Christopher Forest Stafford passed away on May 2, 2024, at the early age of 36, removing one of the brightest stars from Louisiana’s musical constellation. A child prodigy and multi-instrumentalist hailed from an early age as one of the region’s most promising talents, he was revered for his mastery of traditional instruments and styles, as well as his ability to innovate and reinvent his musical heritage from within. 

Stafford first gained renown for his collaborations with fellow child prodigy and lifelong friend Chris Segura, with whom he founded La Bande Feufollet, one of Cajun music’s best-known and most well-respected groups. Despite their youth, Feufollet earned an early reputation for sterling musicianship, a deep and wide command of traditional styles, as well as a tendency to push the boundaries of tradition with taste and finesse. With various incarnations of Feufollet as expressions of his creativity in Cajun music, Chris toured the world, often with his younger brother Mike on drums, made many Grammy-nominated albums, and essentially blew peoples’ minds for 25 years. He was scheduled to perform with Feufollet at the New Orleans Jazz Fest on Saturday, May 4, 2024. 

Beyond his incredible talents, Chris is remembered for being a kind, loving, and humble person, both on stage and off. Anyone who knew him well knew that his kindness, humility, curiosity, and intelligence were intertwined with his musical genius, from the time he was a young boy to the day he left the earth. He will be remembered for being a devoted son to his adoring mother Lisa, a loving brother to Mike and Elise, and an inspiration to the many musicians who shared stage or studio with him, not to mention the many fans and admirers his music reached across cultures and across national and international boundaries.