Ann Savoy (/sɑːˈvwɑː/ sah-VWAH; née Allen; born January 20, 1952)[1][2] is a musician, author, and record producer.

Ann Savoy
Ann Savoy performing at the Liberty Theater, Eunice, Louisiana, on November 17, 2012.
Savoy performing at the Liberty Theater in Eunice, Louisiana, November 2012
Background information
Birth nameAnn Allen
Born (1952-01-20) January 20, 1952 (age 72)
St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
OriginRichmond, Virginia, U.S.
GenresCajun, folk
Occupation(s)Singer-songwriter, musician, record producer, actress
Instrument(s)Vocals, guitar, accordion, fiddle
Years active1980–present
LabelsVanguard, Arhoolie, Rounder, Memphis
Websiteannsavoy.com

Biography

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Savoy was born in St. Louis, Missouri and raised in Richmond, Virginia.[2] She resides with her husband Marc Savoy and family in Eunice, Southern Louisiana.[3]

As a musician, she performs with her husband accordionist Marc Savoy and fiddler Michael Doucet in the Savoy Doucet Cajun Band. She also has an all-woman band The Magnolia Sisters. She also performs with husband Marc and their sons, Joel and Wilson, in the Savoy Family Band. Most recently, she has put together a Django Reinhardt-style swing band called Ann Savoy and her Sleepless Knights.[3]

Savoy appeared as a musician in the film Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood and was the associate music director of the film All The King's Men, working on this project with T Bone Burnett. She has appeared in many documentaries on the subject of Cajun music including a Les Blank film, entitled Marc and Ann.[citation needed]

As a record producer she produced, among others, the Grammy Award nominated tribute to Cajun music, Evangeline Made: A Tribute to Cajun Music, featuring singers Linda Ronstadt, John Fogerty, Nick Lowe, herself, and other noted musicians.[3]

She is the editor and compiler of Cajun Music: A Reflection of a People, which chronicles the history of Cajun and Zydeco music. Volume one was published in 1984,[4] and volume two was released in 2021.[5] Savoy had put the project on hold while she raised four children and pursued a music career, but the downtime forced by the COVID-19 pandemic plus the encouragement of her grown children allowed her to complete volume two in 2020.[6] Volume one garnered the American Folklore Society's Botkin Book Award, and the documentary film J'etais au bal was based in part on the book.[7]

She has recorded a number of albums. As The Zozo Sisters, she recorded with Linda Ronstadt the Grammy Award-nominated and Billboard-charting CD Adieu False Heart. That album is notable for being Savoy's first time recording in English.[8]

Discography

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Savoy performing in October 2018

Ann Savoy and Her Sleepless Knights

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With Savoy Doucet Cajun Band

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  • Home Music with Spirits (1981) Arhoolie Records
  • Savoy-Doucet Cajun Band (1984) Arhoolie Records
  • With Spirits (1987) Arhoolie Records
  • J'ai Ete au Bal: I Went to the Dance various artists (1989) Arhoolie Records
  • J'ai Ete au Bal: I Went to the Dance video (DVD); various artists (1989) Arhoolie Records
  • Two Step D'Amadé (1993) Arhoolie Records
  • Les Harias: Home Music (1993) Arhoolie Records
  • Live! (1994) Arhoolie Records
  • Cajun Country video (DVD); various artists (1995) Shanachie
  • Aly Meets The Cajuns video (DVD); Aly Bain and others (1998) Whirlie Records
  • Sam's Big Rooster (2000) Arhoolie Records
  • Best of the Savoy Doucet Cajun Band (2002) Arhoolie Records

Magnolia Sisters

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  • Prends Courage (1995) Arhoolie Records
  • Chers Amis (2000) Rounder Records
  • Après Faire Le Boogie Woogie (2004) Rounder
  • Stripped Down (2009) Arhoolie Records

Savoy Family Band

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The Savoy Family Band at Festivals Acadiens et Creoles, October 2018

With others

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References

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  1. ^ "Ann Savoy". Discogs. Retrieved March 5, 2010.
  2. ^ a b Harris, Craig. "Ann Savoy biography". AllMusic. Retrieved February 27, 2024.
  3. ^ a b c Wirt, John (September 5, 2008). "Savoy a key component of La. music". The Advocate. Archived from the original on July 7, 2011. Retrieved January 30, 2011.
  4. ^ Savoy, Ann Allen, ed. (1984). Cajun Music: A Reflection of a People. Vol. 1. Eunice, Louisiana: Bluebird Press. ISBN 9780930169015. OCLC 12422720.
  5. ^ Savoy, Ann Allen, ed. (2021). Cajun Music: A Reflection of a People. Vol. 2. Eunice, Louisiana: Bluebird Press. ISBN 9780930169022. OCLC 1267976066.
  6. ^ Wirt, John (November 27, 2020). "Out of the box: Ann Savoy finally wraps up sequel to her 1984 classic Cajun music book". The Advocate. Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Retrieved November 29, 2020.
  7. ^ Cross, Dominick (October 10, 2019). "Ann Savoy helped blaze a trail for women in Cajun music". The Acadiana Advocate. Retrieved November 29, 2020.
  8. ^ Caffery, Joshua Clegg (July 26, 2006). "Songbird Sisters: South Louisiana's Ann Savoy teams up with pop icon Linda Ronstadt for their new CD, Adieu False Heart". The Independent. Lafayette, LA. Archived from the original on September 28, 2007. Retrieved October 21, 2018.
  9. ^ a b c "Valcour Records". Valcour Records. Retrieved November 21, 2019.
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