Luke Collins
Born in 1939 near Basile, Louisiana, Luke Collins worked farm fields at sixteen while dreaming of becoming a radio DJ. Despite early rejections from major stations due to his regional accent, he completed a six-month correspondence course in broadcasting and persistently lobbied KEUN manager Karl Derouen for airtime.
In 1981, he launched the Luke Collins Black Zydeco Special on KEUN in Eunice, Louisiana, creating one of commercial radio’s earliest programs dedicated exclusively to zydeco. He told this story to Michael Tisserand; it appears in the book Kingdom of Zydeco.
I reprint this photo in my own book, but it comes from Tisserand. (Thanks Mike!)
Station policy required Collins to conduct the program in French, showcasing his signature catchphrase “Hey Zydeco Man—foot-stomping good time” and a distinctive wheezy laugh. Dubbed “the Godfather of Zydeco Radio,” by DJ Todd Ortego, the name stuck. Collins served as a vital cultural ambassador, inspiring future accordion masters like Keith Frank and Terrence Simien.
Local journalist and DJ Herman Fuselier wrote a number of articles that were critical research for this chapter of my book.
Here’s something he wrote (May 19, 1994) in the Daily World, the main newspaper for Opelousas.
Following his wife Verdine’s passing, Collins returned to the airwaves on KVPI with co-host Lorina Randall on the L & L Zydeco Show. Over his two-decade career, he broadcast across multiple regional outlets, including KSLO, KJCB, and KNEK (“Zydeco 1190”). Although abruptly locked out of KNEK in 1998 during corporate consolidation, Collins rejoined KSLO, where he remained an influential force until his death in 2004.
Some great video of Luke Collins – Jump to the 22 min mark. Collins was at KVPI when this segment aired on TV.