Vin Bruce- "Jole Blon"

                                               
Ervin "Vin" Bruce was born in Cut Off, Louisiana on April 25, 1932. His father, Levy played fiddle at local dances when Vin was growing up. Being from a musical family, Vin’s love for Cajun music grew and at the early age of 10, Vin learned how to play the guitar on his own. 




Although a shy country boy, Vin also began to sing. At 14 he began playing and singing in a local band, performing once a week on the radio in New Orleans. In 1946, Vin joined Dudley Bernard and “Southern Serenader's Band” and later went with Eugene Rodrigue and “The Louisiana Troubadours Band.”


On October 22, 1951, Bruce signed a recording contract with Columbia Records in Nashville, Tennessee. Just three years after the accordion made a comeback, Vin recorded such classics such as "Dans La Louisiane" and "Fille de la Ville", making him the first Cajun recording artist to work with Nashville musicians. Vin's Columbia sides brought that sound to the jukeboxes, airwaves and the Grand Ole Opry. Hank Williams was so endeared to Bruce's music that he invited him to play his public wedding ceremony at New Orleans' Municipal Auditorium. 

He recorded for the Columbia label from 1952 till 1954, and then in the mid-1950s; Vin's career took a downturn as Rock and Roll became popular. He played locally until he could no longer support himself by singing. To get by, he started to roughneck on offshore rigs.

In the early 1960's, Floyd Soileau was having success with his label Swallow Records. Many of Floyd's records were appearing on jukeboxes and playing a major role for independent record makers. 

Around this time, he opened Floyd's Record Shop in Ville Platte; bringing customers from the dance halls to his shop. The old Cajun legends came to Floyd one by one, hoping to achieve new life and endurance for their music. One of those artists was Vin Bruce.

It was 1961 when Bruce signed a recording contract with Swallow Records. By now, Floyd had developed his production company, Flat Town Music, and had been able to create a recording studio of his own in the back of his shop. It was for Swallow Records that Vin Bruce recorded his next hit single, “Jole Blon.” 

The original version of the song was recorded in 1929 by the Breaux Brothers called "Ma Blonde Est Partie". In 1936 the song appeared with the title "Jole Blonde" for the first time on two records, when the Hackberry Ramblers and Miller's Merrymakers recorded it in New Orleans. Then in 1946 the song gained success again from Harry Choates.

In the 1960’s Doc Guidry began playing and recording with Vin Bruce on Floyd Soileau’s Swallow Label. Their first record together was in 1961, and was widely successful. But together their recording of "Jole Blon" was a a hit all over again. The key ingredient to the record's success was Doc Guidry’s phenomenal fiddling. As for Vin, he continued recording for Swallow until the early 1970's.

Session info
Vin Bruce (V/g), Oran ‘Doc’ Guidry, Wilbert Robichaux (fdl), Harry Anselmi (st-g), Luke
Charpentier, Ebdon Barrios (g), D J Collins (b-g), Mack Cheraimie (d)
 1962
S-6356 Jole blon Swallow 129

Resources
https://www.flattownmusic.com/artist/vin-bruce/
Jessica Dauterive- Picturing the Cajun Revival: Swallow Records, Album Art, and Marketing
http://www.ponderosastomp.com/music_more.php/259/Vin+Bruce
Early Cajun Music Blog