Biography
"Queen Ida" Lewis Guillory (January 15, 1929) is a Louisiana Creole accordionist.
Born Ida Lee Lewis to a musically talented family in Lake Charles, Louisiana, Queen Ida learned to play accordion from her mother after she spent a few years learning the piano. Her family moved to Beaumont, Texas, when she was ten and eight years later moved to San Francisco, California. Her first language is French, and wherever they went, took their Creole culture and music with them.
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In 1988, Queen Ida toured Japan, becoming the first zydeco artist to do so. She toured Africa the following year and in 1990 went to Australia and New Zealand.
On the album Back on the Bayou (1999), Queen Ida got together on the bayou in Louisiana with her brother, Al Rapone, for a zydeco reunion. Rapone often wrote and produced for her and formed the Bon Temps Zydeco Band, which later became Queen Ida's backup group. Doubling up on accordions with her oldest son Myrick "Freeze" Guillory, they are joined by Terry Buddingh on bass, James Santiago on guitar, Bernard Anderson on saxophone, Erik Nielsen on drums, and her youngest daughter Ledra Guillory and son Ron "The Rock" Guillory on rub board and vocals. As "Queen Ida and the Bon Temps Zydeco Band," the ensemble was the musical guest on Saturday Night Live on November 23, 1985, with Paul Reubens as host.
Queen Ida also co-authored a cookbook, Cookin' with Queen Ida in 1990, which featured Creole recipes.
Queen Ida continued to perform live through the 2000s, and though she did not release any albums during this period, she has joined her son Myrick and his band onstage. She officially retired from playing in 2010 and lives in the San Francisco Bay Area, where she enjoys cooking for her friends and family.
Selected discography
1999 Back on the Bayou w/Al Rapone Zydeco GNP Crescendo - GNPD 2265
1995 Cookin' with Queen Ida Zydeco GNP Crescendo - GNPD 2197
1995 On a Saturday Night Zydeco GNP Crescendo - GNPD 2172
1994 Mardi Gras Zydeco GNP Crescendo - GNPD 2227
1990 Zydeco a La Mode Zydeco GNP Crescendo - GNP 2112
1985 Caught in the Act Zydeco GNP Crescendo - GNPD 2181
1983 In San Francisco Zydeco GNP Crescendo - GNPD 2158
1982 The Queen Ida and the Bon Temps Zydeco Band on Tour Zydeco GNP Crescendo - GNPD 2147
1980 The Bon Temps Zydeco Band & Queen Ida in New Orleans' Zydeco GNP Crescendo -
1977 Uptown Zydeco Zydeco GNP Crescendo
1977 Zydeco a la mode Zydeco GNP Crescendo
1976 Play the Zydeco Zydeco GNP Crescendo
Awards
Grammy Awards
Won: 1
Nominations: 4
1980 Best Ethnic or Traditional Recording Queen Ida & the Bon Temps Zydeco Band in New Orleans Zydeco Nominated
1982 Best Ethnic or Traditional Folk Recording Queen Ida and the Bon Temps Zydeco Band on Tour Zydeco Winner
Blues Music Awards
Won: 4
Nominations: 6
Queen Ida Blues Music Awards History
1983 Traditional Blues Female Artist Nominated
1984 Traditional Blues Female Artist Nominated
1988 Traditional Blues Female Artist Nominated
1989 Traditional Blues Female Artist Winner
1990 Traditional Blues Female Artist Winner
1991 Traditional Blues Female Artist Nominated
Biography text from Last.fm, available under CC BY-SA.