D. L. Menard

Doris Leon Menard[1] (April 14, 1932 – July 27, 2017) was an American songwriter, performer, and recording artist in contemporary Cajun music. He was called the "Cajun Hank Williams".[2]

D. L. Menard
D. L. Menard playing guitar at the 2008 Black Pot Festival
Menard at the 2008 Black Pot Festival
Background information
Birth nameDoris Leon Menard
Born(1932-04-14)April 14, 1932
Erath, Louisiana, U.S.
DiedJuly 27, 2017(2017-07-27) (aged 85)
Scott, Louisiana, U.S.
GenresCajun
Instrument(s)Guitar
LabelsSwallow, Rounder, Arhoolie

Biography

Menard was born in Erath, Louisiana, and was the only child[3] of Ophy and Helena Primeaux Menard.[4] He was part of a Cajun farming family. He took up the guitar at age 16 and started playing dances in Louisiana clubs at 17.[4] He was strongly influenced by the late Hank Williams, whom he met in 1951 at the Teche Club[3] shortly before Williams's death.[5] Throughout his career, Menard held performances in more than 30 countries and served as a good-will ambassador for Cajun culture. He had also recorded with non-Cajun artists, including Bryan Ferry.[6]

Menard, and his late wife Louella, had seven children, leading to 17 grandchildren, and 27[7] great-grandchildren.[2] He died at age 85 on July 27, 2017, in Scott, Louisiana.[8] He had maintained a separate career as a craftsman, noted for his handmade ash-wood chairs.[4]

Style

Menard was known for his "tinny" voice and popular guitar strumming style. Musician and historian Ann Savoy generalizes Cajun guitar strumming to two styles: Old Time Style (Cléoma Falcon) and D. L. Menard Style.[9] It uses bass runs on chord changes and incorporates up-strokes along with down-strokes. He modeled his strumming style after David Bromberg, whom he met in 1973.[10]

"La Porte En Arrière"

Menard was best known for the song "La Porte En Arrière" ("The Back Door"), which he both composed and regularly performed. Cajun folklorist Barry Jean Ancelet has called this the most played and recorded Cajun song ever, selling over 500,000 copies in 1962 alone.[11] It has been covered by dozens of Cajun and zydeco bands and by other francophone artists such as Kate & Anna McGarrigle. Menard said he modeled it on Hank Williams's "Honky Tonk Blues",[3] and that he composed it in less than an hour while working at a gas station in Erath.[4]

Awards

In 1993, his album Le Trio Cadien was nominated for a Grammy Award in the Best Traditional Folk Album category.[12] In 1994, he was a recipient of a National Heritage Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts, which is the highest honor in the folk and traditional arts bestowed by the United States government.[13] In 2009, he was inducted into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame along with Jo-El Sonnier, Doug Kershaw, and Jimmy C. Newman.[14] In 2010, his album Happy Go Lucky was nominated for a Grammy Award in the Best Zydeco or Cajun Music Album category.[15]

Discography

Singles
  • "She Didn't Know I Was Married" / "Bachelor's Life" Swallow 45-10139[16]
  • "The Back Door" / "I Can't Forget You" Swallow 45-10131[17]
  • "Valse De Jolly Rogers" / "La. Aces Special" Swallow 45-10121[17]
  • "Rebecca Ann" / "I Can Live A Better Life" Swallow 45-10147[18]
  • "Too Late You're Divorced" / "Riches Of A Musician" Swallow 45-10243[16]
  • "The Vail and Crown" Swallow 45-10249[19]

Albums
  • Louisiana Aces (1974) Rounder Select 6008[20]
  • Cajun Hits Volume 2 (n.d.) Swallow LP 6003[20]
  • En Bas Du Chene Vert (1976) Arhoolie Records[20]
  • The Best of Cajun Hits Volume 3 (1978) Swallow LP 6033[20]
  • The Back Door (1980) Swallow LP 6038[20]
  • Cajun Saturday Night (1984) Rounder Select 0198[20]
  • No Matter Where You At, There You Are (1988) Rounder Select 6021[20]
  • Le Trio Cadien (1992) Rounder Select[21]
  • Cajun Memories (1995) Swallow LP 6125[21]
  • Happy Go Lucky (2010) Swallow CD 6219[21]

See also

References
  1. François 1990, p. 446.
  2. "D.L. Menard". Archived from the original on January 21, 2008. Retrieved October 21, 2009.
  3. Savoy 1984, p. 272.
  4. Savoy 1984, p. 270.
  5. Les Blank (director), Chris Strachwitz (director), Maureen Gosling (October 13, 1989). J'ai été au bal (Documentary). Brazos Films. Event occurs at 49 minutes.
  6. "These Vintage years!". Archived from the original on February 8, 2008. Retrieved October 21, 2009.
  7. Personal knowledge as a friend of the family.
  8. "Legendary Cajun Musician D. L. Menard dies at 85". Archived from the original on July 28, 2017. Retrieved July 27, 2017.
  9. Savoy 1984, p. 8.
  10. Savoy 1984, p. 273.
  11. "Louisiana Music Hall of Fame". Retrieved November 29, 2009.
  12. "Rock on The Net: 35th Annual Grammy Awards". Retrieved October 21, 2009.
  13. "NEA National Heritage Fellowships 1994". www.arts.gov. National Endowment for the Arts. Archived from the original on September 25, 2020. Retrieved December 16, 2020.
  14. "Louisiana Music Hall of Fame". Retrieved July 27, 2017.
  15. "D.L. Menard, Cajun Music Ambassador, Is Dead at 85". US News. July 28, 2017. Retrieved July 29, 2017.
  16. "Cajun music icon D.L. Menard, known for 'The Back Door,' dies at 85". USA Today. Retrieved July 29, 2017.
  17. Janet McConnaughey (July 28, 2017). "'The Back Door' singer D.L. Menard dead at 85". Fox News. Retrieved July 29, 2017.
  18. "I Can Live A Better Life Swallow". All Music. Retrieved July 29, 2017.
  19. "The Vail and Crown Swallow". All Music. Retrieved July 29, 2017.
  20. Hobbs, Jim. "Cajun and Zydeco 33 Rpm Long-Play (LP) Records". Retrieved November 29, 2009.
  21. "D.L. Menard". All Music. July 29, 2017.

Further reading
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