Center for Louisiana Studies Archival Catalog
This searchable database provides information on images, documents, and audio and video recordings, made between 1934 and the present.
Interview with Huey Meaux
00:15 - Personal history - Born in Wright, LA between Kaplan and Gueydan, Father was Stanislaus Meaux (sharecropping rice farmer and accordion player);
02:10 - Musicians in the family - Huey's aunt was Theresa Falcon;
03:15 - Moved to Winnie, Texas when he was 12;
04:15 - Crazy Cajun radio show/records;
05:00 - "Pioneers of the music business;"
06:00 - Early hits "Breaking Up is Hard to do," "This Should Go On Forever;"
06:30 - Managing Jivin' Gene, promoting various artists recordings;
09:00 - J. P. Richardson - "Chantilly Lace;"
09:10 - Floyd Soileau - JIN records;
10:25 - Commentary on John Broven's book;
11:45 - Joe Barry and Rockin' Sidney;
12:15 - Promoting records;
12:50 - Traveling with Joe Barry to Harlem;
13:45 - Defining Swamp Pop/South Louisiana Music;
17:00 - Recording Freddy Fender;
18:15 - Jimmy Donley;
22:00 - "I'm Leaving it up to You;"
22:20 - Record labels - Crazy Cajun, Teardrop, Jetstream, etc;
23:00 - Payola;
25:00 - Buying rights for songs;
27:45 - Sugarhill Studios;
29:00 - Current projects - Getting songs used in movies;
30:00 - Barbara Lynn;
31:30 - Catching up on family news;
Interview with Little Alfred, Charles Mann, and John Fred
Interview with Little Alfred:
00:32 - Broven's book;
00:56 - Personal history;
01:24 - His cousin Simon Lubin starts Cookie and the Cupcakes;
02:00 - time in Cookie and the Cupcakes;
02:20 - The Berry Cups;
02:59 - Chick Vidrine story;
04:08 - Musical influences- Jackie Wilson, Sam Cooke;
04:50 - Swamp Pop vs. South Louisiana R&B;
06:05 - Early experiences with music;
06:50 - The Clovers;
07:10 - The Cupcakes;
07:55 - "Twisted;"
09:55 - Stan Lewis;
10:15 - Performing in white clubs - racial tensions;
12:07 - Cookie;
12:38 - Racial tensions/provocations;
16:05 - Friendship between artists;
17:00 - American Soul Train - "Can You Dig It"
Interview with Charles Mann [18:48]:
19:10 - Real name;
19:24 - Birthplace and year;
20:03 - Musical history - family, heritage;
20:17 - Speaking French;
29:50 - Musical influences- Johnnie Allan, Rod Bernard, Gene Bourgeois, Glenn Wells;
21:56 - Dizzy Richard;
22:15 - The Eltradors;
22:48 - Playing around Louisiana;
23:49 - First record;
24:10 - "Keep Your Arms Around Me," O.B. McClinton;
25:21 - "You're No Longer Mine";
25:50 - "Red Red Wine";
26:37 - Buddy King;
27:12 - 1970s;
27:26 - "My Kind of Girl," William Bell;
27:54 - 1980s;
28:10 - Muscle Shoals studio;
28:40 - "Walk of Life";
28:46 - Touring England;
29:38 - English fans;
30:50 - English eating habits;
31:35 - "Walk of Life";
33:28 - Swamp Pop;
34:25 - French music in England;
36:20 - Tom McLaine;
37:00 - Bobby Charles;
Interview with John Fred [38:00]:
Content Warning: Racial Slur
38:30 - Whole name;
38:47 - Musical influences - Les Paul, Mary Ford, Frankie Lane, Fats Domino, Smiley Louis, Jimmy Reed;
42:00 - First band;
44:00- Race music;
44:26 - Sports - father's baseball past;
45:20 - Playing recreation halls
Interview with Huey Meaux [47:00];
47:14 - Family history;
48:30 - Musicians in the family;
Interview with John Fred (cont.)
Interview with John Fred (cont.):
00:15 - Local gigs with The Playboys in the late 50s;
01:00 - "Shirley" - Recording the song at Cosimo's for Sam Montelbano of Montel Records
02:00 - Studio musicians for the "Shirley" session using Fats Domino's band;
02:30 - Meeting Fats Domino;
04:00 - Montelbano's advice - adding Fred's name to the band name;
05:30 - Studying education and history in college, would still play music in the summertime;
06:00 - 1963 - The new Playboys recorded "Boogie Chillin'" with Carol Rachou;
07:00 - Stan Lewis leased "Boogie Chillin'" on Jewel/Paula Records
08:00 - Recording "Agnes English" and "Judy in Disguise;" which sold 10 million copies and went #1 around the world;
08:35 - Meeting Paul McCartney, John Lennon and George Harrison and discussing the Beatles' love of south LA music;
15:40 - Meeting Elvis Presley;
18:50 - Meeting and touring with Jimi Hendrix in 1969;
20:00 - Touring with other famous bands - Dave Clark Five, Herman's Hermits, Box Tops, Sly and the Family Stone, etc
21:20 - Les Paul's influence;
24:20 - Bobby Charles' songs;
25:10 - Writing and recording "Judy in Disguise;"
30:50 - Using a horn section;
31:30 - Playboys line up;
44:30 - Alan Fried - Commercialization of the term "rock 'n roll;"
32:30 - G. G. Shin, Tommy McClain, Relations with other artists;
34:10 - Jobs outside of the band - Worked for RCS Records;
36:45 - Says he doesn't identify as Swamp Pop Musician - More R&B and pop;
37:30 - Boogie Kings - John says they were cocky and didn't necessarily create anything new;
42:00 - Labeling artists as "Swamp Pop;"
Interview with John Fred (cont.) and Tommy McLain
Interview with John Fred (cont.):
00:30 – Discussion of other interviews conducted;
01:10 – Best wishes;
Interview with Tom McLain [01:46]:
02:05 - Personal history - birthplace, hometown, high school;
02:47 – Jerry Lee Lewis, Howard K. Smith, Jimmy Swaggart;
03:00 - Early experiences playing music;
05:06 – Little Richard, Larry Williams, Fats Domino;
05:30 – Hank Williams, Ernest Tubbs, Grand Ole Opry;
05:50 – Meeting Ray Price, Bob Wills at the E & E Night Club;
06:12 – Al Ferrier;
06:45 – J. D. Miller;
07:04 – The Pelican Club, The Starlighters;
07:35 – Clint West, playing with Red Smiley and the Bell Tones;
09:00 – Freddy Fender and the Carousel Club;
09:45 - Jack Arnold and the Flames;
10:08 - Touring military bases;
10:58 - Playing with Clint West and the Roller Coasters;
11:35 - Playing bass guitar;
13:40 - Giving up music;
13:57 - Getting back into the business;
14:00 - Leroy's lounge;
15:20 – Buddy King;
15:32 - Cutting a record;
15:40 - "Sweet Dreams”;
16:12 – story about the master tape;
18:18 - Joining The Boogie Kings and working with Clint West;
18:40 - Recording for Floyd Soileau;
20:57 - Huey Meaux;
22:10 - Success of "Sweet Dreams”;
22:32 – Carla Thomas;
23:15 – The Smothers Brothers, The Yardbirds, Jimmy Page, Robert Plant;
25:08 – Huey going to jail, trouble with pills;
26:40 - Smitty Smith saves McLain;
27:25 - Back with Huey Meaux;
28:00 – recording, "No Tomorrows Now”;
29:39 - Playing in Lafayette;
32:20 - Re-signing with Meaux;
33:10 - Recording with Freddy Fender;
36:55 - The Mule Train Band;
37:10 - Staying clean and finding religion;
37:50 - "The Roses”;
38:00 - Current projects;
40:50 - First guitar;
42:43 - Musical influences;
44:27 – seeing Little Richard live;
Interviews with George Khoury and Stan Lewis
Interview with George Khoury:
01:00 - Personal history - Born in 1908 or 1918 in Lake Charles;
01:28 - Early interest in music - Started in the jukebox business and opened the first Khoury's Record Shop (late 40s);
02:30 - Purchasing Elvis Presley, Fats Domino, etc records in bulk;
03:25 - Starting his first record label;
04:20 - Starting Khoury Records in the 50s. Lists some of his early hits - "Mathilda," "Sea of Love;"
05:45 - Legal problems with Phil Phillips;
06:35 - Would send masters to be pressed at ACA in Houston;
08:00 - Didn't own a studio. He always used different studios - Goldband, ACA
09:50 - Cajun records - Recorded "Pine Grove Blues." Port Arthur, TX was as far west as he'd sell French Records
10:45 - Carol Fran;
13:00 - Sea of Love was cut at Goldband, Mathilda was cut at KAOK Radio in Lake Charles
15:25 - Listing other artists he recorded
16:00 - Business dealings with J.D. Miller;
17:00 - Quitting the record business and became a deputy sheriff;
17:30 - Collecting royalties - "Sea of Love;"
19:00 - Defining Swamp Pop;
19:45 - Discussing the confusion around his birth year;
20:20 - Interview with Stan Lewis begins;
20:45 - Jukebox business, Stan's record service (handled distribution, sales, pressing)
22:15 - Working with Chess, Imperial, Specialty, Miracle;
25:00 - Wolfman Jack
26:00 - Mail order record business;
29:00 - Stan's One Stop - distributing records
32:30 - Bobby Charles was his first artist to record;
33:30 - Working with other local record labels;
36:25 - Enjoy label;
36:50 - John Fred and the Playboys;
40:20 - Various labels started - Jewel, Paula, Ronn, Cobra, Chief, Twilight;
41:15 - The Uniques;
41:30 - Cookie and the Cupcakes, Johnny Janot, The Boogie Kings, Skip Stewart, etc.;
42:30 - "Judy in Disguise" was his biggest hit - Royalties, Publishing
43:40 - Personal info - Born on 7/5/1927 in Shreveport
44:10 - Entrance into the music business;
Comments on the Music Industry;
interview with Eddie Shuler
Interview With Eddie Shuler:
00:00 - South Louisiana sound, Bobby Charles;
02:57 - Researchers come to Louisiana;
03:00 - Mike Leadbetter bringing Cajun Music to England;
08:07 - Introduction to French music;
09:20 - Moving to Louisiana during World War II;
10:20 - Joining a band;
13:00 – Savoy's Club;
14:57 - Hackberry Ramblers;
15:50 – Folkstar Records;
15:58 - Goldband Records;
16:11 – Radio show;
17:25 – All Star Reveliers;
17:44 - Iry Lejeune;
21:09 - Recording Lejeune;
23:29 - "Calcasieu Waltz,” “The Evangeline Special”;
25:10 - Finding distribution;
25:30 - Self distribution;
31:41 - Aldus Roger;
33:30 - Artists recorded;
33:55 - Port Naches Playboys;
36:15 - Country music - difference between Country Western and Western Swing music;
37:34 - Hank Williams - Hillbilly Music and Country Music;
38:34 - Recording Dolly Parton - Robert Owen, "Puppy Love" and "Girl Left Alone”;
45:10 - Freddy Fender;
Interview with Eddie Shuler (cont.)
Interview with Eddie Shuler (cont.):
01:00 - Story about Freddy Fender being arrested in Baton Rouge for possession of Marijuana seeds - was sentenced to 5 years;
02:00 - Talking with the penitentiary about Freddy being let out on work release to record albums;
03:40 - Building a studio inside of the jail food storage warehouse; Backing musicians were other prisoners;
06:00 - Releasing of Freddy's prison recordings;
07:30 - Al Ferrier;
10:00 - Brian Ferrier played at the Louisiana Hayride;
10:25 - Johnny Janot;
12:10 - Gene Terry - "Cindy Lou;"
14:10 - Cookie and the Cupcakes;
14:55 - Yellow Jacket Band;
15:50 - Little Billy Earl - Dolly Parton's uncle;
16:45 - Clarence Garlow;
19:10 - Elton Anderson - "I Love You";
23:40 - Guitar Jr., Katie Webster, Barbara Lynn, ;
25:30 - Katie Webster getting out from her recording contract with J.D. Miller;
26:30 - Producing Phil Phillips' "Sea of Love"
32:50 - Cleveland Crochet
33:05 - Other labels owned by Shuler - Folkstar, Goldband, TEK, Jador, Anla, Tic-Toc;
34:00 - Personal history - Born in Wrightsboro, TX, March 27, 1913;
35:30 - Musical influences - learning to play the saxophone;
37:00 - K-MAR and TEK Publishing;
39:00 - Current projects - Mickey Newman, Cari Gregory,;
40:00 - Studio equipment - Studer 24 Track, DNR Console, Ampex tape recorders;
41:30 - Gene Terry and the Downbeats - "Cindy Lou;"
41:50 - Shuler's sound;
44:30 - More on J. D. Miller;
46:00 - New releases on CD;
Interviews with Eddie Shuler (cont.), Tommy McLain (cont.), Phil Philips
Interview with Eddie Shuler (cont.):
00:00 - South Louisiana sound - Swamp Pop;
01:10 - Missed opportunities - Rod Bernard, Big Bopper, King Karl;
04:00 - Interview with Tommy McLain (cont.);
04:20 - Popularity of Bluegrass in Louisiana;
05:30 - Happy Fats, Clint West
06:00 - Defining Swamp Pop;
09:30 - Elvis Costello's cover of "Sweet Dreams;"
10:20 - Popularity of Swamp Pop in England;
13:00 - Jimmy Donley;
13:30 - "Sweet Dreams" - became popular due to being played in Jukeboxes
18:58 - Interview with Phil Philips;
19:20 - Born in Lake Chalres, March 14, 1931
20:00 - Early experience with music;
21:30 - Selling sheet music;
22:47 - Musical family - Phil's dad wrote music, passed away in the 40s. His mother was a really good singer;
24:40 - Phil plays guitar and sings;
28:00 - Gateway Quartet;
29:00 - First recording project;
29:30 - Writing and recording "Sea of Love;"
31:00 - Getting "Sea of Love" played on the radio - KPLC;
33:00 - Meeting Sam Cooke and his manager
33:45 - Recording "Sea of Love" - recorded by Eddie Shuler for George Khoury's label. Cookie and the Cupcakes were the backup band;
37:40 - Real name has one "L" in Philips, stage name has two - Phillips;
38:30 - Legal problems with George Khoury;
42:30 - KMAR Publishing;
42:45 - Recording for Lee Lavergne at Muscle Shoals;
43:30 - Was a Radio DJ for KJEL in Jennings between hits;
44:30 - "King of the whole blasted world;"
45:30 - Musical influences - Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Frank Sinatra, Glenn Miller;
Interview with Phil Philips (cont.) and Sam Montalbano
Interview with Phil Philips (cont.):
00;00 - Musical influences;
03:00 - Defining Swamp Pop;
05:30 - Racial tensions - playing at white clubs versus black clubs;
11:20 - Preaching and religious beliefs
19:50 - Interview with Sam (S.J.) Montalbano;
20:20 - Name pronunciation and change to Sam Montel for industry purposes;
21:00 - Personal history - Born on February 8, 1937, owned a fruit stand early on;
22:10 - Entry into the music business; 4TA Club
23:15 - Meeting Jimmy Clanton;
26:10 - Playing rock 'n roll;
31:15 - First record on Montel - Lester Robinson;
33:00 - Tour managing for Jimmy Clanton
36:15 - Lester Robinson;
37:45 - John Fred "Shirley;"
38:00 - CYO (Catholic Youth Organization) Teen Dances;
39:45 - Story about Lester Robinson going to Havana, Cuba;
43:00 - Red Stick Publishing Company;
43:30 - Other labels he owned - Michelle, Stephanie, Debbie labels named after his daughters;
44:45 - John Fred changing labels;
45:35 - Use of other studios - Recorded Dale and Grace at La Louisiane
Interview with Sam Montalbano (cont.) and Grace Broussard
Interview with Sam Montalbano (cont.):
00:10 - 1968 - Selling his recording studio
03:15 - Montel Studio became Deep South Studio, only sold physical equipment, not the masters;
04:30 - Floyd Soileau had distribution rights to The Boogie Kings;
05:30 - Johnny Vincent - ACE Records, Cosimo Matassa;
07:45 - Boogie Kings split and lawsuit - mainly worked with Ned Theall's version of the band;
13:44 - Sam spent three years at USL from 1956-1958
14:55 - Sam speaks about Rod Bernard's importance to the LA music scene;
17:30 - Interview with Grace Broussard;
17:45 - Personal history - born in 1939 in Prairieville, LA;
18:15 - Musical family members - brothers and sister both sing, her grandfather played fiddle;
19:45 - Started singing professionally at 16 - Van and Grace;
20:30 - Musical influences - Kitty Wells, Loretta Lynn, Irma Thomas;
22:50 - First recording of "I'm Leaving it up to You" with Jay Chevalier
23:30 - Getting started performing with Dale Houston;
26:20 - "Leavin' it all up to You" becoming a hit - Performing on the Dick Clark Tour;
27:50 - Backing group - Junior Hebert on bass, Kenny Gill on Guitar, Dale Houston on piano, she says she can't remember everyone;
29:35 - Grace says that her and Dale never got along well. He didn't show up for a performance in New York and she had to perform herself;
31:50 - Shane asks who wrote "Stop and Think it Over" - Jay Graffanino or Jay Randall;
33:50 - Broven's term "Swamp Pop." Grace said they used to call the genre Bayou Boogie;
36:15 - Zydeco music
39:00 - Van Broussard tour with Carl Perkins;
39:55 - Awards - Gold Record, Louisiana Hall of Fame Lifetime Achievement Award;
42:40 - Floyd Soileau releasing Van and Grace's songs on a compilation CD; Royalties issues;
Interview with Rod Bernard
01:01 - musicians in the family;
01:30 - first guitar;
03:18 - broadcast from the feed store;
05:31 - radio show;
07:05 - DJ;
09:22 - slot machines;
10:34 - The Twisters;
12:45 - recording with Floyd Soileau;
13:59 - "This Should go on Forever";
16:51 - leasing the song to Chess Records;
17:40 - a hit song;
18:21 - promotional tour;
18:59 - American Bandstand controversy;
21:29 - on the road;
22:24 - Bill Hall & contract with Mercury;
24:36 - collaborations;
27:28 - second hit;
29:17 - King Karl;
30:35 - payola;
33:52 - recording with Jake Graffagnino;
36:30 - south Louisiana songs/sound;
40:08 - "Sometimes" & "Colinda";
41:15 - Marines;
44:06 - "Colinda";
46:17 - Nashville sound
Interview with Rod Bernard (cont.) and Roy Perkins
Interview with Rod Bernard (cont.):
00:10 - Rod says he wishes he would've stayed performing Country Music in the 50s;
01:45 - Leaving Mercury Records;
03:30 - The Shondells - Rod was working with Skip Stewart in the early 60s at KVOL and decided to start the band with Warren Storm;
04:10 - The Shondells started playing Saturday nights at the Southern Club; Talks about other local gigs they'd play;
06:20 - Country Music comeback - Rod mentions loving George Jones, Merle Haggard, Elvis, Tom Jones;
07:10 - Going to Graceland;
11:00 - Trading tapes with George Cline;
12:00 - Rod met Hank Williams when he played at the Opelousas High School gymnasium - got autographs from the band;
14:00 - Rod saw a doctor giving Hank shots during the show - didn't realize at the time that they were drugs;
15:50 - Rod tells a story about playing Chuck Berry's guitar and took his guitar pick;
16:20 - Performing with Jerry Lee Lewis in Corpus Christi, TX;
18:10 - Jerry Lee's band used Rod's band's instruments for a show in California without their permission. Kenny "Gill" Guillot didn't want anyone to touch his guitar, Jerry Lee wanted to fight him after the show;
20:20 - Rod says he and Jerry Lee became friends but once he started having drug issues, they became distant;
21:10 - Shows with James Brown in California;
21:55 - Tour with Frankie Avalon;
29:15 - Jerry Lee's advice - crooks in the record business;
30:50 - Rod's version of "Colinda;"
34:40 - Arbee Records;
35:20 - Swamp Pop Term;
37:05 - Interview with Roy Perkins:
37:10 - Shane talking about his thesis work, interview recording issues;
38:20 - Started playing piano at 7 years old. Early musical influences were old blues musicians;
38:50 - A family friend would sell them old records out of jukeboxes for cheap;
39:50 - Boogie woogie style - He loved the piano parts and started playing his grandmother's piano by ear;
40:40 - Born April 26 1935;
41:30 - Private Cecil Gant, Tommy Dorsey;
43:25 - Buying old rhythm and blues records in New Orleans;
44:00 - "Lordy Miss Claudie;" Fats Domino's piano part on that recording inspired Roy;
Interview with Roy Perkins (cont.) and Carol Rachou
Interview with Roy Perkins (cont.):
00:20 - "You are on my Mind;" - Recorded at Channel 2 TV Studio in New Orleans, Mel Mallory;
01:00 - "Jack the Cat" - Disc Jockey in New Orleans was shocked that Roy was white when they met;
03:50 - Jazz at the Music Mart;
05:30 - Bobby Page and the Riff Raffs, ;
08:00 - "Hearts of Stone;"
10:00 - Their version of "Jolie Blonde" on Teardrop;
13:20 - Family history - His mother was Acadian and Irish;
16:00 - Collecting records
18:15 - "Here I Am"/"You're Gone;" Backed up by a band called The Spiders - recorded in New Orleans;
20:20 - Recording at Cosimo Matassa's studio;
23:00 - Louis Jordan "Saturday Night Fish Fry;"
24:00 - Recording for Ram Records;
26:30 - Songs recorded for Carol Rachou;
28:05 - Session work for J. D. Miller - Warren Storm "Prisoner Song," Skip Stewart;
30:30 - Oilfield work in the middle east;
31:55 - Recording for Huey Meaux;
32:30 - Joining The Swing Kings - played piano and bass for them; Discussion about the Boogie Kings split;
34:35 - Boogie Kings - "Southland;"
36:20 - He always had a day job, was only a weekend muscian - worked in drafting;
37:30 - Working in the oil field; Talks about a platform explosion;
41:30 - Nickname - The Boogie Boy;
41:40 - Mercury records, Eddie Shular, Goldband Studio;
45:45 - Shelby Singelton;
Interview with Roy Perkins and Carol Rachou
Interview with Roy Perkins (cont.):
00:00 - "The Mystical Musician;"
01:30 - Preaching; religious beliefs;
07:00 - Maturing as a writer and musician, writing methods;
12:30 - Defining Swamp Pop - Doesn't care for the term, says it's more an offshoot of Rhythm and Blues;
14:50 - Family music history - no other family members play music. Talks about his grandmother's piano;
18:00 - Describing piano triplets - Fats Domino started it;
20:00 - Always considered himself more of a blues musician, says he didn't like Elvis and The Beatles intitially. Eventually got into them with Sgt. Peppers album;
21:45 - Beatles "Oh Darlin" - Has a swamp pop feel;
23:50 - Bobby Charles - people considered him a pest early on;
27:25 - Interview with Carol Rachou:
27:35 - Personal history - Born in New Orleans Dec 27, 1932;
28:05 - Moved to New Iberia when his father started working for his uncle in the oilfield trucking business, stayed there for 2 years;
29:00 - Moved to Lafayette in 1948, went to Lafayette High School;
29:50 - Attended SLI for a couple of years, but quit to open his store in 1954;
31:00 - Had a band called The Swingsters - played popular music;
33:35 - Went into music retail business in 54 - Music Mart - sold records, TVs, radios and stereos;
35:45 - First recordings made at his music store, didn't yet have the studio; The current La Louisiane Studio building was a grocery store at the time;
37:00 - Eddy "Raven" Futch worked for Carol at the retail store and studio for 10 years;
38:10 - Discussion about Eddy's stage name, his early career, and his personality;
40:30 - Closed the retail business and opened La Louisiane studio when Eddy went to Nashville in 1958;
43:00 - Jazz at the Music Mart / Jazzmar labels - Bobby Webb
Interview with Carol Rachou (cont.)
Interview with Carol Rachou (cont.):
00:30 - Carol tells a story about seeing Shane as a newborn baby;
03:30 - Drug addiction and alcoholism, prescription medication;
05:30 - More discussion about musicians doing drugs and drinking;
08:30 - Carol talks about his use of prescription drugs;
10:25 - Carol talks about his time playing gigs - mainly played sax and trumpet;
11:20 - One son, Carol Jr. plays trumpet;
13:00 - La Louisiane label - Started in 1959. "Sud de la Louisiane" was the first song they released. That's where the label name came from;
14:30 - Carol says he does speak French;
15:50 - Cajun artists recorded - Nathan Abshire, Vin Bruce, Aldus Roger, etc;
17:00 - Mel Mallory, Roy Perkins
19:00 - Talking about different people who recorded in the studio;
24:20 - Arbee Label - Started with Rod Bernard after the Shondells broke up;
28:50 - Shondells recording sessions - Carol talks about how he'd set up the studio to optimize sound;
31:00 - "Etouffée;"
31:40 - Dale and Grace - Group history and discussion about "I'm Leaving it up to You;"
39:50 - John Fred and the Playboys "Judy in Disguise;"
40:30 - Bobby Charles;
42:30 - Success of "I'm Leaving it up to You;"
43:40 - "Stop and Think it Over" Discussing who wrote it. Carol says Jay Randall wrote it;
44:35 - Lil Bob and the Lollipops; Discussing the squeaky kick drum pedal in Bob's recording;
Interview with Carol Rachou and David Rachou
00:00 - Talking more about the squeak on Lil Bob's record;
02:20 - The Boogie Kings / Swing Kings / Clint West;
05:00 - Jewell and the Rubies - "Kidnapper." They were a high school class with their teacher. Session info and story about how the song became a national hit;
12:10 - Jimmy C. Newman - "Lâche pas la patate," written by Pee Wee Trahan;
17:50 - Three gold records recorded at La Louisiane - Dale and Grace, Jimmy C. Newman, Bud Fletcher;
19:50 - Aldus Roger;
22:10 - Blackie Forestier;
24:00 - Future plans for the studio and label;
32:00 - Releasing albums for unknown vs. established acts;
36:00 - Louisiana music on the international scene;
38:00 - Warren Storm and Skip Stewart - "Etoufée;
40:00 - Safety copies
41:00 - Jay Graffanino - Shane tells a story about some of Rod Bernards recordings - Masters were lost, he found copies on 45 in a scrapbook;
Interview with Guitar Gable and Oran "Doc Guidry
Interview with Guitar Gable;
00:10 - Background information - Born August 17, 1937;
01:00 - Was playing in clubs by the time he was 16 years old - Gypsy T Room in Abbeville;
02:00 - Musicians in the family - His dad played "French Music / LaLa Music" accordion and harmonica;
03:15 - His dad would play house dances with just accordion and rubboard;
04:00 - Taught himself to play guitar when he was 12. His brother also played, but stuck to more of a blues style;
05:50 - His first recording; "Congo Mambo" - Tried working with Eddie Shuler, didn't work. So on their way back home, stopped by J.D. Milller's in Crowley;
08:30 - Bernard Jolivette;
09:25 - Says he could sing well on the bandstand but not in the studio;
10:45 - Started learning on a cheap acoustic guitar, then got a Fender. Also played on a Gretsch for a while;
12:30 - Favorite musicians - B.B. King, Earl King, Fats Domino, Guitar Slim;
13:00 - Artists he worked with - Lazy Lester, Slim Harpo, Skinny Domino, Warren Storm, Bobby Charles, Classie Ballou;
16:00 - Retiring from music after injuring his back and neck in a car accident;
16:30 - Does TV repair work;
17:15 - Last recording - session with Lynn August;
17:30 - The New Lollipops; Camille Bob;
18:15 - Gigs and Touring;
19:30 - Didn't use any special guitar tunings. Just used standard tuning;
21:00 - Other equipment used, didn't care for the tone of his Gretsch;
21:40 - Problems with J. D. Miller - Claiming credit for songs he didn't write;
24:00 - "This Should Go On Forever;" Miller has half writers credit. Gable says the only writing he did was correcting a word or two, here and there;
25:00 - Doesn't make any money or residuals from his recordings;
26:30 - Impersonators;
27:40 - Story about Miller bailing Lazy Lester and Slim Harpo out of jail. He made them record tracks for him in return;
28:40 - Story about a song being stolen from Rod Bernard "Pardon Mr. Gordon;"
31:40 - Racism - Needing escorts, using back doors, stories about issues in Henderson and Catahoula;
33:45 - Problems that Cookie had at Hick's Wagon Wheel Club;
34:15 - One of Lil Bob's musicians got arrested at the Jungle Club;
35:20 - Swamp pop/rhythm and blues - Doesn't consider his music "Swamp Pop;"
37:20 - "Colinda;" Gable says it's a really old song and talks about a few other old French songs;
38:45 - Clifton Chenier, says they played together a few times;
41:10 - Gabriel Jr. - Plays guitar with Lil Bob, Warren Caesar;
Interview with Oran "Doc" Guidry:
42:15 - Background information - Born in April 28, 1918;
43:15 - Musicians in the family - His dad played the fiddle;
44:10 - Ray Guidry is Doc's first cousin;
44:30 - Story about learning to play the fiddle - Was 12 years old;
Interview with Oran "Doc" Guidry
00:00 - Learning to play the fiddle - Used his dad's old Maggini fiddle. Doc says he'd practice in secret because his brother would get mad;
01:50 - Started gigging with Joe Fabacher and the Jolly Boys of Lafayette when he was 14;
03:15 - Lester Hoffpauir - Accordion player her played with - couldn't speak French, so he wouldn't sing. But was a wonderful player;
05:25 - Larry Brasso;
05:45 - Story about how Doc joined up with Happy Fats and the Rayne-Bo Ramblers
08:00 - Most gigs were dancehalls and in houses;
09:10 - Chaperones at dances;
10:25 - Hector Stutes - steel guitarist
11:35 - Amplification - Used a Johnson motor;
13:35 - Radio show with Happy Fats - Late 30s, Saturday mornings on KROF
14:20 - Doc says he'd play 9 timers per week, lists his schedule;
17:40 - Doc's group after leaving Happy Fats - Sons of Acadians. Happy named the band;
19:20 - First record Doc made - Dallas, TX with Joe Fabacher for Decca;
20:00 - Recording process in those days. Recording company would rent a hotel room and set up the equipment;
21:30 - They were paid up front to record, No royalties;
22:00 - Doc's brother played guitar - sold all of his instruments when he quit playing music;
23:00 - Recorded for J.D. Miller on the Fais do do label. "Never collected a dime;"
24:25 - Recording at Cosimo Matassa's studio in New Orleans for J.D. Miller;
25:45 - Doc sings a line of "La cravate;"
27:15 - "Chère Chèrie;" - Song Doc wrote and recorded. Master tape was burned in a fire;
28:45 - Decca sending Doc English tunes to translate into French;
29:45 - Recorded at the Rice Hotel in Houston;
30:10 - Meeting Jimmie Davis in Carencro when he was running for governor. Jimmy Domengeaux introduced them;
32:15 - Recording "Colinda" in Nashville at Acuff Rose with Jimmie Davis, Discussing touring with him while on the campaign trail;
36:45 - "Big Mamou;"
39:30 - Link Davis;
41:30 - Courtableu Inn - Port Barre;
43:00 - "Little Fat Man" performed in half English, half French;
45:30 - Louisiana Hayride, Jimmy C. Newman
Interview with Oran "Doc" Guidry (cont.)
00:00 - Doc saw Hank Williams perform in a high school gym - as part of Dudley LeBlanc's Hadacol tour;
01:20 - Rod Bernard saw him perform at the Yambilee Festival, mentions they could tell he was inebriated;
03:00 - Doc claims "Jambalaya" was written by Moon Mullican, Papa Cairo wrote the melody as Grand Texas;
04:45 - Studio work with Bill Houtto, Vin Bruce, Happy Fats
06:15 - Recordings made at La Louisiane - solo work, Warren Storm;
07:50 - Carol Rachou would play t-fer with bands to have an excuse to go on the road
08:45 - Discussing his performances in state department tours in Tokyo, Burma, India, Pakistan, Southeast Asia
13:40 - Buck White Band;
16:15 - Doc's wife introduces herself;
16:50 - More discussion on travels with Doc;
19:30 - Visiting the Taj Mahal;
20:20 - Story about how Happy Fats gave "Doc" his nickname;
23:30 - Discussing different versions of "Colinda;"
30:30 - Happy Fats' take on "Colinda;"
31:30 - False credit for "Colinda;"
35:40 - "Madame Young" - Dennis McGee tune, similar to Colinda's melody;
39:30 - La Louisiane re-releasing songs on c.d.;
42:30 - David Rachou taking over the La Louisiane Studio;
43:40 - Discussing Doc's health ailments
Interview with Oran "Doc" Guidry (cont.)
00:05 - Discussing Doc's health ailments with his wife;
01:45 - Doc mentions that he hasn't played his fiddle since his health started declining;
03:00 - Worked for the state starting in 1960 working with the Alcoholic Beverage Control;
03:50 - Talking about his dad's old fiddle - it was lost when someone was working on it;
06:00 - Harold Romero
07:00 - His mother gave him a fiddle from E.T. Root and Sons in Chicago - it was on display at the Chicago World's Fair
11:55 - His mom played the fiddle - she taught him "Over the Waves;"
13:30 - Interview with Pete Bergeron - talking about his Cajun musician project;
Interview with Oscar Bernard
01:00 - Born July 11, 1943,
01:15 - Rod started taking guitar lessons from their neighbor, an Army recruiter, Oscar would pick the guitar up occasionally and play on it;
03:00 - Talking about the house he grew up in. Parents told Rod that if he picked enough pecans and saved money, he could get a guitar
04:30 - Their parents eventually got a better guitar when he showed enough interest and talent;
04:50 - Poony Tatman helped them figure out what guitar to buy;
07:00 - Rod's first gig - Blue Room at a feed store;
08:50 - Oscar never toured with Rod, The farthest he went for a gig in Baton Rouge;
10:00 - Moving to Winnie, TX, would play at school talent shows;
10:30 - Huey Meaux was their barber in Winnie. At that point, Huey wasn't in the music business;
11:15 - More about the family's moves back to LA and then back to TX;
12:45 - Learning how to play the upright bass when he was in the 8th grade;
14:10 - Formation of The Twisters - Oscar eventually joined on bass, he was the youngest member;
16:00 - First gig with them was at the community center in Egan;
18:00 - Mischievous things they'd do - Bought some cherry bomb fireworks and would put them into a mailbox;
20:30 - Story about leaving Church Point, running late for a gig. Drove around in a circle and ended up back in Church Point;
22:30 - Skip Stuart; The Original Boogie Kings; The Flames;
26:20 - Auditioning for a job at the Original Pat's in Henderson; Pat didn't like the trombone in their band;
27:00 - Oscar had a knack for leaning to play instruments quickly;
29:00 - High School Band - Learned to play French horn, baritone, coronet;
33:45 - Local clubs;
34:10 - Didn't have a television growing up, listened to radio and records often;
35:00 - Discussing other family member's involvement in music;
37:45 - Building speaker cabinets; Bixby Tailpiece; Speaker enclosures;
40:00 - Gear used for gigs / driving to gigs;
Interviews with Oscar Bernard (cont.) and Bernard "King Karl" Jolivette
00:00 - Discussion on musical scales and theory;
04:30 - guitar equation - explaining how a string vibrates and makes a tone;
07:15 - Shondells guitar solos;
09:10 - Played guitar on one of Eddy Raven's records;
11:00 - Discussing good guitarists, says there are so many great, unknown musicians;
12:10 - modern music;
13:45 - Oscar says that Rod was a great band leader;
16:30 - Musical influences - Hank Williams,;
18:00 - Worked for Boeing;
20:00 - Astronaut pens
22:55 - Interview with Bernard "King Karl" Jolivette joined by Ricky Rees
23:20 - Background - Born December 22, 1931, Learned from his uncle, John Abes - played country and blues music;
26:00 - First band when he was 13 years old, didn't have a band name;
27:00 - Played guitar with accordionist Howard Broussard;
27:20 - Moved to Beaumont in 1949, played some gigs with Lloyd Price;
28:50 - Served at Fort Hood for two years;
29:20 - Met Guitar Gable while working at the sweet potato kiln in Sunset;
31:00 - Putting together a band - Guitar Gable and the Musical Kings Featuring King Karl;
35:30 - Writing songs; "Life Problems;"
35:40 - Went to Eddie Shuler in Lake Charles to record the song, he wasn't there, so they went to Crowley and recorded for J.D. Miller;
37:30 - copywriting songs;
38:20 - "Irene;"
38:45 - Musical influences - Lloyd Price;
40:30 - Learning how to play music - first started on harmonica. Played sax, traded it for a guitar;
41:45 - Songs he wrote - "Irene," "Life Problems," "This Should Go On Forever," "Congo Mambo;"
42:15 - Clarence "Jockey" Etienne;
43:40 - Touring - Michigan Blues Festival;
45:00 - White/black sound - Warren Storm's style
Interviews with Bernard "King Karl" Jolivette and Elwood "Bobby Page" Dugas
Interview with King Karl (cont.):
00:10 - Playing white clubs;
01:00 - "This Should Go On Forever;"
01:45 - Discussing Rod Bernard's version of the song. After it became successful, Bernard says J.D. Miller released a poor recording (maybe a practice tape) of King Karl singing it;
04:00 - Writing songs with Rod Bernard;
05:45 - Gigs they played - Clubs, Jamborees,
08:25 - Recording with Ernie Young in Nashville - Nesco Label
09:15 - Stage name "King Karl." Used the name Chuck Brown when recording with Young so that they wouldn't have to deal with Miller;
12:00 - Played gigs with Rockin' Bob, Rosco Chenier, C.D. and the Bluerunners;
14:30 - Backed Clifton Chenier for a couple of gigs;
14:55 - Other favorites - Otis Redding, B.B. King, ;
15:45 - Defining the term "Swamp Pop;" He considers himself Rhythm and Blues, not Swamp Pop;
17:00 - Rock 'n' roll vs. rhythm and blues;
18:15 - Playing white clubs - Bernard says he never had much trouble, had one issue in Mamou;
21:00 - J.D. Miller;
27:00 - Interview with Bobby Page:
27:15 - Background - Born in Rayne in December 19, 1938;
27:40 - Early experiences in music - First person to play music in his family. Influenced by Little Richard, Chuck Berry, Fats Domino;
28:40 - High school band - played trombone;
29:15 - Started the Riff Raffs in 1956;
30:25 - Original members of Riff Raffs - Julian Savoy, V.J. Boulet, Howard Ratliff, Bessyl Duhon, Albert Nugent, George Hanks, R.L. Duhon;
31:30 - "Loneliness;"
33:00 - Band history, name, members coming and going;
33:30 - Typical weeks for the band, clubs and cities played;
34:40 - Hip et Taieau; Name explanation - "Calling the dog."
36:00 - Explaining how he got the nickname "Booga;"
37:00 - Bobby B and the Rockers (Bobby Bourque);
40:00 - Potential for reissuing some of the old recordings;
40:30 - Myra Smith;
42:20 - Discussing the term "swamp pop;"
trombone;
Interview with Elwood "Bobby Page" Dugas (cont.) and Roland Robin
Interview with Bobby Page (cont.):
00:00 - Explaining the name Riff Raffs / Rift Raffs ;
00:40 - Changing name to Bobby Page - Combination of Bobby Charles and Patti Page;
02:15 - Plumbing work - Did this during the daytime and music at night;
03:20 - Discussing RAM Records, Myra Smith;
04:45 - Recorded in Shreveport, New Orleans, Saint Martinville. Dego Redlich, Carol Rachou, J.D. Miller, Bill Hall;
06:00 - Recorded "Hip et Taieau" at J.D. Miller's studio;
07:00 - More about Myra Smith;
09:45 - He speaks French
11:00 - Discussing Swamp Pop, rock 'n' roll vs. rhythm and blues;
12:30 - First paying job - Lloyd's Bar in Rayne in 1956;
14:30 - Drug use within the scene;
20:25 - Interview with Roland Robin:
21:35 - Background - Born June 13, 1936 in Duson, Moved to Lafayette at 13 and attended Cathedral High. Attended Tulane from 1954-58;
22:25 - Graduated from Northeastern in 1963, is a registered pharmacist;
23:15 - Getting into the music business - Had written and recorded some songs at J.D. Miller's for RAM;
25:00 - Musical tastes - Rhythm and Blues, Rockabilly;
26:00 - There was a lack of booking agents in Monroe during the time he was in school, so he started an agency;
28:30 - Worked a 1 year apprenticeship while in school while running his agency;
29:10 - Forming N-joy records - Noticed that artists didn't make much money, decided to take the next step and form the label;
29:50 - Bands signed - John Fred, Duayne Yates,;
31:15 - Studios used - Cosimo's, La Louisiane, Floyd Soileau - Used record press in Memphis;
33:50 - New CD compilations;
34:00 - J.D. Miller and Floyd Soileau;
38:00 - Groups managed/produced;
38:30 - John Fred and the Playboys - "Boogie Children;"
41:20 - Stan Lewis was one of Roland's distributors, Floyd Soileau, also. Never set up his own distribution network;
42:55 - After college - ended up owning a pharmacy, continued running his label and agency;
43:40 - Quitting the music business;
Interviews with Roland Robin (cont.) and Gene Terry
Interview with Roland Robin (cont.):
01:00 - Sam Phillips, Sun Records, Holiday Inn Records;
03:30 - Ron Gray - Hannah-Barbara;
05:30 - Regional hits;
08:15 - Diversifying business dealings;
10:00 - Other artists recorded - Dennis Norris, Billy Leadbetter;
12:40 - "Cajun Twist;"
15:40 - Life after the music business - sold his pharmacy in 1969 or 1970, real estate, Restaurants;
20:45 - Paragon Group - Land development business;
24:10 - Ram Records and Myra Smith
26:00 - Star Trek crank call
30:30 - Interview with Gene Terry:
31:00 - Personal info - Terry Gene DeRouen, Born in Lafayette on January 7, 1940, Moved to TX in 1942;
34:20 - Musicians in the family - Father played piano and guitar and his grandfather (Raymond DeRouen) played accordion and fiddle, Uncle (R.C. DeRouen) plays drums;
36:00 - Attended a house dance when he was young
37:00 - Old family violin;
39:30 - Musical offspring - One of his sons was killed in a car wreck in 1983;
41:30 - Influence of Cajun music on his style;
42:20 - Discussing the term "swamp pop;"
Interviews with Gene Terry (cont.), Van Broussard, and Jay Randall
Interview with Gene Terry (cont.):
00:40 - Musical influences - Big Bopper, Fats Domino, Joe Turner, Little Richard;
02:00 - Building a band;
02:30 - Playing the Moulin Rouge;
05:20 - Goldband Records;
06:20 - Used a 9 piece band in 1958;
08:30 - "Cindy Lou;" - studio setup;
11:15 - Phil Phillips - "Sea of Love;"
13:00 - Downbeat Band;
13:50 - "Teardrops In My Eyes;"
16:00 - Other work done at Goldband that was never released;
18:15 - Was a police officer in the late 60s, Currently works at DuPont plant;
19:05 - Janice Joplin tribute show;
21:40 - Interview with Van Broussard:
21:55 - Background - March 29, 1937 in Prairieville;
22:15 - Musicians in the family - Grandfather played violin, played with Hank Williams, Sr. on the Louisiana Hayride, sister is Grace Broussard;
24:00 - Musical influences - B.B. King, Cookie and the Cupcakes, Joe Turner;
26:40 - Covered "Lord, I Need Somebody Bad," Van says he released that song before Warren Storm;
27:40 - "Feed the Flame" Came out in 1958, was one of his hits;
29:45 - James Rogers - Owned Bayou Boogie Label;
30:45 - Defining swamp pop / Bayou Boogie;
32:00 - Gigs;
35:00 - "Jambalaya;"
36:20 - Speaking French;
37:45 - Johnnie Allan's book;
38:50 - Jimmy Donley;
Interview with Jay Randall:
40:00 - Background - Born February 11, 1940 in Opelousas, no family members play music;
40:45 - Learning guitar, by late 50s, he was sitting in with bands at the Southern Club and the Teen Center in Opelousas;
41:45 - The Electras;
42:00 - The Epics;
43:00 - "Stop and Think It Over" Jay says he wrote it, not Graffanino, but he never got any credit or payment;
43:40 - Sat in with the Boogie Kings, Cookie and the Cupcakes, Johnny Rivers;
45:25 - Musical influences - Otis Redding, Percy Sledge, Fats Domino;
Interview with Dale Houston
00:20 - Background - Born in Seminary, MS in 1940, no relatives played music;
01:25 - Noticed he was musically inclined when he was 12 years old - played in church, father was a preacher;
03:30 - Instruments played - Piano, drums, guitar, bass;
04:20 - Moved to Baton Rouge at age 13 - His father got a job with Sears;
05:00 - Musical influences - Rod Bernard, Jerry Lee Lewis, Fats Domino, Little Richard, Elvis Presley also listened to alot of Gospel music;
07:45 - Meeting Jimmy Clanton - was around 1954, they met through music, Dale played some gigs with him;
12:00 - Johnny Rivers , Dale and the Comics;
13:25 - "Lonely Man" Recorded at Cosimo's for Sam Montalbano;
14:00 - John Fred;
15:20 - Sam "S.J." Montalbano - had a music/dance TV show in Baton Rouge in addition to his label and management;
16:45 - Defining "Swamp Pop;"
21:15 - Jimmy Donley, Joe Barry;
22:30 - Dale says he felt Cajun even though he was born in Mississippi;
24:25 - Moved to Texas, formed The El Paso Comics;
25:40 - Moved back to Ferriday, in North Louisiana. Learned some piano with Jerry Lee Lewis, met in the late 50s;
29:30 - Moved back to Baton Rouge, met Grave Broussard in 1963;
30:15 - Odd Jobs - worked construction, played music on nights and weekends, also did iron work;
31:35 - Grace Broussard - Met Grace Broussard through Montel at La Louisiane in Lafayette;
33:20 - Recording "I'm Leaving it up to You" using 30 or 40 minutes of spare studio time; There was no plan for her to record, she was only at the studio as a "date";
37:40 - Huey Meaux's involvment in "I'm Leaving it up to You"; (Tape is cut off);
38:10 - "Stop and Think it Over" went to number 5 on the national charts;
40:30 - "Leaving it up to You" writers - Don Harris and Dewey Terry;
41:30 - rock 'n' roll influences; - Jerry Lee Lewis, Elvis Presley, Fats Domino, Rod Bernard, Joe Barry, etc;
42:00 - duo influences - The Everly Brothers;
44:20 - Jay Chevalier;
Interviews with Gene Terry (cont.), Van Broussard, and Jay Randall
00:10 - Roy Perkins - session bassist at La Louisiane;
01:00 - "Stop and Think it Over" - recorded at Cosimo Matassa's in New Orleans, never recorded at La Louisiane again;
02:45 - Montel called while they were in Las Vegas when they got a call that "I'm Leaving it up to You" was released and became a hit. Went to perform on Dick Clark's American Bandstand;
03:50 - Dick Clark Tour;
04:10 - They were on tour in Dallas, TX the same day as the Kennedy assassination - saw him in the motorcade; recollects when they heard he had been killed;
05:50 - Dale and Grace after the hit - cut more songs in B.R., went on the road in the midwest
06:50 - esophagus ruptured in 1964 - was hospitalized and in a coma for about 3 weeks;
11:30 - singing again after the injury;
13:00 - He thinks the injury and the following time for recovery did damage to their careers;
13:40 - "Loneliest Night of the Week" released in 1965. Dale said he didn't think there was any change in his voice
14:15 - Another national tour;
14:55 - Back to Baton Rouge - They recorded a few more tunes that weren't successful;
15:15 - The end of Dale and Grace in 1967 - Mutual, peaceful break-up, both wanted to go out on their own
16:30 - Moved to and worked in Atlanta, Georgia at a club called Chicken Haven, then went to Panama City, Florida;
19:00 - Moved to Knoxville, Tennessee to work with Bill Burnett;
19:35 -"Nobody Cares if a Fool Wants to Cry" and "Day by Day";
21:00 - No longer has a day job, on disability - Was injured at a printing company
22:00 - Dale and the Houston Solution; Pat Houston, Dale's wife performs with them;
22:30 - Best country pianist award;
22:40 - Reunion with Grace, Royalties for "I'm Leaving it up to You";
26:00 - Upcoming performances;
29:30 - Relationship with Grace;
31:00 - Philandering in Las Vegas;
31:30 - Discussing Rod Bernard's songs;
34:30 - England contacts;
38:10 - Shane Bernard explains the internet for Dale Houston
Interviews with John Brove
Interview with John Broven - Takes place at Johnnie Allan's house in Lafayette, LA
00:30 - Background - Born in Maidstone, Kent, November 4 1942, Raised in Ponegate;
01:20 - Education - Was a "war baby." Great emphasis was put on education;
03:20 - Career in banking, recently retired allowing him to follow his musical interests;
07:20 - Writing liner notes, two books, editor of Blues Unlimited Magazine;
10:00 - Early interest in music;
11:55 - Mike Leadbetter, record collecting;
13:20 - American artists on British labels;
16:00 - "This Should Go On Forever" release in the UK;
19:15 - Contact with Eddie Shuler - he sent two boxes of Goldband 45s to England - first Cajun music they ever heard in the UK;
20:15 - Cajun Corner - Newspaper articles;
23:30 - Coining the term "swamp pop;"
28:20 - Defining "Swamp Pop" - "Not just slow ballads with triplets;"
30:00 - Dr. John;
31:20 - Popularity of Swamp Pop in England;
34:50 - Beatles "Oh Darling;"
35:30 - Interview with Harry Simoneaux - May 3, 1992:
35:45 - Swamp Pop definition - "Half Domino, half fais do-do;"
37:35 - Dr. John's definition of Swamp Pop, Three chords and triplets;
39:00 - Joe Carl - Harry worked with him, recorded at J.D. Miller's, discusses their influences;
41:00 - One of his albums was called "Swamp Rock" in the early 1980s;
43:00 - Fats Domino's influence; Harry calls him the originator of Swamp Pop;
43:30 - Bobby Charles - Harry says it's difficult to categorize him;
43:55 - Harry was in the "See You Later, Alligator" session - Took them 30 takes to nail it. Recorded two songs in two days at Cosimo Matassa's;
45:40 - Larry Benicewicz's article;
Interviews with Gene Terry (cont.), Van Broussard, and Jay Randall
00:15 - The emotion in cajun music is evident in Swamp Pop;
00:40 - Rod Bernard's - "Colinda"
01:00 - Diatonic accordion use in Swamp Pop - Cant play minor chords on it. Its limitations kept it from being used;
02:00 - Blackie Forestier's attempt at a Swamp Pop song;
02:45 - Belton Richard - Harry says he gets as close to "Swamp Pop" on the accordion as anyone;
04:15 - The accordions inability to convey emotion. Harry says the accordion always sounds the same no matter how you are feeling;
05:10 - Born in Galiano, LA on July 7, 1936;
Interviews with Huey "Cookie" Thierry and Ernest Jacobs
00:30 - Background - Born August 16, 1936
01:00 - Musicians in the family - Father played fiddle and accordion, mother played guitar. They'd play Creole Dances. Father was a construction worker;
01:35 - Both parents spoke Creole French, Huey never played French music professionally, but would play some songs around the house;
02:00 - Influences - Fats Domino, likes Country and Western music;
03:50 - Born between Welsh and Jennings;
04:30 - French Influence;
05:10 - Forming the Cupcakes;
06:30 - Recording for George Khoury - He said they knew nothing about royalities at that point;
09:50 - Talking more about when he first met that band that would become the Cupcakes - around 1949-50;
10:20 - Contract signed with Eddie Shuler;
11:00 - Discussing how they came up with "Cookie and the Cupcakes" name;
13:10 - "Cindy Lou" recording and release;
15:00 - First "Swamp Pop" band - Shane asks where the sound from "Mathilda" came from;
17:15 - Recorded the original "Mathilda" at KOAK in Lake Charles;
19:20 - "Got You on my Mind"
20:00 - "Belinda"
22:00 - "Twisted" - No writers credit on the record, Cookie wrote it;
24:55 - Working with Shuler and Khoury;
26:25 - Judd label leased "Mathilda" from Khoury, then went bankrupt on the lease. To pay off the band, he gave them a nice bus, but it was broken down;
29:00 - Songs being released overseas without their knowledge;
29:30 - History of the Cupcakes, Cookie was initially a stagehand;
33:00 - Band actually played gigs without Cookie under the same name;
33:40 - Cookie Imposters, Guitar Gable imposter;
34:45 - Cookie moved to California after leaving the band. Worked in a hospital;
38:00 - Rumors that Cookie was killed in a car wreck;
40:00 - Discussing a car accident that he was in;
43:25 - Cupcake reunion - Performed a benefit for a terminally ill band member;
46:20 - Ernest discusses trying to locate Cookie in California;
Interviews with Huey "Cookie" Thierry and Ernest Jacobs (cont.)
00:10 - Ernest talks about searching for and finding Cookie in L.A.;
04:30 - Cookie sings again, goes back home;
07:00 - Experiencing an earthquake;
09:00 - Returning to Louisiana (late 1992);
10:30 - Race relations in the 1950s and 1960s - white women weren't allowed to approach the bandstand;
13:00 - Rumors about Cookie, women would flirt with the band;
14:50 - Green Lantern Club;
16:00 - Women would hide in their station wagon after shows;
19:00 - Needed a state deputy to escort them into and out of Opelousas;
19:30 - New projects - "Playing it by ear";
22:45 - Swamp pop ballad sound;
29:00 - Prior to Cookie joining the band - The Boogie Ramblers;
Interviews with Huey "Cookie" Thierry and Ernest Jacobs
00:45 - Blues scene in Louisiana in his early days. Most of his blues artists came from Southwest LA and East TX;
03:30 - Lee Baker Jr. "Lonnie Brooks;"
05:30 - Major labels struggled with blues artists. Eddie says recordings were to "slick";
06:00 - Eddie's approach to recording Blues music;
07:20 - Started recording Blues artists before any other genre;
07:50 - James Freeman "Big Leg Mama" from around 1945. Lost masters;
09:00 - Other blues artists recorded - Bill Parker, Clarence Garlow;
11:00 - Recorded his band, The All-Star Reveliers, first;
11:10 - Hackberry Ramblers - their radio show and early Shuler recordings;
13:40 - Guitar Slim and T-Bone Walker - their influence on other artists;
15:40 - Southwest LA blues clubs;
17:50 - "Zydeco Blues" - Marcel Dugas, Rockin' Sidney, Thadius Declouet, Little Latour;
20:20 - Discussing Clifton Chenier and Boozoo Chavis - Boozoo's "Paper in My Shoe" was leased to Imperial and sold 136,000 copies;
21:30 - Lawrence Chenier - Clifton's uncle who taught him;
24:00 - Local Blues clubs;
26:00 - Story about the son of the mayor of New York - Offered to buy a Goldband 45 from a discjockey for $300;
27:45 - Ivory Jackson - Drummer for Cookie and the Cupcakes and for Phil Phillips;
28:20 - Clarence Garlow;
29:19 - Al Smith;
29:30 - "Chicken Stump"
30:20 - Lazy Lester;
31:20 - Ashton Savoy, Katie Webster, Barbara Lynn;
33:30 - Lonesome Sundown
34:00 - "Left-handed" Charlie Morris;
35:20 - Walter Price;
36:00 - Little Miss Peggy, Bill Parker, Cal Miller, Little Latour;
42:00 - Joe Turner's influence;
Interviews with R.A. "Beedy" Herpin; Hazel Herpin; and Dalton Comeaux
Interview with Raymond Herpin:
00:40 - Real name - Raymond Andrew Herpin, discussing his nickname;
01:00 - background - Born September 1, 1918 in Crowley;
01:45 - Mother was from Beaumont, TX, he never learned to speak French;
02:20 - Education;
03:15 - Was in the Army when Pearl Harbor happened, was stationed at Barksdale, Discussing what made him join;
04:45 - Stationed in Shreveport, Albuquerque, Las Vegas, Salt Lake City. Was a welder, crew chief, flight chief. Discharged in 1945;
07:00 - Didn't pilot planes, but assisted the pilots as a flight engineer;
08:10 - Highest rank was staff Seargent
08:30 - Cultural differences in different parts of the country;
10:40 - Other people who he served with who spoke French - Only one person from Broussard who he knew;
12:00 - Says he never felt out of place while serving;
13:00 - After serving, worked in the family business - Laundry pressing and dry cleaning;
16:00 - Discussing the planes that he flew on;
17:30 - Interview with Hazel Bernard Herpin:
18:00 - Went to Opelousas High School, Born in 1927,
18:20 - Didn't speak French, never saw kids punished for speaking French in school;
20:40 - Graduated from High School in 1945, then went to school to become a cadet nurse;
21:20 - Living in Baton Rouge for school;
23:00 - French in school;
27:00 - Her grandmother spoke Creole French
29:30 - Plantation homes in Saint Francisville;
30:20 - Interview with Dalton Comeaux:
30:30 - Background - Born in 1922 in Maurice. Went to High School in Indian Bayou;
31:20 - Speaks French - his mother spoke very little English;
33:15 - Learned English in school;
33:40 - Punishment for speaking French in school;
37:25 - Les Americains;
40:00 - French in the family;
40:40 - Creation of CODOFIL - shift in how people looked down on French speakers;
41:00 - Dalton discusses how being able to speak French helped him throughout his life;
41:40 - Teaching in Tunisia - Taught them how to raise beef and dairy cattle, did all of his teaching in French;
44:00 - Retired after returning from Tunisia;
Interviews with Dalton and Evelyn Comeaux
Interview with Dalton Comeaux (cont.):
00:40 - Continued teaching in Africa - Made five short trips to train them for beef cattle production and dairy production;
02:00 - One of his students came back to the states, went to Texas A&M and got his Master's degree a Ph.D. in two years;
04:00 - Finished high school in 1939 and started at U.S.L.;
05:10 - Was the second sibling in his family to graduate from college;
06:00 - Joined the Army, went to Cheyenne, Wyoming for basic training
07:55 - Had a brother who died in the service during an invasion near Tunisia;
09:00 - Adjusting to being far away from home;
12:00 - 89th Division - Duties as T/5;
14:50 - French background;
15:50 - Medical discharge - Got some kind of ear infection that led to a hearing loss;
08:00 - Dalton's wife Evelyn joins the conversation;
18:30 - Evelyn started teaching English in 1942 and was a part-time librarian;
19:00 - Started at Thibodeaux High
19:20 - French speaking students - says she had some, but not as many as the Opelousas;
20:20 - She says there was no pressure from the state to not allow French on the school grounds at the point;
20:50 - French at home;
21:20 - learned Standard French - 2 years in high school, 2 years in college;
22:15 - Got her Master's in Library Science at LSU;
23:00 - integrating Opelousas High students and teachers - Some picketers were blocking the entire entrance;
24:45 - Protests at school board meeting;
27:00 - Teachers being reassigned;
32:50 - Moved to Saint Landry Parish in 1946, she took off work for 3-4 years, then started teaching in Washington, LA
33:00 - Problems at Washington High in 1954 - Assistant Principal thought that the school was too progressive;
38:00 - Culture shock;
39:25 - Changing attitudes towards Cajuns;
40:45 - Evelyn's heritage - Toups family;
42:30 - Was in charge of beef and dairy cattle enterprises in Saint Landry Parish
43:45 - Using bi-planes for seeding rice fields;
44:20 - Technology in agriculture - Insect control
Interviews with Dalton and Evelyn Comeaux, Barbara Secardo, Curney Dronet
Interview with Dalton and Evelyn Comeaux (cont.):
00:00 - Using airplanes in agriculture - Dalton uses aircraft to plant rice seed;
00:55 - Other changes in agriculture in St. Landry Parish;
03:00 - Sharecropping;
06:30 - Crops grown - Sweet potatoes, sugarcane, rice, cotton;
08:55 - Cattle operations went down when soybean farming became popular in the 70s;
11:00 - Rotating crawfish and rice farming;
12:30 - Advances in insect control;
13:55 - Attending a Swiss livestock show;
15:15 - Importance of agriculture in South Louisiana;
Interview with Barbara Secardo:
18:30 - Her father helped start Cotton Bros. Bakery;
19:00 - Story about Echo and Poland, LA during WWII- When Hitler took over the nation of Poland, locals saw headlines and thought they were referring to their small town;
23:10 - Italian POWs;
24:00 - Italian American citizens couldn't own weapons during WWII;
28:00 - Friend's father was at Pearl Harbor;
28:30 - Boarding soldiers and wives at their home;
30:00 - Sheriff Didier;
32:30 - Music in the family
35:35 - Interview with Curney Dronet - September 12, 1997
36:00 - Americanization of Cajuns after WWII;
37:50 - Discussing the oil boom in South LA;
43:00 - Glen Conrad's classification of Acadians as Creoles
44:20 - Dronet's heritage - French and Spanish;
Interview with Curney Dronet and Robert Leblanc; Interview with Louise Landry and Dave Landry
00:00 - Being stationed in Scotland for training;
01:10 - Being debriefed on situation going on in France, they had to know the French language for this;
02:10 - Description of OSS teams and their jobs;
05:30 - Was assigned to the 4th armored division;
07:40 - Description of tasks - Provided security for Patton's convoys, guarded POWs, provided intelligence;
09:00 - Returning to U.S. for training and then was deployed to French Indochina - trained people over there for espionage work;
10:00 - End of the war; returning home;
10:30 - State of education before WWII;
11:35 - Studied Geology at LSU, had not graduated by the time he was called to duty;
12:10 - Never registered for the Draft because he was an ROTC cadet;
12:50 - His family owned the first radio in Abbeville, Only station they caught was WWL;
15:00 - Robert LeBlanc's background - Born north of Erath in 1921, moved to Abbeville when his father went work at the Accessor's office;
15:30 - Charles Donald Frederick's death at Pearl Harbor;
18:30 - Glen Conrad and Carl Brasseaux's definitions of Cajun and Creole;
20:00 - LeBlanc talks about joining the service after Pearl Harbor;
23:20 - Response to the Pearl Harbor attack;
24:45 - LeBlanc spoke very little English when he started grade school. He discusses learning English in school;
25:55 - He was never punished for speaking French, but talks about how other students were punished;
29:30 - Hiring of non-local, non-French speaking teachers;
31:30 - Discussing how bilingualism is valuable;
32:25 - Shame felt for not being able to speak English;
35:00 - Americanization;
35:45 - LeBlanc telling a story about having dinner with some French people, he used the word "asteur" which caught the ear of the older people;
40:20 - Culture shock when entering the service;
43:30 - Slang from different regions
44:15 - "Frenchie" nickname; name mispronunciation
Interview with Robert LeBlanc and Curney Dronet
00:00 - French speakers calling non-French speakers "les Americains" during WWII;
05:30 - Next generation of French speakers - Talking about not teaching their children French in the 40s, 50s and 60s;
09:30 - Discussing the Cold War; Political Conflicts;
10:30 - Red scare in Acadiana;
14:15 - Ho Chi Minh;
15:45 - McCarthyism in Louisiana;
18:00 - Discussing impractical military equipment;
19:55 - Local perception of the Vietnam war;
23:30 - Vietnam war protesters on college campuses
25:00 - Education debate - thoughts on Technical Schools, Community Colleges and Liberal Arts Schools;
31:25 - G.I Bill - Education for veterans;
33:00 - Education in Vermillion Parish;
36:00 - Walter McIlhenny;
37:30 - Leaving home for training;
38:00 - Attending a 6-week course on nuclear weapons in Kansas;
39:30 - Rundown of Leblanc's military career;
40:55 - Civil defense;
42:20 - Threat of nuclear war during the Cold War;
42:45 - Bogalusa Civil Rights March;
Interview with Curney Dronet and Robert Leblanc; Interview with Louise Landry and Dave Landry
Interview with Dronet and Leblanc (cont.):
00:30 - Contingency plans for Vermilion Parish in case of nuclear war;
00:50 - Fallout shelters;
02:30 - Nuclear drills for local officials
04:00 - Discussing various private fallout shelters built in Vermilion Parish;
07:20 - germ (biological) warfare;
Interview with Louise Landry and Dave Landry:
13:20 - Personal info;
15:00 - Discussing family members who spoke English;
16:20 - Punishments for speaking French in school;
20:30 - Quitting school for work, had to go back to school since he wasn't 16;
21:15 - Dave describes working in the bakery for John Henke. Eventually started working as an electrician;
20:20 - Experiences in the military - Korea, was drafted and served from 52-54, Highest rank was as Corporal;
25:00 - Worked at Jefferson Island Salt Mine during the strike;
26:30 - Military training in Arkansas
30:00 - People would ask where he was from due to his accent while in training;
31:00 - Working in the oil field and being called a "coonass" and discussing why they don't like the slang;
34:10 - Didn't see any combat during Korea, stayed stateside. Was transferred to Fort Hood in Texas;
38:45 - Not teaching their children French, Louise mentions that they didn't feel a sense of pride for the language until recently;
41:00 - Use of the French language in church;
Interview with Allen Simon
01:45 - Rod Bernard's "Colinda;"
02:30 - La Kalinda dance;
03:45 - Shane's PhD dissertation;
05:30 - Allen was born January 29, 1937;
06:00 - Speaking French in the family, he says they totally lived in French at home in the 40s. English was forbidden;
09:00 - Speaking French in school and learning English;
11:00 - "Creole" meaning;
11:55 - French identity - Would refer to themselves as "French," not Cajun, Acadian, American, etc; "les Americans;"
14:00 - Bombing of Pearl Harbor;
16:00 - Practice drills and rations during the war - cooking oil, fuel, leather, rubber, tires, sugar, etc;
16:30 - Didn't have electricity in their house until the 50s, used kerosene lamps;
20:00 - Finding out about Pearl Harbor via radio;
23:15 - Seeing news clips at the theatres after the movies would finish;
25:00 - News on the radio; "Cousin" Dudley Leblanc;
28:00 - French on the radio;
28:45 - James Domengeaux, Bertrand LeBlanc;
31:40 - LA Department of Education's reaction to the war;
33:40 - Education laws in 1921 and the demise of the French language in LA;
35:30 - Bringing in outsider teachers, punishments for speaking French;
39:30 - French being thought of as low class;
41:00 - Benefits of being bilingual;
43:20 - Lived in Southeast TX for a while and was called a "coonass." Story about standing up for himself when getting picked on;