Interview with Rufus Thibodeaux

Accession No.: 
BE2-064

Rufus Thibodeaux:

***Warren Storm is part of the conversation***

00:05 - Mentioned Blake Mouton; Lots of accordion players around Church Point and Sunset

00:50 - His first gig was at the Bloody Bucket in Lake Arthur when he was 6 and a half
-His dad played accordion and he played guitar; A few killings happened there; Chicken wire

02:30 - Played with the Rayne Playboys when he was 13; Born January 5th, 1934
-At 16, he went work with Papa Cairo around Crowley
-Around 17 or 18, he went work with Jimmy who was in Ville Platte

03:30 - In 1954, they recorded for George Khoury; In August 1956, they went to the Opry
-Jimmy had recorded some with Chuck Guillory and Papa Cairo
-Jimmy was on Colonial Records from New Orleans; Dot Records; Randy's Record shop

05:15 - In 1957, he went work with Bob Wills for a year and a half
-Photo from the Show Boat in Las Vegas; Liberty Record label; He played fiddle; All touring

06:38 - He went back to Nashville; Played with George Jones
-Jimmy and George would tour together, so he'd back them both up

08:30 - Session work; Only Cajun fiddler in Nashville; Off and on from 1956 till end of the '70s
-Recorded with Lynn Anderson, Neil Young; Recorded 5 albums with Neil
-Tour of Australia and New Zealand

10:15 - Talks about a picture with Mick Jagger; Dressing rooms were next to each other for Live Aid in Philadelphia; Biggest show he ever did

11:00 - He played on and off with Jimmy till about 7-8 years ago
-He knows other session musicians: Pete Drake, Charles McCoy, Russell White

12:30 - He's probably done a couple of hundred sessions/albums
-Always was homesick for Louisiana; Decided to move back when he got older
-There were some lean years in Nashville; He lived off of playing music; Decline in country music

14:15 - He plays bass, electric mandolin; He played bass in rock and roll bands
-Worked with Neil off and on since 1975; Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young recording; Rockabilly album

16:30 - Cajun band with Rodney Miller called Cajun Born
-They are playing in Houston; Playing around New Iberia and Opelousas

19:00 - Jokes and stories; Johnny and Jesse Credeur are cousins
21:40 - Plays some fiddle for a photo
23:30 - Fiddle got smashed
25:15 - Jokes and stories

Media Type: 
Audio
Collection: 
Benicewicz, Larry
Subject: 
Music; Cajun; Country; Fiddle
Creator: 
Larry Benicewicz
Informants: 
Rufus Thibodeaux
Publisher: 
Larry Benicewicz
Rights Usage: 
All rights reserved
Language: 
English
Meta Information
Duration: 
00:31:27
Cataloged Date: 
Tuesday, September 17, 2019
Digitized Date: 
Monday, October 15, 2007
Original Format: 
Audio--Cassette--90
Digital Format: 
Audio
Bit Depth: 
24 bit
Sampling Rate: 
96 kHz
Storage Location: 
Center for Louisiana Studies