Iry Lejeune - Church Point Breakdown

Iry Joseph Lejeune was born October 27, 1928 into a musical family of country farmers. At a early age, it was noticed that Iry had impaired vision that seemed to follow the Lejeune family. At a early age he began playing the harmonica. Then at age 6 he began playing the accordion. He began playing on his father's accordion even though his father was worried he would break it. Iry went wherever he could to hear and learn accordion. He learned most of the time from his father and his great uncle, Angelas Lejeune.

On a trip to New Orleans during 1946, Iry began he began playing in a bar where he  received $50 dollars a night plus tips. Floyd Leblanc's group, The Oklahoma Tornadoes, were playing next door. Iry met up with Floyd and was soon playing with his group. Bennie Hess played guitar in the group and was in the process of starting a record label in Houston. Iry's first record was on the label of Hess's. After the recording, Iry kept busy playing  around the house.

After Iry's first recordings, his music begain to take off. Iry met Eddie Shuler at the time when Eddie's band had a show on KPLC. He wanted Eddie to put out his records out and the pair worked out a deal and soon Shuler was putting out Iry's records. He was even recording Iry at his home.

Eddie recalls:

"I bought a tape recorder, and it cost $237, which was alot of money. We went to Iry's house when we first started,
and he lived in a old house out there in Lacassine. We'd put the machine on the kitchen table and cut these things..."

The first session at Iry's home in Ardoin Cove was recorded on Shuler's reel to reel recorder. Playing with Iry on the session was Milton Vanicor on fiddle and Eddie Shuler on guitar.  The first sessions were recorded in one night and was believed to be recorded in November 1952. 

"Church Point Breakdown" was a ode to the town of Church Point, not far from where Iry grew up. Iry converted Angelas Lejeune's "Le Petite One Step" into his own the number. Its one of the few Iry releases that Eddie pressed only on 45rpm.

"Eh ye yaille, malheureuse!
Tous les jours dans ma maison,
J'apres mais t'esperer.
Eh, rappelle-toi, catin,
Ton papa et ta maman t'a toujours
dit
De pas faire ca avec ton negre.

Eh ye yaille, tous les jours
Apres souffert dans ma maison
Plus personne qui vient me
rejoindre.
Tite fille, tous les jours tu connais
Pour venir puis voir
Quo faire que, moi, j'suis la'.

Eh, bebe, tous les jours
Moi j'suis la sus ma galerie
Apres esperer pour ton vieux

negre.
Oh, tu devrais jamais m'oublier
'Tant loin q'moi j'm'en vas te dire
Donc garde donc j'm'ennuie de toi"




Shuler continued recording Iry and releasing his records. Iry was known to never limit himself to traditional sounds. Luderin Darbone recalls that Iry came by the Silver Star to the listen to the Hackberry Ramblers from time to time. In the summer of 1955, Iry began to team up with his old pal, J.B. Fuselier, who had moved to Lake Charles. They were finishing a Friday night dance at the Green Wing Club in Eunice, and was returning to Lacassine when hey had to stop and fix a flat tire. They were hit by a speeding car and J.B was injured, Iry was killed instantly.

Resoureces
Ron Yule- Wailin The Blues Cajun Style