Antoinette K-Doe

The top photo is Ernie and Antoinette K-Doe’s wedding photo. It hangs over the fireplace mantel in our bedroom. It was a wedding present from the late Kelly Keller. It was through Kelly I met the K-Does, fellow New Orleans bar owners. They owned the Mother In Law Lounge at 1500 Clairborne, one of the coolest joints I’ve ever been in. Ernie of course was a great New Orleans R&B singer responsible for such classics as Mother In Law, Tain’t It The Truth, et al. Ernie passed away in 2001. They were true New Orleans royalty (and the best dressed people I’ve ever encountered) and I’m honored to have known them. Antoinette died today of a heart attack. As Mardis Gras gathers steam until it’s final blow out on Fat Tuesday bar owners get less and less sleep and are usually awake from Sat. night until Tues afternoon, it could wear out anyone, and Miss Antoinette, who rebuilt the Mother In Law Lounge after Katrina seems to have just worn her self out. She was one of the best and funniest people I ever met. I remember when Kelly was still alive, once a week she and Antoinette would hit the thrifts stores on the outskirts of New Orleans and I tagged along on several of these junkets. They were some of the most fun times I’ve ever had. Antoinette was not only funny, warm, and down to earth, she made the best beans and rice I’ve ever eaten.
New Orleans will never be the same without her. R.I.P.