Warren Storm

Warren Storm entered the world in Abbeville, Louisiana, on February 18, 1937, and soon established himself as a foundational figure in swamp pop. He launched his professional path at age 12 by substituting for his father, the drummer in the Cajun ensemble Rayne-Bo Ramblers, then moved on to the country outfit Larry Brasso's Rhythm-Aires and afterward spent time in the Herb Landry Band. Beyond leading his own ensemble, the We-Wows, he earned recognition as one of southern Louisiana's premier session drummers. His first solo outing arrived in 1958 via the single "The Prisoner's Song," which moved a quarter-of-a-million copies and blended R&B, country, Cajun, and Creole elements in a manner that foreshadowed the south Louisiana swamp pop sound. In 1962 he joined regional icons Rod Bernard and Skip Stewart to create the Shondells, after which he issued a succession of solo singles and albums such as 1977's Boppin' Tonight, 1992's Night After Night, and 1999's Live and in the Studio. Storm partnered with saxophonist Willie Tee in 1980 to launch the group Cypress; although the band folded in 1984, the pair maintained their partnership until 1994. He joined the Louisiana supergroup Lil Band O' Gold for a period beginning in 1998, then reunited with Willie Tee to revive Cypress in 2004, issuing an album four years later. Warren Storm succumbed to heart failure on September 7, 2021, at the age of 84.