Due to his work with the band, Modeliste is credited as an integral part of bringing New Orleans second-line grooves into popular music.

[1][5] He was nicknamed Zigaboo at age ten by a neighborhood kid, and by junior high school the name had stuck.

[1][7] He started playing gigs at an early age including a stint with the Hawketts, a band led by Art Neville at the time.

[2] This was further displayed when Modeliste, along with the Meters, were invited to tour with the Rolling Stones in 1975 and 1976 serving as their opening act.

[3] The Meters also served as the backing band for acts such as Dr. John, Robert Palmer, Lee Dorsey, Paul McCartney, Betty Harris and others – all with Modeliste on drums.

[10] In 2007 he contributed to a tribute album honoring Fats Domino with the song "I'm Gonna Be a Wheel Someday" with collaborators Herbie Hancock and Renard Poche.

[5][18] In the 1980s Modeliste moved to Los Angeles and later to the San Francisco Bay Area, settling in Oakland, California.

Some of these artists include: The Recording Academy awarded Modeliste and the Meters a Lifetime Achievement Grammy Award.[when?]

[24] In reviewing a compilation album of the Meters' early works, music critic Robert Christgau called Modeliste's drumming "the secret" adding "it's almost as if he's the lead".

[26] His drum patterns have been sampled extensively by hip hop artists such as Run DMC, Public Enemy, Beastie Boys, Ice Cube, LL Cool J, Queen Latifah and Salt-N-Pepa.

[6][24] His performances have been featured in film, television and game soundtracks, including Red, Jackie Brown, Drumline and 8 Mile.