It is with deep sadness that we must pass along the news that the enigmatic Hoodoo bluesman Coco Robicheaux, who is famous for his menacing, haunting blues sound, collapsed last night at the Apple Barrel on Frenchman Street, according to the New Orleans Times-Picayune. He was pronounced dead upon arrival at Tulane Medical Center. He was 64.
According to NOLA.com,
Mr. Robicheaux was not performing at the time he was stricken; he often held court outside the Apple Barrel on his off-nights.
Known for an especially gravelly voice, a swamp-blues guitar style and a fascination with subjects of a spiritual and/or mystical nature, Mr. Robicheaux lived an especially colorful life, even by the standards of a New Orleans musician.
He released several albums over the past two decades. He was a mainstay of the Frenchmen Street entertainment district, a familiar figure both on- and off-stage, even as he also performed around the globe. He was a regular on the schedules of the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival presented by Shell and the French Quarter Festival.
Mr. Robicheaux made a memorable appearance during the opening scene of the second episode of the first-season of the HBO series “Treme”: He sacrificed a rooster in the studio of community radio station WWOZ-FM.
We’d like to extend our deepest condolences to Robicheaux’s daughter, family, and great many friends who were touched by his unique brand of blues, and wish him luck in his journey to Spiritland.
2 Comments
A great man and a kinf=d perosn, RIP COCO peace to you man! Spirtland is looking for ya!
The outpouring of love and support is heartwarming, and has been comforting.
We have created a Memorial Love Board for my father on Spiritland as a place to tell stories, share pictures and videos, and especially to add some humor, because anyone that knew Coco knew that he was funny.
http://www.spiritland.com/abovelove
It is my wish to create a museum in his memory to honor New Orleans musicians.
There will be a memorial service on Saturday, and a second line on Dec 12 starting @ 3:33 and ending with a concert at the House of Blues at 6 pm.
Although he did love flowers, I believe he would want donations made to support the family of Kenny Holladay and the New Orleans Musicians Clinic.
With Love,
Heather
ps you chose a pic I took when I was 9 mos pregnant, and we used it on Like I Said…