Lt. Governor Jay Dardenne Reveals Jo-El Sonnier’s ‘The Healing Song’ And Music Video

Wednesday, October 10, 2015 Lt. Governor of Louisiana Jay Dardenne held a press conference at the Acadiana Community Foundation in River Ranch to present the highly anticipated song and video 'The Healing Song'.

Jo-El Sonnier wrote and recorded 'The Healing Song' after the 9/11 tragedies and to this day has never performed it live on stage.  He thought it fitting to revive the song in light of the recent tragedies in our own back yard.  He called in favors from the likes of Charlene Howard, Roddie Romero, Steve Riley, Buckwheat Zydeco, Grammy award winners Wayne Toups, Chubby Carrier, and many more all of whom have a part in this touching song.

I've been in radio for over 35 years, but this is the first time I've ever watched a song born  from just words on a sheet of paper to the finished product.  Today at the press conference, we were treated to the completely finished song and video.  When I was sitting in Dockside Studio in Maurice hearing all these wonderful local artists sing and/or play a piece over and over and over, you really couldn't get a feel as to what the final product would sound like.  So hearing it and SEEING it completed today brought tears to my eyes.

No one was paid on this project.  Not the sound engineer Tony Daigle, not the owners of Dockside Studio, none of the musicians...no one.  That makes this recording and video even that much more special.  All the money this song generates will go to charities here in Acadiana.  The song can be downloaded from iTunes now!

I'm always proud to be Cajun, but today just a little more so.

The Healing Song