Chenier was literally born into the musical tradition of southwest Louisiana and Texas Zydeco, a chugging, accordion-led blend of French Creole and African-derived influences. Born the son of great Zydeco king Clifton Chenier, the first Grammy Award winning musician of his genre, C.J. was totally immersed in R&B, funk and jazz from childhood. Despite his family ties, or maybe because of them, C.J. was not terribly interested in his father's music as a teenager. A natural player, C.J. won a scholarship to study music at Texas Southern University and spent his college years exploring his own musical style. Coming into adulthood, C.J.'s interest in the music of his ancestors grew and after college graduation, he joined his father's legendary Red Hot Louisiana Band. After his father's death in 1987, C.J. assumed leadership of the band. While he continued to develop his personal accordion style, C.J. also gradually began grafting on influences from his boyhood. As C.J. explains, "I play it the way I play it. All my father really told me was to do the best I could do with my own style." Aside from performing and recording with his own ensemble, C.J. has worked with an impressive array of collaborators, including Paul Simon and The Gin Blossoms. A self-described "road dog," C.J. will be touring extensively in North America.
