation needed]
Queen Ida and her band played at the Monterey Jazz Festival in 1976 and 1988, and the San Francisco Blues Festival in 1975, 1978, and 1991.[citation needed] In 1988, Queen Ida toured Japan, becoming the first zydeco artist to do so. She toured Africa the following year and in 1990 went to Australia and New Zealand.[citation needed]
On the CD album, Back on the Bayou (1999), Queen Ida got together on the bayou in Louisiana with her brother, Al Rapone, for a zydeco reunion.[citation needed] Rapone often wrote and produced for her and formed the Bon Temps Zydeco Band, which later became his sister's backup group.[citation needed] Doubling up on accordions with her oldest son Myrick "Freeze" Guillory, they are joined by Terry Buddingh on bass, James Santiago on guitar, Bernard Anderson on saxophone, Eric Nielson on drums, and her youngest son Ron "The Rock" Guillory on rub board and vocals.[citation needed]
Queen Ida also co-authored a cookbook, Cookin' with Queen Ida in 1990, which featured Creole recipes.[citation needed] Through the 2000s she continued to tour and perform, although she did not record any more albums during this period.[citation needed]
[edit] Selected discography
| Year | Title | Genre | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Back on the Bayou w/Al Rapone | Zydeco | GNP Crescendo - GNPD 2265 |
| 1995 | Cookin' with Queen Ida | Zydeco | GNP Crescendo - GNPD 2197 |
| 1995 | On a Saturday Night | Zydeco | GNP Crescendo - GNPD 2172 |
| 1994 | Mardi Gras | Zydeco | GNP Crescendo - GNPD 2227 |
| 1990 | Zydeco a La Mode | Zydeco | GNP Crescendo - GNP 2112 |
| 1985 | Caught in the Act | Zydeco | GNP Crescendo - GNPD 2181 |
| 1983 | In San Francisco | Zydeco | GNP Crescendo - GNPD 2158 |
| 1982 | The Queen Ida and the Bon Temps Zydeco Band on Tour | Zydeco | GNP Crescendo - GNPD 2147 |
[edit] Awards
[edit] Grammy Awards
Won: 1[1]
Nominations: 2
| 1980 | Best Ethnic or Traditional Recording | Queen Ida & the Bon Temps Zydeco Band in New Orleans | Zydeco | Nominated |
| 1982 | Best Ethnic or Traditional Folk Recording | Queen Ida and the Bon Temps Zydeco Band on Tour | Zydeco | Winner |
[edit] Blues Music Awards
Won: 4[2]
Nominations: 6
| Queen Ida Blues Music Awards History | ||||
| Year | Category | Result | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Traditional Blues Female Artist | Nominated | ||
| 1984 | Traditional Blues Female Artist | Nominated | ||
| 1988 | Traditional Blues Female Artist | Nominated | ||
| 1989 | Traditional Blues Female Artist | Winner | ||
| 1990 | Traditional Blues Female Artist | Winner | ||
| 1991 | Traditional Blues Female Artist | Nominated | ||
