Dwayne Dopsie

Biography

Dwayne Rubin, better known as Dwayne Dopsie, was born on March 3, 1979, in Lafayette, Louisiana, as the last of eight children in one of the most influential zydeco families. He attributes his musical talents to his father, Rockin' Dopsie Sr., a pioneer of zydeco music, and began playing the accordion at age seven after initially showing interest in the washboard. Teaching himself by watching videos of his father and Clifton Chenier, recording himself, and practicing relentlessly, Dwayne dropped out of high school after his father's death in 1993 to pursue music full-time.[1][3][4][5][7]

At age 19 in 1999, Dwayne founded Dwayne Dopsie and the Zydeco Hellraisers and was crowned 'America's Hottest Accordionist' by the American Accordion Association. He has since developed a high-energy zydeco style blending traditional roots with blues, funk, rock, pop, and reggae, defying stereotypes and earning acclaim as the 'Jimi Hendrix of the accordion' from Rolling Stone. The band has performed in 40 countries, appeared on Good Morning America, CBS This Morning, and other media, and won multiple Offbeat Magazine Awards for best accordion, zydeco artist, band, and album.[1][2][3][4][6]

Dopsie's achievements include Grammy nominations in 2017 and 2018 for Best Regional Roots Music Album, a 2023 Grammy win, and contributions to projects like 'Louisiana Rising' with Harry Connick Jr. and Randy Jackson. His music, described as aggressive, powerful, and pure blues, reflects over 100 years of combined band experience and continues his family's zydeco legacy.[1][2][5][8]

Fun Facts

• Crowned 'America's Hottest Accordionist' at age 19 after winning a national competition hosted by the American Accordion Association[2][3].
• Rolling Stone called him 'the Jimi Hendrix of the accordion'[1].
• Taught himself accordion by obsessively recording and rewatching videos of his father and Clifton Chenier[4][7].
• Performed in 40 countries and featured on shows like Good Morning America, CBS This Morning, Travel Channel, and Food Network[1][8].

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• Rockin' Dopsie Sr. - Father and primary musical influence, pioneer of zydeco (Learned by watching father's videos) [Childhood, started accordion at age 7 (1986 onward)]
• Clifton Chenier - Stylistic influence, watched videos to self-teach accordion (Zydeco technique development) [Childhood self-training]

Key Collaborators

• Zydeco Hellraisers - His band, accordionist and vocalist (Albums like 'Been Good to You' (2012), live CD (2011), 'Top of the Mountain' (2017)) [1999-present]
• Harry Connick Jr. and Randy Jackson - Performed together for flood relief ('Rollercoaster' on 'Louisiana Rising') [2016]
• Blues Traveler (John Popper) - Shared stage (Memorable gig in Montana) [Undated, career highlight]

External Links

• Spotify
• Wikipedia
• MusicBrainz