Ernie K-Doe -
rhythm & blues [1936 - 2001]
New Orleans rhythm & blues singer Ernie K-Doe is best known for recording
"Mother-In-Law," which was a national number-one hit in 1961. Several of his
other records, including "Hello, My Lover," "T'aint It The Truth,"
and "A Certain Girl," were regional hits in the Gulf South and remain
perennial favorites. During the 1980s K-Doe hosted a radio show on WWOZ-FM in
New Orleans and gained a cult following as an eccentric cultural icon. Such
recognition increased dramatically during the last five years of his life, as
K-Doe became known as "the Emperor of the World" and reigned as the king
of a Mardi Gras parade. His widow, Antoinette K-Doe, continues to operate the
Mother-In-Law Lounge as a shrine to her husband and a meeting place for New
Orleans' musical community.