Geno Delafose — "The Creole Cowboy" — is one of zydeco's finest accordionists and the son of the late zydeco great John Delafose. Born in Eunice, Louisiana in 1971, he joined his father's Eunice Playboys at eight, working the rubboard before taking up the accordion in the early nineties. His 1994 debut French Rockin' Boogie set the template for his nouveau zydeco: singing in French and English over a tight, modern dance band.
The records kept coming — That's What I'm Talkin' About! (1996), La Chanson Perdue (1998), Everybody's Dancin' (2003) — and in 2007 Le Cowboy Creole earned him a Grammy nomination for Best Zydeco or Cajun Music Album. His band, Geno Delafose & French Rockin' Boogie, is a family-grade unit: Popp Esprite on bass, Dale Patrick Stelly on guitar, Demetric Thomas on rubboard and vocals, and Germaine Jack on drums.
When he is not on the road, Geno works his Double D Ranch near Eunice, raising cattle and quarter horses. He plays the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and the French Quarter Festival circuit regularly — and his catalog is on Spotify, where the records keep finding new dancers.
