Background
Sonnier was born to French-speaking sharecroppers in Rayne, Louisiana.
Sonnier was born to French-speaking sharecroppers in Rayne, Louisiana.
Originally signed to Mercury Nashville Records, Sonnier charted several minor singles on the Billboard country charts in the late 1970s. By the late 1980s, he had signed to Radio Corporation of America Records, breaking through with the Top Ten hits "Number More One More Time" and a cover of Richard Thompson"s "Tear Stained Letter". Although his chart success waned by the late 1980s, he has continued recording music
He has recorded more than thirty albums, primarily on independent labels.
At age three, he began to play his brother"s accordion. By age six, Sonnier had performed on the radio.
At age eleven, he made his first recordings. He also released several independent singles and four albums as a teenager.
By the 1970s, he was signed to Mercury Nashville Records, but without much success in the country music field
Sonnier temporarily abandoned his pursuit of a country music career in favor of recording Cajun music on the independent Rounder Records label. After being signed as Merle Haggard"s opening act, Sonnier later decided to return to country music He was signed to Radio Corporation of America Records in the 1980s, where his biggest successes came in the singles "Number More One More Time" and a cover of British singer Richard Thompson"s "Tear Stained Letter", songs which landed in the Top Ten on the country charts.
In the 1990s, Sonnier moved to Capitol Records, but his solo career faltered soon afterwards.
He continued to find success as a session musician, and briefly took up acting as well. In the late 1990s, he returned to Rounder Records to record Cajun music once more, occasionally collaborating with Michael Doucet of BeauSoleil.
Sonnier also saw his second Grammy nomination, for the 1997 album Cajun Pride. A third soon followed with 2001"s Cajun Blood being nominated for Best Traditional Folk Album.
In 2009, Sonnier was inducted into The Louisiana Music Hall of Fame.
December 10th, 2013 saw the release of (Takau Records) and was the first traditional Cajun French album of his in over 13 years.
Sonnier made a brief cameo appearance as a member of a dance band in the third episode of the first season of the Home Box Office crime series True Detective, which is set in southern Louisiana.