Clifton Chenier (June 25, 1925 – December 12, 1987), a Creole French-speaking native of Opelousas, Louisiana, was an eminent performer and recording artist of Zydeco, which arose from Cajun and Creole music, with R&B, jazz, and blues influences. He played the accordion and won a Grammy Award in 1983. In 1984 he was honored as a National Heritage Fellow in 1989 was inducted posthumously into the Blues Hall of Fame, in 2011, The Louisiana Music Hall Of Fame, and in 2014, a Grammy recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award.

He was known as the 'King of Zydeco', and also billed as the 'King of the South'.