Grammy-winning musician Jo-El Sonnier, known for his Cajun and country music, has died at the age of 77. The musician died while on tour, as confirmed by Texas country music promoter Tracy Pitcox in a Facebook post on Sunday, 14th January.
The singer’s final performance took place at the Llano Country Opry in Texas and was met with a standing ovation. He concluded the show with his signature song ‘Tear Stained Letter’ and an encore of ‘Jambalaya’. Sonnier experienced cardiac arrest after the show. He was flown to Austin, where he was later pronounced deceased.
Jo-El Sonnier – ‘Jambalaya’
Pitcox shared a heartfelt tribute to Sonnier. “It is never easy to lose a legend,” he said, “but [Sonnier] truly spent his final day doing what he loved – entertaining his fans with his loving wife, Bobbye, by his side.”
Jo-El Sonnier was born in 1946 to a French-speaking family in Rayne, Louisiana. His musical journey began at the age of three, when he embraced the accordion, marking the start of a lifelong passion. Sonnier was making his first music recordings by the age of 11, demonstrating a talent that would earn him acclaim in years to come. .
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