It is with heavy hearts that TKA recognizes the passing of our friend and client Stanley “Buckwheat” Dural, Jr., bandleader of Buckwheat Zydeco. Born in Lafayette, LA in 1947, Buck spent his long and illustrious music career celebrating the music of his home and heritage: the Creole styles of Louisiana culture. After leading a funk band in the early 70’s, he rediscovered and recommited himself to zydeco music, breathing new life into the genre’s joyful mix of blues, Creole, and R&B. Buck led one of the world’s greatest party bands, accordion in hand, for several decades, touring and appearing with such luminaries as Eric Clapton, U2, Willie Nelson, The Roots, and more. He performed at the opening ceremonies of the 1996 Summer Olympics, at Bill Clinton’s inauguration, and on the final episode of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. Throughout his career, he brought the rhythms of Lafayette’s dance halls to the attention of millions. As Buck himself put it, “Life is a tour, and it’s all about how you decide to get where you’re going…I don’t want to ignore the bad things in life, but I want to emphasize the good things.”
Dural passed away early Saturday morning in his hometown of Lafayette, LA. As his manager Ted Fox notes, Buck kept “musician’s hours right to the bitter end.” He is survived by his wife, Bernite Dural; two sons, Sir Reginald M. Dural and Stanley Paul Dural III; and three daughters, April Germain Dural, Stacie Durham, and Tomorrow Lynn Dural.
His daughter, Tomorrow Dural, has created a fundraising campaign to help with medical and other expenses. Visit the GoFundMe page to learn more
Read more at the New York Times