New Orleans Chris Owens dies

Chris Owens, New Orleans’ beloved Bourbon Street artist, has passed away, according to a family friend. Owens had turned 90 in October. Her death comes weeks before her annual Easter parade that passes through the French Quarter. A fixture in the French Quarter since the 1960s, Owens has become affectionately known as the “Queen of Vieux Carre.” Owens opened a nightclub on Bourbon Street in 1956 that is still in operation today. In 2006, Owens was inducted into New Orleans Musical Legends Park with a statue created in her honor. New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell issued the following statement regarding her death: “Today we mourn the passing of Chris Owens, one of the brightest lights in the French Quarter. The consummate artist and star of her Bourbon Street nightclub, Mrs. Owens was a charismatic, beautiful and iconic figure,” Mayor Cantrell said. More sadly, because we are only weeks away from the Easter parade that has become her most resplendent stage. May you rest in God’s complete peace.”