Chris Ardoin

Christopher Ardoin, born April 7, 1981, in Lake Charles, Louisiana, is an American musician known for his role as a zydeco accordionist and singer. He began playing the accordion at age two, growing up in a musical family that included his father Lawrence Ardoin and grandfather Bois Sec Ardoin. At ten, with help from his father, he formed the Double Clutchin' Zydeco band with his older brother Sean on drums. Their debut album That's Da Lick was released in 1994 under the Maison de Soul label. In 2005, Ardoin changed the band name to NuStep and released several albums including M.V.P. (2006), V.I.P (2008), and Alter Ego (2009). He was involved in two notable shooting incidents during performances in 2021 and 2025, which led him to perform only at indoor venues he deemed safe. Ardoin's discography includes albums like Unleashed (2012), Back Home (2014), and Zydeko Fever (2015).