Blackie and the Moonlight Serenaders- "La Robe Barre"

George Khoury created the Khoury's label in 1950. He recorded such greats as Nathan Abshire, Lawrence Walker and Dewey Balfa on the label's 600 series. The label had success with these and other artists until the late 1950's.

By the time George Khoury started  his 700 series, he had little or no interest in Cajun music. The  series started off with Nathan Abshire and included Cleveland Crochet. But then songs like Cookie and the Cupcakes "Mathilda" hit, leaving George interested in other genre's.

In 1959, Khoury had a even bigger hit with Phil Phillips's "Sea Of Love". He would only release two Cajun records that year, one being by Pee Wee Broussard and the other being by Lawrence "Blackie" Fruge.

Blackie grew up on a very musical family. His father, Lawrence Fruge played the fiddle and accordion as well. He formed a family band, The Tee Mamou Playboys, in 1950. Blackie moved to Lake Arthur in the 1950's where he worked as a paint and body man while playing music on the side.

 In 1959 he and the Moonlight Serenader's recorded "La Robe Barre" at the KJEF radio station in Jennings. The song was a cover of a J.B. Fuselier song recorded in 1938.

Blackie's uncle, Ernest Fruge, had played in the 1920's with Dennis McGee; who had originally recorded the song with Amede Ardoin as "Madame Atchen". It was later covered by Leo Soileau as "Embrace Moi Encore". Leo's version could have possible influenced J.B. Fuselier's version he recorded as "La Robe Barre" in 1938.

Joining Blackie on the recordings was his brother Joseph on guitar, his sister Eula Mae Fruge on bass, Voylen "T-Boy" Esthay on fiddle, Mayeuse Manuel on accordion and Lewis Scott on steel guitar. The KJEF studio in Jennings was also used by Tan Benoit to record a session for Hot Rod Records.

Blackie would go on to record with Milford Simon on the Cajun Jamboree label in the late 1960's. In the 1970's, he recorded for C.E. Diehl's Circle D label in Jennings.

                                        

Session Info:

BLACKIE & THE MOONLIGHT SERENADERS (725)

Lawrence ‘Blackie’ Fruge (v-1/g), J U Fruge (v/g), Voylen ‘T-Boy’ Esthay (fdl),

Mayeuse Manuel (acdn), Eula Mae Fruge (b), Lewis Scott (st-g)

KJEF Radio Station, Jennings LA: 1959

KH 553 La robe barre-1 Khoury’s 725

Resources:

http://www.bopping.org/the-khourys-label-cajun-concern/

Early Cajun Music blog

Conversations with Micheal Fruge

Ron Yule- Cajun Dance Hall Heyday