He is a bilingual singer-songwriter, accordionist, pianist, guitarist, producer, poet and author born in Southwest Louisiana to a Cajun family whose first entry into a career in music was at Saint John’s Cathedral in Lafayette where he was first soprano with the Bishop’s Boys Choir. He studied at university and aside from showing his resistance to Vietnam he began composing his first songs.
He moved to New York City and in 1972 was awarded his first recording contract, which resulted in the album High Time which was put to one side at the time by the record company as it was undergoing changes. Rhino Records later released it after 30 years of being “lost”.
He went to France in 1974 after he had been let down by the record company and he began to find recognition there. He also was a co-founder of the Bayou Drifter Band, which performed Cajun and “swamp rock” and found popularity in Canada. In 1976 he settled in Montreal, Canada, and over the period of the nest 5 years he recorded seven albums in French, of which two of them achieved gold status.
1981 saw him returning to Louisiana and recording two albums in English and then A&M signed him for a further two. The success of these recordings and his continual touring schedule saw him beginning to receive a receptive international audience. In 1994 he recorded another album in French following an appearance at the Acardian World Congress at New Brunswick in Canada.
As a poet he has published several collections of poetry in French, which include Feu and Faire Recolte. In 1998 he published the children’s story Conte Cajun which he had written for his daughter in 1980 and followed up with his L’Histoire de Telesphore et ‘Tit Edvard dans le nord.
Extremely proud of his French Louisiana roots he is a founder of Action Cadienne which promotes the Cadian culture and language and also produced the Prix Historia award winning TV programme Against the Tide which he narrated. After Hurricane Katrina occurred he was heavily committed to the relief efforts and co-wrote the song “La promesse cassee” which appears on the album “Lumiere dans le noir” has all the royalties being given to help musicians from New Orleans that were affected by the tragedy. The song “O Jesus” which also appears on that album has all his royalties going to help improve conditions for children in Africa.
His other albums include Migration, Mardi Gras Mambo, Zack’s Bon Ton and Snake Bite Love and as an accordionist on recordings by other artists he has featured on Feeding Frenzy Boats and Beaches, Bars & Ballads by Jimmy Buffett, Backstreets of Desire by Willy DeVille, Louisiana Love Call by Maria Muldaur, Captain Swing by Michelle Shocked and the soundtrack of Big Easy among others.
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