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Queen Ida (9/1/1988)

February 24, 2023, 11:00 pm

Queen Ida Concert Ticket, c. 1993 (Courtesy of Sarah Stierch)

The joyful dance rhythms of Zydeco were born in southern Louisiana from a fusion of Afro-Caribbean and French Arcadian traditions. This music has a great champion in accordion player, band leader, and Grammy-Award winner, and acclaimed chef, “Queen” Ida Guillory. When Queen Ida and Studs Terkel spoke in WFMT’s studios in 1988, they discussed the roots of this unique American genre, and more.

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Meet the Host

Studs Terkel (1912-2008) radically redefined the concept of radio interviews. For 45 years starting in 1952, WFMT was his homebase. His daily radio show was a pillar of WFMT’s programming, with its eclectic and astute mix of music and conversation. Studs juxtaposed interviews with the many of the 20th century’s most significant figures with the voices of uncelebrated, working people from Chicago. As a Pulitzer Prize-winning author, Studs helped established oral history as a popular and socially ambitious literary genre. Some of his titles include: Division Street, Hard Times, Working, Race and And They All Sang (Adventures of an Eclectic Disc Jockey). Studs was also a recipient of the National Book Award.

Midday with Lisa Flynn

Midday with Lisa Flynn

Queen Ida (9/1/1988)