Wilson Savoy

{{Infobox musical artist

|name = Wilson Savoy

|image = WilsonSavoy.jpg

|caption = A fan with Wilson Savoy in June 2008

|background = solo_singer

|birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1982|02|01}}

|origin = Eunice, Louisiana, United States

|instrument = Cajun accordion, keyboards, fiddle, vocals

|genre = Cajun, folk

|occupation = Musician

|years_active = 2000–present

|label = Rounder, Swallow, Valcour

|associated_acts= The Band Courtbouillon, Pine Leaf Boys, Savoy Family Band, Lost Bayou Ramblers

}}

Wilson Allen Savoy (born February 1, 1982, in Eunice, Louisiana) is a Grammy winning accordionist, keyboard player, fiddler and singer with the Cajun bands Pine Leaf Boys and The Band Courtbouillon, as well as a local filmmaker in Lafayette, LA. His father Marc Savoy, famous accordion builder and musician, and his mother, Ann Savoy, musician, author and music producer,{{cite news|last=Himes|first=Geoffrey|year=2007|title=Cajun Sound, Rock 'n' Roll Energy|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/04/arts/music/04hime.html|newspaper=The New York Times}} are well known ambassadors and supporters of preserving the Cajun culture.

History

Wilson Savoy was born in Eunice and began his musical career in 2000 with the Savoy Family Band (consisting of his father Marc, mother Ann, and brother Joel Savoy). Since 2000 he has also operated Almena Pictures, a film company specializing in band documentaries and music videos.{{cite web|url=http://almenapictures.com/|title=Almena Films:Lafayette, Louisiana|accessdate=2011-03-15}} In 2004 he joined the Red Stick Ramblers from Baton Rouge, Louisiana and in 2005 formed his own band, the Pine Leaf Boys. In 2006 he and his brother Joel (a fiddle player, cofounder of Valcour Records and also a former member of the Red Stick Ramblers) were instrumental in starting the annual Faquetigue Courir de Mardi Gras as an alternative to the main Eunice event. They felt that the other local runs had gotten too rowdy and lost too much of their authentic traditions. The run has become one of the most musically based on the various versions of the courir.{{Cite news|title=Party Girl|url=http://www.theind.com/party-girl/1776-|date=2006-03-07|accessdate=2011-03-09|publisher=The Independent Weekly|archive-date=July 17, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110717003600/http://www.theind.com/party-girl/1776-|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|url=http://worldmusic.about.com/od/northamerican/ss/MardiGrasPhotos_4.htm|title=Traditional Cajun Mardi Gras Musician Pictures|last=Romer|first=Megan|accessdate=2011-03-09|archive-date=June 15, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110615010712/http://worldmusic.about.com/od/northamerican/ss/MardiGrasPhotos_4.htm|url-status=dead}} Also in 2006, he recorded a collection of 1930's era songs and classic Cajun Swing music with fellow traditional Cajun act the Lost Bayou Ramblers titled Mello Joy Boys: Une Tasse Cafe.{{cite web|url= http://www.lostbayouramblers.com/store.asp|title=Lost Bayou Ramblers|accessdate=2011-03-15}} In 2008 the Pine Leaf Boys were nominated for a Grammy Award for their 2007 album Blues de Musicien, released on Arhoolie Records. Fellow nominees that year were Geno Delafose, Roddie Romero, Lost Bayou Ramblers, the Racines and the winner of the Grammy Terrance Simien and the Zydeco Experience.{{cite web|url=http://www.zydecoandcajunmusic.org/|title=Cajun and Zydeco Music...At the Grammys|accessdate=2011-03-15}}{{cite web|url=http://worldmusic.about.com/od/newsarticles/a/2008GrammyNoms_2.htm|title=2008 Grammy Nominees in the World Music Categories|accessdate=2011-03-15|archive-date=July 7, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110707075138/http://worldmusic.about.com/od/newsarticles/a/2008GrammyNoms_2.htm|url-status=dead}} In 2010 and 2011, Savoy appeared as himself in three episodes of the HBO series Treme.{{cite journal|journal=OffBeat|url=http://offbeat.com/2010/04/01/hbos-treme-to-tell-the-truth/|title=HBO'S TREME: TO TELL THE TRUTH|author=Alex Rawls|date=2010-04-01|accessdate=2011-05-30}}{{cite web |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1279972/fullcredits/?ref_=tt_ov_st_sm |title=Treme (2010-2013): Full Cast & Crew |author= |date=2018 |website=www.imdb.com|access-date=2018-10-21}} In 2013 the eponymous debut album of The Band Courtbouillion, featuring Savoy, Steve Riley and Wayne Toups won the Grammy Award in the Best Regional Roots Music Album category.{{cite web |url=https://www.grammy.com/grammys/artists/wilson-savoy |title=Grammy Award Results for Wilson Savoy |author= |date=2018 |website=www.grammy.com |publisher=The Recording Academy |access-date=October 21, 2018}}

Discography

File:SavoyFamilyBand2018.jpg

File:Wilson and Joel Savoy 2018.jpg

2004 Savoy-Michot Cajun Band: L'autre bord de l'eau
2004 Church Point Aces avec Paul Daigle et Mitch Reed: Together At Last for the Last Time
2004 Red Stick Ramblers: Right Key, Wrong Keyhole (Rounder Records)
2006 Lost Bayou Ramblers: Mello Joy Boys: Une Tasse Cafe (Swallow Records)
2007 Ann Savoy & Her Sleepless Knights: If Dreams Come True (Memphis Records)
2011 The Band Courtbouillion: The Band Courtbouillion (Valcour Records){{cite web |url=http://www.valcourrecords.com/ |publisher=Valcour Records |title=Valcour Records |accessdate=2019-11-21}}
2013 Joel Savoy: Joel Savoy's Honky Tonk Merry-Go-Round (Valcour Records)
2015 various artists: I Wanna Sing Right: Rediscovering Lomax in the Evangeline Country four-EP set (Valcour Records)

Awards

=Grammy Awards=

Year !width="220"\|Nominated work !width="325"\|Award !width="65"\|Result !Ref.
class="wikitable sortable"
align="center"\|2008	Blues de Musicien	Best Zydeco or Cajun Music Album	{{nom}}	align="center"\|
align="center"\|2009	Homage Au Passé	Best Zydeco or Cajun Music Album	{{nom}}	align="center"\|
align="center"\|2010	Live At 2009 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival	Best Zydeco or Cajun Music Album	{{nom}}	align="center"\|
align="center"\|2011	Back Home	Best Zydeco or Cajun Music Album	{{nom}}	align="center"\|
align="center"\|2013	The Band Courtbouillon	Best Regional Roots Music Album	{{won}}	align="center"\|