On April 19th, the Capitol Park Museum in Baton Rouge will open a new exhibition celebrating the life and musical legacy of one of Louisiana's most influential musicians, Professor Longhair.
The Professor Longhair Centennial is a tribute to a man who shaped the landscape of New Orleans music and American music as a whole.
Professor Longhair is one of the seminal music figures in New Orleans, but also in American music and rock and roll.
He was born in Washington Parish, Louisiana, in 1918. It is said that his distinctive style of piano came about as a result of learning to play on an instrument that was missing several keys.
Though he had one national hit in 1950, called Big Head, he is better known for classic New Orleans songs such as "Go to the Mardi Gras" and "Big Chief".
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A 3-D recreation of a life-sized bust of the musician is one of the artifacts that Me Got Fiyo uses to tell Professor Longhair's story. The music club made famous by Fess is located at the entrance to Tipitina.
Kunian says that you can't play New Orleans piano, really New Orleans music without him. You can play any kind of music around here.
There is an exhibition at the Capitol Park Museum. Entrance is $7 for adults, $6 for students, senior citizens, and members of the military with ID, and free for children 6 and under. There are several other programs at the museum, including a Women in the Blues panel discussion on April 21.
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