Zydeco guitarist, Paul Sinegal dies

17th June 2019   ·   0 Comments

By Geraldine Wyckoff
Contributing Writer

Lafayette, Louisiana native, Paul “Lil’ Buck” Sinegal gained recognition as being a hugely talented “zydeco guitarist” while performing with the legends of the genre, accordionists Clifton Chenier, Buckwheat Zydeco and Rockin’ Dopsie. In his early career and later when he led his own bands, Sinegal was known for his always tasty blues chops. Lil’ Buck Sinegal, who was once quoted as saying, “Zydeco is the blues,” died on Monday, June 10, 2019 at the age of 75.

“He was the first zydeco guitarist I ever heard,” says C.J. Chenier, whose experience with Sinegal dates back to 1978 when C.J. began playing saxophone with his father’s group, Clifton Chenier & the Red Hot Louisiana Band. “He was one of the pioneers of the zydeco guitar sound. He was also a great blues guy because my daddy played a lot of blues and he needed someone like Buck with him because it all went together. He was an all around natural.”

Sinegal began playing with the King of Zydeco Clifton Chenier in 1969 and continued to hold down the guitar position in the Red Hot Band for 14 years. “He was a great accompanist because he knew exactly what to play and when to play it,” C.J. said. “He stayed in the pocket until he was called on to do what he had to do.”

In the 1950s, prior to his tenure with Chenier, Sinegal performed with an array of artists, including vocalists Lee Dorsey, Joe Tex and Carol Fran. He went on to become a session man for the Excello label recording with notables like Slim Harpo and Lazy Lester. It’s been written that Lil’ Buck’s guitar was heard on some 300 recordings including those from his zydeco years with Chenier, Buckwheat and Rockin’ Dopsie. In 1986, he was with Dopsie and the Zydeco Twisters on Paul Simon’s Grammy-winning release, Graceland.

In 1999, Sinegal stepped up to put out an album as leader, The Buck Stops Here with music written with and produced by Allen Toussaint. His exciting sophomore release, Bad Situation, hit the shelves in 2013 and furthered Buck’s reputation as a songwriter.

“He developed himself as a lead man after he stopped playing with the zydeco musicians,” C.J. offers, adding that Buck very rarely sang unless he was doing his own shows. “He would get in front of that mic and do his thing – singing and playing like all get out.”

This Jazz Fest, Sinegal, who had performed at the festival annually since 1970, showed both sides of musical persona, performing with C.J. on the Fais Do-Do stage in a tribute to Clifton and the next weekend headlining in the Blues Tent teamed with Ironing Board Sam.

“He was a real mellow fellow, he liked to joke around and clown a lot,” says C.J. who was Buck’s roommate when Clifton was on the road. “He would laugh all the time about everything. Yeah, he was really a gentle person until you crossed him the wrong way and then he would really let you have it,” C.J. adds laughing at the memory. “He taught me a lot – how to live on the road, how to maintain myself and not get in trouble.”

He was the go-to guy – always good.”

This article originally published in the June 17, 2019 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.