Jo-El Sonnier, the Cajun country singer whose Grammy Award-winning career chronicled the trials and tribulations of Southern Americans, passed away at the age of 77 after delivering a final performance that drew a standing ovation.
Sonnier spent Saturday performing for a sold-out show at the Llano Country Opry in Llano, Texas before his health troubles began. A representing from Heart of Texas Records, which owns the Opry, described the singer’s final moments charming fans before a sudden heart attack set in.
“Jo-El Sonnier had just completed an incredible show at the Llano Country Opry in Llano, Texas,” Tracy Pitcox wrote on Facebook according to the Daily Caller. “He had entertained over an hour and ended with his signature ‘Tear Stained Letter’. He received a standing ovation and I asked him to do ‘Jambalaya’ as an encore.
With the 90s came a wave of country music grounded in the rock ‘n’ roll of earlier decades, leaving Sonnier and his contemporaries behind. He dabbled in acting for a time, taking small roles in films such as Mask, They All Laughed, and A Thing Called Love. The later half of his career saw his return to Cajun music, which ultimately earned him a Grammy in 2015 for Best Regional Roots Music Album with his release of “The Legacy”.
He was inducted into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame in 2009 and collected five Grammy nods over the course of his 57-year career.
