By Kathy Chouteau
Around three decades ago in the Iron Triangle, a young boy accompanied his grandparents to “la-la” events they helped organize at St. Mark’s Church, and ever since, Richmond’s musical mix has been infused with a fine slice of French Creole.
Raised by his grandparents, who originally hailed from Louisiana—and with his grandmother leading the way as the family’s “power behind the throne”—Andre Thierry got hooked on the accordion at those 500-to-600-person church events, where Creole music, in some cases referred to as la-la music, reigned supreme. The genre’s musicians spoke to his soul, and at the ripe old age of 10, he began teaching himself how to play the accordion.
Thierry hasn’t stopped playing since and can often be heard performing his “get-up-and-shake-a-leg” music at events throughout Richmond and beyond with his ever-evolving band, “Andre Thierry Accordion Soul Music.”
As the name suggests, Thierry calls his own special brand of music accordion soul music. “Soul music is something that you can feel,” he said, noting that his music is a different evolution of Zydeco and Creole music. He added that he’s grown up in the Bay Area with other musical influences, such as R&B, and he’s “Making it [his] own.”
Today, Thierry’s a 2013 Grammy-nominated musician for Best Regional Roots Music Album, “Nothin’ But The Best,” as part of a collaboration for which he played accordion and the bass.
The Grammy nominee counts Amede Ardoin, Clifton Chenier, Sam Cooke and Jimmi Hendrix as some of his musical influences and said that by the time he turned 12, he formed his own band, “Zydeco Magic.” Another band he was part of, “Creole United,” had the honor of performing at both the Kennedy Center and the Library of Congress.
Thierry has plans for a double album release, “Laugh Now, Cry Later,” with the first record coming out in April and the second in June of 2025. His single, “King Zydeco,” has been released and can be purchased here. To date, the musician has three albums that he’s created himself, and another two with Creole United.
When it comes to gigs, 35 years into his career Thierry said he’s focused on performing at more family friendly events because he believes “there’s a disconnect with children and music.” He said he knows a lot of parents who leave their children home when they go out. But he thinks that if parents “bring them around music, you’re giving them an outlet to get inspired,” and they may take off in music and give you a break without asking.
When Thierry grew up, seeing live bands wasn’t solely a cultural experience tied to his family background, but also the norm. “The invention of the iPod taught these children that music comes out of technology instead of real human beings. So I’m trying to bring that aspect back,” he said about performing at the family friendly events.
So what advice does the master accordion musician have for youth trying to reach his level of success? “Find what calls to you and sit down and take one song at a time,” said the self-taught Thierry. “Don’t rush. Social media is a blessing and a curse…Slow down, take your time and it’s so simple.”
For those wanting to pick up some musical tips from the accordion soul king, Thierry teaches a music program for youth called “Are You Ready to Learn?” Through interactive ways, it shares a mix of African and Native American Blues, French dance melodies, and elements of Afro-Caribbean music using instruments like vest rub boards, drums and the accordion, according to his site.
To book Andre Thierry for a performance, contact [email protected] and for more information, click here.
