Wayne Toups
title: "Wayne Toups" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["people-from-crowley,-louisiana", "cajun-accordionists", "living-people", "1958-births", "musicians-from-louisiana", "american-accordionists", "21st-century-american-accordionists"] topic_path: "arts" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wayne_Toups" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::data[format=table title="Infobox musical artist "]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Wayne Toups |
| image | Wayne Toups (34857173870).jpg |
| caption | Toups in 2017 |
| image_size | 256 |
| background | solo_singer |
| years_active | 1985–present |
| birth_date | |
| origin | Crowley, Louisiana, United States |
| instrument | Accordion |
| genre | Cajun, zydeco, folk, Americana |
| occupation | Musician, accordionist, singer |
| label | Mercury Records Swallow, BTM, Shanachie, Sonet, Valcour Records |
| associated_acts | Wayne Toups and ZydeCajun, Carole King, Delbert McClinton, Jimmy Hall, Tab Benoit, Marcia Ball |
| website | http://waynetoupsmusic.com |
| :: |
| name = Wayne Toups | image = Wayne Toups (34857173870).jpg | alt = | caption = Toups in 2017 | image_size = 256 | background = solo_singer | years_active = 1985–present | birth_date = | origin = Crowley, Louisiana, United States | instrument = Accordion | genre = Cajun, zydeco, folk, Americana | occupation = Musician, accordionist, singer | label = Mercury Records Swallow, BTM, Shanachie, Sonet, Valcour Records | associated_acts = Wayne Toups and ZydeCajun, Carole King, Delbert McClinton, Jimmy Hall, Tab Benoit, Marcia Ball | website = http://waynetoupsmusic.com
Wayne Toups (born October 2, 1958, in Crowley, Louisiana) is one of the most commercially successful American Cajun singers. He is also a songwriter. Wayne Toups has been granted numerous awards and honors throughout his career including 2010 Festivals Acadiens et Créoles dedicated in his name, Offbeat Magazine Album of the Year recipient. Member of The Louisiana Music Hall of Fame, Gulf Coast Hall of Fame, and Cajun French Music Hall of Fame, 55th Annual Grammy Award winner.
Biography
Wayne Toups was born into a family of rice farmers in Crowley, Louisiana. He first picked up an accordion when he was 13 and quickly began winning local accordion contests. He has combined Cajun music, zydeco, R&B, and rock into a genre he calls Zydecajun. He sings in both English and French.
Toups released his first album, Wayne Toups and the Crowley Aces in Europe in the late 1970s. He began gaining popularity in the United States around 1984 when he began performing at local festivals such as the Festivals Acadiens in Lafayette, Louisiana. In 1986 he released his first album, Zydecajun. The Cajun French Music Association's awarded him their "Song of the Year" Award in 1991 for his song "Late in Life." Three of his songs, including wedding favorite "Take My Hand", were featured in the movie Dirty Rice, and some of his work is also featured on the soundtracks for the movie Steel Magnolias and the television show "Broken Badges". He has recorded for the major record labels Mercury/Polygram and Mercury. His 1995 release, Back to the Bayou became the fastest-selling record ever for the independent Louisiana label Swallow Records. Toups has been featured playing the accordion on singles for many country music stars. He appears on the Mark Chesnutt No. 1 hit, "It Sure Is Monday"; on Clay Walker's "Live Laugh Love"; and on Alan Jackson's "Little Bitty". He played with Sammy Kershaw, George Jones, Mark Wills, Garth Brooks, and Ty England.
Toups is often known for wearing bright outfits during his performances. He has toured in over twenty-six countries, including in South America, Canada, Europe and the Far East. He has appeared on MTV and on the Super Bowl XXIV telecast.
Discography
Albums
::data[format=table]
| Year | Single | US | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | "Cajun Paradise" | Sonet | |
| 1986 | Zydecajun | Mercury | |
| 1988 | Johnnie Can't Dance | ||
| 1989 | Blast from the Bayou | 183 | |
| 1991 | Fish Out of Water | ||
| 1992 | Down Home Live! | MTE | |
| 1995 | Back to the Bayou | Swallow | |
| 1997 | Toups | New Blues | |
| 1998 | More Than Just a Little | BTM | |
| 1999 | The Best of Wayne Toups | New Blues | |
| 2000 | Little Wooden Box | Shanachie | |
| 2004 | Whoever Said It Was Easy | ||
| 2005 | Reflections of the Past | D&R | |
| 2008 | The Essential Wayne Toups | New Blues | |
| 2009 | Wayne Toups Live 2009 | Swallow | |
| 2012 | The Band Courtbouillon | Valcour | |
| 2013 | 2013 Live From Jazz Fest | MunchMusic | |
| 2016 | Wayne Toups | Jambalaya Music | |
| :: |
Singles
::data[format=table]
| Year | Single | US Country | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | "Free Me" | 66 | More Than Just a Little |
| :: |
References
References
- (September 25, 2009). "Wayne Toups Is Back To His Roots".
- (November 8, 2000). "Wayne Toups". Encyclopedia of Cajun Culture.
- (November 28, 2017). "55th Annual Grammy Awards Winners". Recording Academy.
- Simpson, David. (January 5, 2003). "Wayne Toups and Zydecajun". Louisiana State University at Eunice.
- "Wayne Toups". Museum of the Gulf Coast.
- Winter, Rose of Sharon. "Wayne Toups:Biography". AllMusic.
- "Living Legends: Wayne Toups". The Acadian Museum in Erath, Louisiana.
- (October 10, 2007). "Wayne Toups – The Zydecajun".
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