Jo-El Sonnier (/ʒoʊˌɛl sɒnˈjeɪ/; born Joel Sonnier; October 2, 1946 – January 13, 2024) was an American singer-songwriter and accordionist who performed country music and Cajun music. Originally signed to Mercury Nashville Records, Sonnier charted several minor singles on the Billboard country charts in the late 1970s. By the late 1980s, he had signed to RCA Records, breaking through with the Top Ten hits "No More One More Time" and a cover of Richard Thompson's "Tear-Stained Letter". Although his chart success waned at the beginning of the 1990s, he continued recording music, releasing more than thirty albums primarily on independent labels.
Jo-El Sonnier | |
|---|---|
 Sonnier in 2006 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Joel Sonnier |
| Born | October 2, 1946 Rayne, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Died | January 13, 2024 (aged 77) Llano, Texas, U.S. |
| Genres | Country, Cajun |
| Occupations | Singer-songwriter |
| Instruments | Cajun accordion, guitar, harmonica, vocals |
| Years active | 1967–2024 |
| Labels | Goldband, Mercury, Rounder, RCA, Capitol, Liberty |
| Website | http://www.jo-elsonnier.com/ |
Biography
editJo-El Sonnier was born to French-speaking sharecroppers in Rayne, Louisiana, on October 2, 1946.[1][2][3] At age three, he began to play his brother's accordion. By age six, Sonnier had performed on the radio; at age 11, he made his first recordings.[4] He also released several independent singles and four albums as a teenager.[4] By the 1970s, he was signed to Mercury Nashville Records, but without much success in the country music field.
Sonnier temporarily abandoned his pursuit of a country music career in favor of recording Cajun music on the independent Rounder Records label.[1] Although his independent album did not produce much commercial success, it was nominated for a Grammy Award.[4] After being signed as Merle Haggard's opening act, Sonnier later decided to return to country music; he was signed to RCA Records in the 1980s, where his biggest successes came in the singles "No More One More Time" and a cover of British singer Richard Thompson's "Tear-Stained Letter", songs which landed in the Top 10 on the country charts.[4]
In the 1990s, Sonnier moved to Capitol Records, but his solo career faltered soon afterwards. He continued to find success as a session musician, and briefly took up acting as well.[4] In the late 1990s, he returned to Rounder Records to record Cajun music once more, occasionally collaborating with Michael Doucet of BeauSoleil. Sonnier also saw his second Grammy nomination, for the 1997 album Cajun Pride; a third soon followed with 2001's Cajun Blood being nominated for Best Traditional Folk Album.[4]
In 2009, Sonnier was inducted into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame.[citation needed]
Sonnier made a brief cameo appearance as a member of a dance band in the third episode of the first season of the HBO crime series True Detective, which is set in southern Louisiana.[5]
On February 8, 2015, Sonnier won a Grammy Award for Best Regional Roots Music Album.
Sonnier died of a heart attack on January 13, 2024, just after a performance at Llano Country Opry in Llano, Texas, where he had played for over an hour and received a standing ovation. His performance ended with his signature "Tear-Stained Letter" and an encore of "Jambalaya". He was 77.[6][7]
Personal life
editIn 2017, Sonnier self-published a book titled The Little Boy Under the Wagon, in which he revealed that he had been diagnosed with Asperger syndrome.[8]
Discography
editAlbums
edit| Year | Album | Chart Positions | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| US Country[9] | |||
| 1967 | Hurricane Audry | — | Goldband |
| 1968 | The Scene Today in Cajun Music | — | |
| 1969 | The Cajun Valentino | — | |
| 1980 | Cajun Life | — | Rounder |
| 1987 | Come On Joe | 17 | RCA |
| 1989 | Right Next Door to Texas | — | Goldband |
| The Cajun Troubadour | — | ||
| 1990 | Have a Little Faith | 45 | RCA |
| 1991 | Tears of Joy | — | Capitol |
| 1992 | Hello Happiness Again | — | Liberty |
| Complete Mercury Session | — | Mercury | |
| 1994 | Cajun Roots | — | Rounder |
| 1995 | Cajun Kids | — | Little Morganville |
| 1996 | Live in Canada | — | Stony Plain |
| Cookin' Cajun (with Eddy Raven) | — | K-Tel | |
| 1997 | Cajun Young Blood | — | Ace |
| Cajun Pride | — | Rounder | |
| 1998 | Here to Stay | — | Intersound |
| Cajun Memories | — | Green Hill | |
| 1999 | Cajun Blood | — | Musique de' Jo-El |
| 2000 | Cajun Tradition | — | Green Hill |
| 2001 | The L.A. Sessions | — | Musique de' Jo-El |
| 2004 | Yesterdays with Jo-El Sonnier | — | Green Hill |
| Cajun Christmas | — | ||
| Cajun Hymns | — | ||
| Cajun Mardis Gras | — | ||
| 2005 | Back by Request | — | Musique de' Jo-El |
| 2013 | The Legacy | — | Takau Records |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | |||
Singles
edit| Year | Single | Peak chart positions |
Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country[2] | CAN Country[10] | |||
| 1975 | "I've Been Around Enough to Know" | 78 | — | — |
| 1976 | "Always Late (With Your Kisses)" | 99 | — | |
| "He's Still All Over You" | 100 | — | ||
| 1987 | "Come On Joe" | 39 | — | Come On Joe |
| 1988 | "No More One More Time" | 7 | 2 | |
| "Tear-Stained Letter" | 9 | 5 | ||
| 1989 | "Rainin' in My Heart" | 35 | 34 | |
| "(Blue, Blue, Blue) Blue, Blue" | 47 | 50 | Have a Little Faith | |
| 1990 | "If Your Heart Should Ever Roll This Way Again" | 24 | 26 | |
| "The Scene of the Crime" | 65 | 46 | ||
| 1991 | "You May Change Your Mind" | — | — | Tears of Joy |
| 1998 | "Broken Hearted Side of New Orleans" | — | — | Here to Stay |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | ||||
Guest singles
edit| Year | Single | Artist | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | "Catahoula" | The Bellamy Brothers (with Eddy Raven) | Over the Line |
Music videos
edit| Year | Video | Director |
|---|---|---|
| 1988 | "Tear-Stained Letter"[11] | S. A. Baron |
| "Rainin' in My Heart"[12] | Steve Boyle | |
| 1989 | "(Blue, Blue, Blue) Blue, Blue" | Jim May |
| "If Your Heart Should Ever Roll This Way Again" | ||
| 1990 | "The Scene of the Crime" | |
| 1996 | "Fais Do Do" (with Eddy Raven) | Bob Whitt |
| 1997 | "Sugar Bee" (with Eddy Raven) | |
| 1998 | "Catahoula" (with The Bellamy Brothers and Eddy Raven) | chris rogers [sic] |
Awards and nominations
editGrammy Awards
edit| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | The Legacy | Best Regional Roots Music Album | Won |
Academy of Country Music Awards
edit| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Jo-El Sonnier | Top New Male Vocalist | Nominated |
References
edit- ^ a b Sonnier, Jo-el. "Jo-el Sonnier". Jo-el sonnier.com. Retrieved January 8, 2020.
- ^ a b Whitburn, Joel (2017). Hot Country Songs 1944 to 2017. Record Research, Inc. p. 338. ISBN 978-0-89820-229-8.
- ^ Colin Larkin, ed. (1993). The Guinness Who's Who of Country Music (First ed.). Guinness Publishing. pp. 384/5. ISBN 0-85112-726-6.
- ^ a b c d e f Sonnier, Jo-El. Jo-El Sonnier Biography at AllMusic
- ^ "True Detective (TV Series 2014– )". IMDb.com. Retrieved January 8, 2020.
- ^ Digital, DJ DigitalDJ (January 14, 2024). "Louisiana Cajun and Country Legend Jo-El Sonnier Passes Away After Show in Texas". 99.9 KTDY.
- ^ Iasimone, Ashley (January 15, 2024). "Jo-El Sonnier, Grammy-Winning Cajun & Country Singer-Songwriter, Dies at 77". Billboard.
- ^ "Cajun musician's new book addresses his autism challenges". The Advertiser. December 6, 2017. Retrieved May 29, 2024.
- ^ "Hot Country Albums for February 10, 1989". Billboard. Retrieved May 24, 2022.
- ^ "Search results for Jo-El Sonnier". RPM. July 17, 2013. Retrieved May 24, 2022.
- ^ "New Videoclips" (PDF). Billboard. July 9, 1988.
- ^ "JO-EL SONNIER Rainin' In My Heart 1988 [4K UHD]". YouTube. July 26, 2017. Archived from the original on December 21, 2021. Retrieved September 3, 2018.
External links
edit- Official website
- Jo-El Sonnier discography at Discogs
- Jo-El Sonnier at IMDb
