Pierre Dewey LaFontaine Jr. was born in New Orleans in 1930 and took up the clarinet as a child. By his teens he was already performing professionally, and in the early 1950s he came to national attention as a member of the Dukes of Dixieland, one of the era's most popular traditional jazz bands.
Fountain's career accelerated dramatically after his appearances on The Lawrence Welk Show in the late 1950s, which brought him to a massive national television audience. His warm, singing clarinet tone and easy swing made him immediately appealing to audiences far beyond the jazz world.
He operated Pete Fountain's Club on Bourbon Street for decades, one of the city's great jazz destinations. His recordings for Coral Records in the 1950s and 1960s produced a string of popular albums that made him one of the best-selling jazz musicians in America. His friendship and musical partnership with Al Hirt produced some memorable recordings and performances.
Fountain was a devoted New Orleanian who organized his own Mardi Gras marching club and marched every year until late in his life. He died in 2016, having spent his career bringing joy to audiences worldwide with the warm sound of his New Orleans clarinet.
