Our Journey and Mission
Welcome to Treme Diamond
At Treme Diamond, our mission is to honor the rich cultural and culinary legacy of the Diamond family. We create immersive experiences that celebrate New Orleans' jazz heritage, Creole cuisine, and the arts.
Our offerings range from live music events to educational programming, each designed to resonate with the rich history of our community.
Our Origins
Billy Diamond, beloved bandleader, bass player and later road manager for Fats Domino, and mentor to countless musicians, embodied the spirit of collaboration that defined New Orleans music. His wife, Shirley, ensured his home was a gathering place for artists, family and friends, with food and together they created a space of rhythm and hospitality.
That same energy inspires every Treme Diamond experience: the laughter around the table, the sound of the bass warming up backstage, the way a simple dish or melody can bring people joy.
Family Heritage
Billy Diamond family’s creative circle includes legendary figures whose influence echoes across genres:
Charles Veal Jr., violinist, arranger, and concertmaster whose work spans classical and contemporary music.
Ernest McLean, guitarist for Fats Domino and Little Richard, a cornerstone of the New Orleans sound.
Shirley Goodman, half of the iconic duo Shirley & Lee, whose voice defined early rhythm & blues.
John Porter, standing bass player for Papa Celestin.
Their stories are featured throughout this site as part of the Treme Diamond Family Legacy, an ever-growing digital archive dedicated to preserving and sharing the music that shaped the world.
From New Orleans to the World
What began as family gatherings filled with song and Creole coking has evolved into a cultural, historical and culinary experience presented in cities from Seattle to Amsterdam to Barcelona.
Through catering, performances and heritage partnerships, Treme Diamond invites audiences to taste, hear, and feel the spirit of New Orleans wherever they are by letting us bring New Orleans to you.
Our mission is to preserve and share the magic, the creative, culinary, musical and academic brilliance of the Diamond family while inspiring new generations to honor their rots through art, food, history and storytelling. We believe heritage is not just history as it is a living rhythm.