Former Accession # TI1-016

1:00 They talk about Rosie being in heavy rotation on the radio, especially from Lafayette to Lake Charles. Rosie says she wasn't a big fan of Zydeco growing up. She started liking it after hearing Boozoo play at Richard's one night when she was a teenager with her uncle. Her parents listened to Zydeco but no one in her family plays music. Rosie listened to a lot of rock and roll and talks about the musicians she likes listening to. She talks about the night she saw Boozoo at Richard's. Morris sat in that night on accordion playing songs by Amede Ardoin and that's how he got his start. Jealous Man Two-Step. That night was the first night Rosie and Morris met. They got married the next year. He had a band for four years before she ever picked up the accordion.
8:40 They tell a story about Morris telling Rosie not to mess with his accordion while he was gone. Rosie played 'Morning Train' for him after she had been practicing on her own. They went on tour (Morris Ledet & the Zydeco Playboys) in the summer of 1993 and Rosie would play with the band some of the time. By 1994, Rosie was in the band full-time and Morris moved to the bass. Rosie recorded her first album that year.
11:49 They talk about Queen Ida and Ann Goodly being the other women accordion players in Zydeco. Rosie says some of the older people feel like women shouldn't play.
16:30 Rosie says she has a reputation for being shy, but she's not like that on stage. Morris says her change on stage is like night and day.
20:40 Rosie's given name is Mary Rosezla Bellard. She was born in Church Point and brought up in Eunice. Morris was born and raised in Iota, La where he works at the high school as a janitor. They say Beau Jocque is their biggest influence. She says basically Zydeco is revved up blues. Morris started playing his second year in high school when he found one in the band room. The first song he learned to play was Terrence Simien's 'Hee Haw Breakdown'. He learned to play by ear. His dad had an accordion but was a blues harmonica player. He plays rubboard with the band. Morris manages the band. They talk about how the band makes business decisions.
27:10 They just moved to their new home and talk about how they've been taking care of Morris' parents for the past several years. Rosie's family is very supportive. She says her mom is her number one fan. They talk about Rosie's first songs that she wrote.
33:30 Rosie talks about her parents speaking French but Rosie doesn't speak it well because her parents discouraged her from speaking it but now she's trying to learn from her parents.
36:30 There are younger people in the crowds now. She feels like Zydeco is popular with the younger crowd because of people like Beau Jocque and Boozoo putting rock into the music. Zydeco has brought the community together. Morris wishes they were on the road more and they are playing a venue in Los Angeles called the Alligator Lounge and the Foothill Club in Long Beach.
39:28 They talk about how local people don't like musicians to change Zydeco and add outside influences. She likes to write about everyday stuff. She mentions her favorite songs that she wrote and songs that other Zydeco musicians have written.
45:00 Rosie used to be terrified of Mardi Gras. She talks about what it was like for her during Mardi Gras as a kid.
48:30 They are working on songs for the next album. Rosie plays at home for her daughter, Cassandra, and at her daughter's school. Rosie talks about being a fan of Koko Taylor. They talk about rivalries in the Zydeco scene.
55:20 They talk about working with Rockin Sidney and how much he has taught them. Lake Charles and Lafayette want to hear the piano accordion, but the Opelousas/Lawtell area is more French accordion. Rosie loves New Orleans and all the different music.
59:00 Their band is almost all family members. Ray Johnson is starting to play guitar with them.
1:02:00 Women's roles in music and the lack of credit they get in the country.