Queen Ida

Biography

Ida Lewis Guillory, known professionally as "Queen Ida," was born on January 15, 1929, in Lake Charles, Louisiana, into a family of Creole rice farmers.[3][4] She grew up speaking French and was exposed to music from an early age, though her parents discouraged girls from playing accordion, viewing it as a masculine instrument.[1][7] When Ida was eighteen, her family relocated to San Francisco to pursue work in the shipyards, joining the wave of Louisiana emigrants seeking economic opportunity in California.[5][7] After marrying Raymond Guillory, she raised three children and worked as a school bus driver, putting her musical aspirations on hold during her early adult years.[5][7]

Queen Ida's musical career began unexpectedly in her forties when boredom and a chance encounter with Creedence Clearwater Revival's music—which reminded her of zydeco—inspired her to retrieve her accordion from storage.[6][7] She began practicing alone at home, gradually building confidence, and eventually started sitting in with her brother Al Lewis's band in the early 1970s.[1][5] Her breakthrough came in 1975 when she performed at a San Francisco church Mardi Gras celebration and was crowned "Queen Ida" by a local reporter.[6][8] This late-blooming rise proved transformative; she became the first woman to lead a zydeco band, earning instant acclaim for her rough, amber voice, sprightly instrumental style, and warm personality.[1][2] Throughout the late 1970s and 1980s, Queen Ida and her Bon Temps Zydeco Band achieved significant recognition, performing at prestigious venues including the San Francisco Blues Festival, Monterey Jazz Festival, and Saturday Night Live in 1985.[2][4]

Queen Ida's musical legacy extends beyond performance into cultural preservation and culinary arts. Her zydeco sound blended R&B, Caribbean influences, and Cajun traditions while maintaining authentic accordion-driven roots.[3] She actively mentored the next generation, recruiting her oldest son Myrick "Freeze" Guillory as percussionist and second accordion player in her band.[1] Queen Ida continued performing through the 2000s before officially retiring in 2010, with one of her accordions now housed in the National Museum of African American Music in Nashville, Tennessee.[3] She also co-authored the cookbook "Cookin' with Queen Ida" (1990, revised 1995), featuring Creole recipes and reflecting her role as both a cultural ambassador and keeper of Louisiana traditions.[3]

Fun Facts

• Queen Ida didn't take up the accordion seriously until her 30s and performed in public for the first time at age 44, making her an exceptionally late-blooming musical talent.[1]
• She practiced accordion while waiting to drive schoolchildren back from field trips during her work as a school bus driver, turning downtime into productive musical development.[6]
• Queen Ida was inspired to return to the accordion after hearing Creedence Clearwater Revival on the radio, recognizing the similarity between their bass sound and traditional zydeco music.[7]
• She appeared as a musical guest on Saturday Night Live on November 23, 1985, with Paul Reubens as host, bringing zydeco to a national television audience.[4]

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• Ida's Mother (Elvina Lewis) - Brought accordion from Louisiana to California; introduced Ida to the instrument and Creole musical traditions (Family accordion practice and musical heritage) [Late 1940s onward]
• Al Lewis (Al Rapone) - Ida's brother who taught her accordion and invited her to perform with his band; primary musical mentor (Al Lewis's Barbary Coast Good Time Band) [1973-1975 onward]
• Clifton Chenier - Zydeco's founding father and master performer; inspired Ida through live performance at Bay Area show in early 1970s (Live zydeco performances) [Early 1970s]

Key Collaborators

• Myrick 'Freeze' Guillory - Ida's oldest son; percussionist and second accordion player in her band (Queen Ida and the Bon Temps Zydeco Band) [1970s-2010]
• Wilbert Lewis - Ida's older brother; played rubboard (metal-ridged rhythm instrument) in her band (Queen Ida and the Bon Temps Zydeco Band) [1970s-2010]
• Ledra Guillory and Ron 'The Rock' Guillory - Ida's youngest daughter and son; performed on rub board and vocals (Queen Ida and the Bon Temps Zydeco Band) [1980s-2010]
• Terry Buddingh, James Santiago, Bernard Anderson, Erik Nielsen - Band members on bass, guitar, saxophone, and drums respectively (Queen Ida and the Bon Temps Zydeco Band) [1980s-2010]

Artists Influenced

• Subsequent generations of zydeco musicians - Pioneered the role of women in zydeco as bandleader and accordion player; mentored her son Myrick Guillory (Queen Ida and the Bon Temps Zydeco Band recordings and live performances) [1975-2010]

Discography

Albums

Top Tracks

1. Medicine
2. Butterflies
3. Come Closer (feat. Queen Naija) (Hoodie SZN)
4. Karma
5. Butterflies Pt. 2 (missunderstood)
6. What’s My Name (with Queen Naija & Coi Leray) (B.I.B.L.E.)
7. Hate Our Love (with Big Sean)
8. Mama's Hand
9. Missing You
10. Pack Lite (missunderstood)

External Links

• Spotify
• [Wikipedia](Not found in search results)