SAN DIEGO — San Diego's four-day Gator by the Bay festival will celebrate its 21st anniversary Thursday through Sunday with more than 100 performances celebrating an array of homegrown American roots-music styles.

The lineup features Western swing and rockabilly (Deke Dickerson, Rosie Flores), zydeco (Geno Delafose & French Rockin' Boogie, Jeffery Broussard & the Creole Cowboys), blues (Tommy Castro, Whitney Shay), rock (the Farmers, Ash Easton) and Latin (the Manny Cepeda Orchestra, the 12-woman Sabrosas Latin Orchestra).

The lineup also showcases country (James Intveld, 2024 San Diego Music Awards-winner Kimmi Bitter), Americana (Jeff Berkley & the Banned, Farm Truck), New Orleans-styled brass bands (Euphoria Brass Band, Chunky Hustle Brass Band), boogie-woogie (Sue Palmer & the Rhythm Riveters), Celtic rock (Ass Pocket Whiskey Fellas) and more.

One of the likely highlights will be a centennial tribute — albeit one year early — to zydeco-music king Clifton Chenier. His propulsive, dance-happy fusion of Louisiana Creole dance music with blues, swing, R&B, country and more set an enduring and highly influential standard. He was also instrumental in the creation of the frottoir, the corrugated metallic rub board vest that is played with metal bottle openers, thimbles or spoons.

A masterful accordionist, impassioned singer and innovative arranger and band leader, Clifton Chenier died in 1987 at the age of 62. He will be honored Friday at Gator — which promotes itself as "Mardi Gras in May" — by a formidable triumvirate of artists.

Topping the bill is his son, accordionist, singer and saxophonist CJ Chenier. He will lead the latest iteration of the aptly named Red Hot Louisiana Band, which his father founded in the 1960s. Its lineup now features former San Diego blues guitar ace Billy Thompson.

They'll be joined Friday by two special guests with a deep affinity for the elder Chenier's music, Sonny Landreth and Marcia Ball.

In the 1970s, Louisiana slide-guitar master Landreth became the first white musician to join the elder Chenier's band, which also featured a young CJ Chenier. Landreth and CJ Chenier were also band mates in the group Bayou Rhythm.

Louisiana pianist and singer Marcia Ball has often performed with CJ Chenier & the Red Hot Louisiana Band. Her 1985 album, "Hot Tamale Baby," takes its title from Clifton Chenier's classic song of the same name.

"Clifton was the full package and he essentially created this whole genre — zydeco — all on his own," said Landreth, whose many other collaborators have included John Hiatt, Dr. John, Little Feat and Ann-Margret.

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