Jo-El Sonnier was a Cajun and country singer-songwriter known for “No More One More Time” and “Tear-Stained Letter.”
- Died: January 13, 2024 (Who else died on January 13?)
- Details of death: Died while on tour in Texas of a heart attack at the age of 77.
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Jo-El Sonnier’s legacy
Born in Rayne, Louisiana to a French-speaking family, Sonnier grew up making music. He was already using an accordion, the instrument he’d play in his Grammy-winning career, by the time he was three years old and making independent recordings in his teens. He began recording country music in the 1970s, but he returned to his Cajun roots when his early albums weren’t successful.
Sonnier settled into a winning blend of Cajun and country music for his 1987 album “Come on Joe.” Two singles from the album hit the country music top ten charts in both the U.S. and Canada: “No More One More Time” and his cover of Richard Thompson’s “Tear-Stained Letter.” He also released the singles “Come on Joe” and “Rainin’ in My Heart” from the album. Later singles included 1989’s “(Blue, Blue, Blue) Blue, Blue” and 1990’s “If Your Heart Should Ever Roll This Way Again.”
Sonnier recorded more than two dozen albums over the years, most recently 2013’s “The Legacy.” The traditional Cajun French album won Sonnier his first and only Grammy Award after five nominations, in the Regional Roots Music Album of the Year category. Sonnier also co-wrote the children’s book “The Little Boy Under the Wagon” with his sister-in-law, Shirley Strange-Allen, and he appeared in an episode of the HBO series “True Detective.”
Tributes to Jo-El Sonnier
Full obituary: The Advocate
