1. Wardell Joseph Quezergue was an American composer, arranger, record producer and bandleader, known among New Orleans musicians as the "Creole Beethoven".
19 Facts About Wardell Quezergue
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Wardell Quezergue was a staple of the New Orleans music scene and the recipient of an honorary doctorate in music.
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Wardell Quezergue was influenced by Louis Armstrong, Harry James and Dizzy Gillespie.
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Wardell Quezergue met and married his wife Yoshi Tamaki in Japan.
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Wardell Quezergue started to get work by rearranging popular hits for the local music market.
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Wardell Quezergue emerged as a bandleader in his own right in the mid-1950s with his band the Royal Dukes of Rhythm, and later with Wardell and the Sultans in the late 1950s.
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Wardell Quezergue's bands backed a variety of artists including Otis Redding.
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Wardell Quezergue was the recording secretary and lifelong member of the New Orleans Negro Musicians Union.
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Wardell Quezergue avoided listening to hit songs on the radio because he thought it would bias his creativity.
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Wardell Quezergue associated the melody of the bassline with groove and energy.
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Wardell Quezergue worked on releases by Fats Domino, Earl King and others, including King's signature song "Trick Bag" and Professor Longhair's carnival standard "Big Chief".
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Wardell Quezergue did several stage arrangements for Motown acts including Stevie Wonder.
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Wardell Quezergue arranged two songs for The Dixie Cups, "Iko Iko" and "Chapel of Love" which reached number one on the Pop chart.
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In 2003 Wardell Quezergue produced an album for soul singer-songwriter Will Porter.
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In 2005, by then legally blind, Wardell Quezergue lost his belongings and musical scores in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
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In 2009 Wardell Quezergue received an honorary doctorate in music from Loyola University New Orleans for his commitment to public service and the arts.
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Wardell Quezergue was known for enhancing the careers of others, dedication to teaching, and the development of New Orleans' distinct horn sound.
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In 2010 Wardell Quezergue was inducted into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame.
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Wardell Quezergue died on September 6,2011, in New Orleans at age 81.