Amédé Ardoin (March 11, 1898 – November 3, 1942)[2] was an American musician, known for his high singing voice and virtuosity on German-made one-row diatonic button accordions.

His music and playing greatly inspired post-World War II Cajun accordion makers such as Marc Savoy.

Developing his musical talents in preference to undertaking farm work, he played at dances, often for Cajun audiences, with fiddle players Alphonse LaFleur and Douglas Bellard.

[7] Ardoin's music combined "European song forms and African rhythmic approaches such as swing and syncopation... [He] personified this cultural blend and enhanced its development through his deft technique and his ability to improvise.

Descendants of family members and musicians who knew Ardoin claimed a story, now well-known, that he was severely beaten in a racially motivated attack in about 1939.

[11] According to musicians Canray Fontenot and Wade Frugé, in PBS's American Patchwork, claimed that as Ardoin was leaving Eunice, he was run over by a Model A car which crushed his head and throat, damaging his vocal cords.

[6] Along with bandmates like Dennis McGee, Ardoin "crossed the musical color line" in the Jim Crow South, earning the admiration of listeners of both races and creating temporary social spaces where cultural interchange could take place.

His book of poetry titled 'If You Abandon Me: An Amédé Ardoin Songbook', features a cover with artwork by Pierre Bourque.