Ed Kershaw- La Lake Arthur

The Kershaw's were a family filled with Cajun musicians. They were originally from Tiel Ridge at the tip of Cameron Parish and were a family of trappers and fishermen. 

The father, Jack, played accordion and fiddle and mother Rita played almost any instrument. The boys, Nelson "Pee Wee" and older brother Edward learned the accordion by being around the music. In a short time Edward got a guitar and Pee Wee learned the drums and fiddle. Doug began playing the fiddle at the age of five with Rusty playing the guitar. 

Following their father's death in 1943 the family moved to Lake Arthur. The brothers scraped up money as they could. They shined shoes and played music to make a little money. In 1947 the brothers formed the Continentals playing throughout the area. Edward played the drums from time to time with them.

Not much is known about Edward's life after these years. But in 1962-1963, his brother Pee Wee recalls that Ed, who was living in Port Bolivar, Texas, at the time, recorded two songs at Huey Meaux's Sugar Hill studio in Houston. 

The two songs were "Mama and Papa Waltz" and "Big Ed's Special". Ed's brother recalls the same songs were released on Goldband as "Gran Pa and Grand Ma Waltz" and "La Lake Arthur," but no information is known on how this occurred. Rusty played the guitar, Doug was on fiddle, Pee Wee played the drums, and Ed played the accordion on this session.
















Resources
John Broven- South To Louisiana