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 Lynn August by Ben Sandmel
Recorded circa 1990
Ben Sandmel with Lynn August:
00:00 - Grew up in Lafayette
00:40 - Had an Uncle who played accordion - Claudelle Duffy
01:30 - His main inspiration came from Ray Charles (R.C. Robinson) - playing in Four Corners
02:00 - Showed musical talent from a young age
-Drums were his first instrument. Parents were very supportive of his musical development
03:45 - His father would take him to different clubs to audition - Peppermint Lounge - Roland Dice
04:40 - Esquerita
05:15 - New Orleans Funk Beat
07:45 - Going on the road with Jay Nelson
09:00 - Starting his own band - playing with Buckwheat Zydeco (Stanley Dural)
10:30 - Status of Zydeco in the 60's - Clifton Chenier
12:30 - Worked at a Bino's Lounge in St. Martinville playing 4 nights a week solo on a Hammond B3 organ for $300 a week
13:30 - Side gigs besides Bino's Lounge
16:30 - Working the hotel circuits
17:30 - First Zydeco gig - Going on the road with Marcel Dugas
18:00 - Grew up speaking French
22:50 - Worked as choir director for churches around Lafayette
23:30 - Regional touring with lounge chains
24:35 - Worked at the Driftwood Club in Lafayette with a trio (at the Northgate Mall)
28:00 - Country artists - Ronnie Milsap, Keith Whitley, Randy Travis
29:45 - In 1988 started to get burned out so he built a studio and began writing and wanted to learn Zydeco
32:30 - How playing the drums helped him learn to play the accordion
35:00 - Blind Musicians - Blind John Davis, Henry Butler, etc
36:30 - Purchased his first accordion in 1989
37:00 - Comeback of Zydeco music
38:45 - He never let his blindness hold him back
42:30 - Singing 'Juré'
Interviews of Rusty Kershaw by Ben Sandmel
Recorded circa 1990
Ben Sandmel with Rusty Kershaw:
00:01:20 - Born on a house boat
00:01:30 - Talks about his childhood and parents - trapping, fishing, hunting
00:02:20 - Mother and Father both played music and relatives on both sides of his family played music
00:02:50 - After death of his Father they moved to Lake Arthur; French was their first language
00:03:30 - His brother, Peewee, began playing with Amedée Breaux
00:03:45 - Later his mother started a band with her sons
00:04:45 - Later started a band was called Peewee Kershaw and the Continental Playboys;
00:05:15 - Recording a record with Doug Kershaw
00:05:35 - Playing with Lightnin' Slim
00:08:30 - Recording for Acuff/Rose in Nashville
00:09:00 - Played on Louisiana Hayride
00:09:30 - WSM - Grand Ole Opry
00:09:50 - Doug being drafted into the service
00:10:00 - Recording with Roy Orbison and other Nashville musicians
00:12:00 - Separating from Rusty and Doug and going solo
00:13:40 - Recording with Neil Young
00:15:10 - Moving back to Louisiana in the late 70s
00:15:30 - Growing up in the Rockefeller Reserve - the houseboat he grew up on
00:17:30 - New Project with Johnny Ray Allen
00:18:00 - As children they listened to the Grand Old Opry on the radio
00:20:00 - Learning to speak English
00:20:30 - Peewee playing with Amedé Breaux
00:20:50 - Seeing Iry LeJeune, Nathan Abshire, Harry Choates - Playing at the Avalon Club
00:21:00 - Iry LeJeune's influence on how they play music
00:22:10 - Hackberry Ramblers
00:23:30 - Lightnin' Slim - Recording for J.D. Miller
00:24:50 - George Jones, Seeing Hank Williams as a child
00:28:40 - Swamp Pop - Johnnie Allan, Rod Bernard, Cookie and the Cupcakes
00:29:40 - Clifton Chenier
00:32:35 - Rusty and Doug - Reunion shows and reissues of old recordings
00:33:15 - Art Neville
00:38:50 - Being raised around alligators
00:39:50 - Going through songs on his new album
00:41:30 - How he came to write some of his songs / Emotions in music
00:43:20 - Experience playing Jazz Music - Murton Thibodeaux
00:47:00 - Joking around and telling stories on stage
00:53:30 - Relation to Sammy Kershaw
01:01:15 - Writing a song with Rick Danko
Interview of Terrance Simien and Dickie Landry by Ben Sandmel
Recorded circa 1990
Ben Sandmel with Terrance Simien and Dickie Landry:
00:30 - Cuts on the movie "Big Easy"
00:45 - How he finally settled on his most recent record deal
02:00 - How touring has helped the band
02:50 - Members of the band - Mark Semar, Russel Dorian, Troy Gaspard, John Esprit
08:30 - Songs on the record
11:40 - Comments on songs the band has done
14:45 - Influences of Reggae music
19:40 - How being in the "Big Easy" helped the band - Friendship with Dennis Quaid
20:50 - Meeting the Neville Brothers
24:00 - Zydeco music - distinctive sound
25:10 - Working on learning to speak French
30:00 - Singing harmony on the records
30:20 - Rockin' Sidney - "Don't Mess With My Toot Toot"
30:50 - Missing playing music locally at clubs like Slim's and Richard's
35:00 - Dickie Landry describing his recent work and musical style
35:15 - Wrote music for a Mass
(Recordings of Mass can be found in Dickie Landry Audio Collection at ACCF)
36:25 - Dickie's prior production work - Philip Glass
37:00 - Thoughts on finishing up with Terrence's album
39:00 - Record labels and contracts
Interview of Terrance Simien by Ben Sandmel
Recorded in 1987
Ben Sandmel with Terrance Simien:
00:30 - How he began playing music - Hanging out at Slim's and Richard's Club
01:05 - Church of Saint Anne's having a dance and hosting trial ride
02:45 - Teaching himself to play accordion and his influences
05:00 - Playing at the World's Fair and playing in Washington D.C.
09:30 - "The Big Easy" - writing a song with Dennis Quaid and recording it with Art Neville and Dickie Landry
10:30 - Booking Agent
11:20 - Description of his musical style
20:00 - Plans for future recording
22:10 - Parents spoke French but did not teach him, now he is trying to learn
25:45 - Soul music being worked into Zydeco music - different Zydeco styles
27:00 - Evolution of music
28:20 - Boozoo Chavis
29:30 - Clifton Chenier
34:00 - Difficulties playing music close to home and gaining respect in the local community
Interview of Brownie Ford by Ben Sandmel
Recorded circa 1985
Ben Sandmel with Brownie Ford:
00:10 - Was born in Oklahoma in Indian territory, raised by his uncle who bought and sold horses and cattle
03:00 - Wilson family - first female horse rider to wear men's clothes
-her husband was killed so she had to care for the stock
05:25 - Riding horseback to school at eight years old
07:15 - Indian Joe Keith
09:00 - Buffalo Bill - Wild West Show
13:00 - Story about the Burma Twins - Snakehorse Slim, Hook 'n Brimmer - Clyde and Claude Rogers
14:00 - Experiences growing up and the changes he has seen
15:00 - Was on a Wild West show and his experiences, Rodeo Experiences
25:00 - Moving to Louisiana
30:00 - Repairing chairs and saddles - Demonstrations at festivals
Interview of Brownie Ford by Ben Sandmel
Recording is mostly inaudible
Interview of Brownie Ford by Ben Sandmel
Ben Sandmel with Brownie Ford:
00:38 - Story about Bonnie and Clyde - Encounter with Bonnie and Clyde right before they were killed
05:00 - Marge Hamilton stories
10:30 - Thompson and Sutton family feud
Interview of Crawford Vincent by Ben Sandmel Part 1
Recorded in 1992
Ben Sandmel with Crawford Vincent:
00:10 - How he got started in music, born in Gueydan
00:20 - When he was 8 started playing the Harmonica, first learned Poor Hobo, Joe Werner
03:00 - Family members who played fiddle
05:20 - During his childhood 1930's it was hard to buy instruments
05:30 - Got his first fiddle through his sister when he was 9
18:15 - Has a love for the fiddle but plays other instruments mainly
09:30 - Got started on drums with Hackberry Ramblers because he needed a job on Saturday nights
16:40 - Lloyd Ellis
20:00 - Playing with Harry Choates, says he was a great guitar player but preferred fiddle
-Talking about Harry's life and growing up
22:10 - Story about Leo Soileau and Crawford saving Harry
24:30 - Leo Soileau - Mentoring Harry Choates and Crawford
26:00 - Harry Choates playing steel guitar - Charlie Christian
32:30 - Leo Soileau recording for Decca records with a drummer
28:00 - Some of the racism at the time effecting the music and musicians
41:50 - Driving with Iry Lejeune - stories about Iry
Interview of Crawford Vincent by Ben Sandmel Part 2
Recorded in 1992
Ben Sandmel with Crawford Vincent:
00:00 - Playing with Iry Lejeune's Uncle - Angelas LeJeune
01:40 - Lionel Leleux's story about Iry LeJeune - Iry playing music by himself
02:00 - Watching Amedé Ardoin play with Leo Soileau
03:00 - Late 30's - people didn't want to hear the accordion
04:00 - Trends in music - how styles change
07:00 - How they began playing at the Showboat
10:00 - People wanting more Western Swing than Cajun music
12:30 - Time when people looked down on the fiddle
12:50 - Trouble getting paid, other conflicts with clubs and musicians
19:30 - Otis and Floyd Shreve
21:00 - Reliability of musicians
Interview of Geno Delafose by Ben Sandmel
Recorded in 1990
Ben Sandmel with Geno Delafose:
00:30 - Plays accordion and drums
00:55 - What Geno likes about the album, favorite songs
01:40 - Comments on each song on the album
03:00 - Country musicians he likes and listens to
04:00 - Alvin Cormier
Interview by Ben Sandmel with John Delafose
Ben Sandmel with John Delafose:
00:20 - John talking about the make up of the new album
01:05 - Comments on each song
02:30 - Country musicians he likes
07:55 - Pride in his son's (Geno and Tony) playing music
Hackberry Ramblers on NPR's Fresh Air
Hackberry Ramblers:
00:00 - Intro and band info
00:55 - Hackberry Ramblers 1936 recording of Jolie Blonde
02:10 - Luderin talking about how the band got started
03:25 - Ben talking about joining the band
04:20 - Incorporating Western Swing/Hillbilly Music into Cajun music
04:35 - Playing in dance halls without electricity and ways they figured out how to power the amplifier
08:15 - Luderin learned to speak French as a child but was told to speak English when he went to school
09:10 - 1930's recording of Eh la bas
11:50 - Recording for Chris Strachwitz's Arhoolie Records in the 1960's
-Story about how Strachwitz was able to locate Luderin Darbone
13:15 - Black Bayou Rag recoded in the 1960s
14:15 - What it is like for Luderin to play music at his age
16:20 - Hackberry Ramblers Theme song
Interview by Ben Sandmel with John and Geno Delafose
Repeat of the interviews on SA1-050 and SA1-051
Interview by Ben Sanmel with Lee Atwater
Ben Sandmel with Lee Atwater:
00:30 - His interest and background in Blues
00:40 - Listened to WLAC late at night as a child
01:45 - Musicians he would go out and listen to at clubs
02:15 - Music as a profession
02:30 - Backing up musicians like Lee Dorsey, Eddie Floyd, Percy Sledge
03:00 - Leaving music and getting into politics
05:00 - Working with musicians - helping them gain exposure
05:30 - Knowing and playing with other blues musicians
07:30 - Bassist and Drummers needing to work together as one unit
08:00 - Learning from watching musicians and playing with them
09:00 - Mixing music and politics
Interview by Ben Sandmel with Snooks Eaglin
Ben Sandmel with Snooks Eaglin:
01:00 - Companies he's recorded with
01:45 - The change he sees in the public and the type of music they like
02:00 - Recording for Harry Oster (Folkways Records) - his opinions on these early recordings
03:00 - Playing radio shows and high school dances
03:30 - Born in New Orleans
04:00 - His father was an harmonica player and used to jam with his father in the evenings
-Recording on family's acetate and tape recorders
05:00 - How he began playing at clubs - Eddie Bo
07:45 - Attending the School for the Blind in Baton Rouge
10:20 - Becoming the band leader - naming band members - playing with Allan Toussaint
13:00 - Modern music being played on the radio
14:15 - Playing with Art Neville
15:25 - "Caddo" - Crowd demanding him to play "Mother in Law"
17:25 - Playing with Eddie Bo and Joe Smith
19:30 - Playing at the World's Fair
21:30 - Stories about a guitars and amps falling apart during his gig
22:40 - Playing at Tipitina's - amp catching fire
23:45 - Smiley Lewis
25:00 - Teaching himself to play, listening to music growing up
27:00 - Talking about Ray Charles and his ways - playing gigs with him
29:50 - Joe Turner
31:30 - Talking about his style and how he can twist his fingers
33:30 - White Audiences at Blues shows
37:10 - Going to London with Professor Longhair
40:00 - What Snooks feels gives his music a different feel from most blues musicians
43:30 - Feelings about country music - Hank Williams, Jim Reeves, Lefty Frizell
44:20 - Snooks' wife talking bout being married to a musician and traveling some with him
50:30 - Issues they had while playing gigs