Dillard Duplechin and Cursey Fontenot- Oberlin Two Step

Around 1968 Dillard Duplechin began learning the accordion from his father in law, Garvin Rasberry. He taught his wife , Gwen, how to play drums and they soon began playing at the Twin Gables Bar in Lake Charles. 


Oberlin fiddler Cursey Fonenot learned to play under the tutelage of Leo Soileau at the age of 18 and began to play house dances in southwest Allen Parish with Vilas Hebert.

Cursey had originally formed the Louisiana Travelers with Phil Menard in the 1960's and soon joined in on fiddle and Dolphus Crochet from Sulpher played the guitar. They played as a four piece for a few years and then added Jesse "Junior" McClelland  on the steel guitar. Their playing early on was a learning experience and they improved with each performance. 

In the 1970's Richard Duplechian, who was a resident of Lake Charles, started his Big D label. He used Eddie Shuler's Goldband Studio for recording for his label while he produced. The label was short lived and they only released six 45 rpm records. 

Around this time, Dillard and his band recorded several 45's for the Big D Label. Their first releases on the label was "Oberlin Two Step" backed with "Piney Wood Waltz". On this first release they are listed as the Louisiana Travelers. Dillard recalls they went under the Louisiana Travelers name at first until they recorded the "Piney Wood Waltz", then they changed their name to The Piney Woods Playboys.

Later on Cursey Fonenot left the group and moved to Katy, Texas for work and they group replaced him with several fiddlers including Floyd LeBlanc. The group played until 1993 at venues around the area including Manuel's Bar and the Circle Club in Lake Charles to the Louisiana Club in Holly Beach. The group also performed at one of Governor Edwin Edward's inaugural balls.


Resources
Ron Yule- Cajun Dancehall Heyday