Loading details…
Artist
Rockin' Sidney
12+ albums
zydecocajunlouisianablueszydeco blues
about
Rockin' Sidney Simien (9 April 1938–25 February 1998) was an American R&B, Zydeco, and soul musician who began recording in the late 1950s and continued performing until his death. Biography Rockin' Sidney was a long-time zydeco musician who played almost every style of music, from Caribbean beats to blues.[citation needed] His credits included "No Good Woman", "You Ain't Nothing But Fine", "Tell Me", and his biggest hit, "My Toot Toot", which became a worldwide hit. Simien was born into a sharecropper's family in the tiny farming community of Lebeau, St. Landry Parish, Louisiana. Sidney took up the guitar at an early age. He started his musical career at age 14 or 15 playing harmonica and guitar. His first gig was as backup for his uncle Frank Simien. By Sidney's late teens, he was leading his own band as Sidney Simien and His All Stars, which included several members of his family. In 1957, at the age of 18, he recorded his first side, "Make Me Understand," on the short-lived Carl label. "No Good Woman" became a small hit in Louisiana in 1962, while the flip side, "You Ain't Nothing But Fine" brought him his first national attention as a songwriter. The Fabulous Thunderbirds recorded the song on their debut album. After that, Sidney recorded "She's My Morning Coffee" / "Calling You" on the Jin label. Although his real success came from zydeco, Sidney did not start out playing the accordion or Cajun music. Heavily influenced by local musicians such as Slim Harpo and Cook
