Alex Broussard started his recording career with the start of Carol Rachou's La Louisianne Records in 1959. The second record he recorded was a song about one of the deadliest hurricanes to hit south Louisiana named Hurricane Audrey.
Raised in the Acadian area, Alex started playing a variety on instruments at a early age. Growing up he had a musical ear and played a variety of instruments. In 1959 he approached Carol Rachou about recording some songs.
Carol owned a local stereo and record shop in downtown Lafayette called the Music Mart. He had been experimenting recording a few groups in the back of his store and released them on his Jazz at the Music Mart label. When Alex approached him about recording, he felt it was wrong to release them on this label; so he started La Louisianne Records.
Alex had been playing with his friend, Leroy "Happy Fats" LeBlanc, combining Cajun and country music. Together they played around southwest Louisiana. For the first session in 1959, Alex brought Happy Fats, Doc Guidry and Sleepy Hoffpauir to the recording session.
The second song they recorded was "The Year '57" (L’annee de cinquante sept). The song was about Hurricane Audrey which was the first storm of the 1957 hurricane season and it made landfall on June 27th. It was the deadliest hurricane to strike the United State since 1928. Hurricane Audrey's strong winds generated rough seas offshore Louisiana, with wave heights of 40–50 ft occurring in the Gulf of Mexico. It caused much damage to south Louisiana and the people there.
Dans l'année de cinquante-sept
Dans les mèches de la Louisiane
Droit dans la mer est venu un' lame
Qu'a couvert le sud de l'État
Tous les biens des habitants
Ont flotté sur l'eau salée
On va se rappeler de l'ouragan
Dedans l'année de cinquante-sep
Tous les bêtes de la Grande Chenière
Ont été noyées dedans les mèches
Les habitants de la Pacanière
Ont été ruinés par l'eau salée
Et les résidents des îles
Avec tout le courage du monde
Ont retourné dessus les îles
Dedans l'année de cinquante-sept
Tout le reste de la Louisiane
A prié pour le sud de l'État
La charité a été donnée
Pour les résidents des mèches
Et le monde de Cameron
Avec des larmes dedans les yeux
Ont retourné à Cameron
Dedans l'année de cinquante-sept
Aujourd'hui la Pacanière,
Les Chenières et Cameron
Est le paradis pour les chasseurs
Les pêcheurs et les piégeurs
Dans les mèches de la Louisiane
Les résidents sont tous contents
On va se rappeler de l'ouragan
Dedans l'année de cinquante-sept
Alex continued playing with Happy Fats during the early 1960's. Both Happy and Alex had radio shows on KSIG out of Crowley. They performed at many festivals during this time as well. Their main outlet was "The Marine' Show" which they hosted every Sunday morning on Channel 10, KLFY out of Lafayette.
Resources
http://www.lalouisiannerecords.com/lalouhis.htm
lyrics- cajunlyrics.com
John Broven- South to Louisiana
Jodie Broussard
Session info
V/g, Doc Guidry, Sleepy Hoffpauir (fdl), Leroy Leblanc (g) remainder unknown,
La Louisianne Studio, Lafayette LA: 1959
8020 The year ’57
(L’annee de cinquante sept) La Louisianne 8020
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