John Irvin Delafose (April 16, 1939 – September 18, 1994)[1][2] was an American French-speaking Creole Zydeco accordionist from Louisiana.

[6] Delafose gained wider public recognition with albums such as Joe Pete Got Two Women (Arhoolie, 1990) and Blues Stay Away from Me (Rounder, 1993).

[11][12] Unlike some of the younger performers at the time, Delafose sang in both English and French, and his repertoire featured two-steps and waltzes in addition to the highly percussive Afro-Caribbean rhythms of Zydeco.

[3] Delafose's hit version of the Canray Fontenot song "Joe Pitre a Deux Femmes" brought the single-row accordion back into favor among Zydeco musicians.

[13] Delafose died after a short illness in the early morning hours of September 18, 1994 at the Opelousas General Hospital.