FALL 2017 Les Guédry et Petitpas d’Asteur Vol. 15, Iss. 3 GENERATIONS IN THIS ISSUE With each issue of “Generations” that we produce I am amazed at the exceptional people in the Guédry and Petitpas families. We have outstanding people in almost every field of endeavor – the arts, music, athletics, scientific, engineering, religious, medical, gov- HANK WILLIAMS’ 2 ernnment, writing, theatre, military and so many others. And to remember that just 250 JAMBALAYA years ago our ancestors were stripped of everything they had, but their dignity, honesty and AND THE GUIDRY religion, put on ships and sent to outposts throughout North America and Europe. They CONNECTION refused to be exterminated and grew as a community in the ensuing years. The story of by R. Martin Guidry their survival through horrific times and their ability to overcome all odds and produce off- spring that could rise to the tops of their professional fields is truly a story that should be told. Almost everyday I learn of a new leader from our family. Yesterday it was Valérie BON APPETIT: 5 Recipes from the Plante, the new Mairess (Mayor) of Montréal, Canada. Ms. Plante is a direct descendant Guédry/Labine/ of Claude Petitpas and Catherine Bugaret through their daughter Henriette, wife of Prudent Petitpas Family Robichaud. In this issue we honor Ms. Marie Ginette Petitpas Taylor – the new Minister of Health for Canada. BOOK NOOK 6 Our next Guédry & Petitpas Reunion is just 18 months away. That may seem a long time, but it will be here before we know it. We have begun planning for the Reunion. The ma- jor details are in this issue of “Generations”. We hope that many of you will decide to join GUÉDRY & 7 us for a wonderful day on Prince Edward Island. We hope that our efforts in planning PETITPAS early will give each of you sufficient time to make your plans to attend Congrès Mondial Reunion Acadien 2109 and the Guédry & Petitpas Reunion. August 17, 2019 We will also have a smaller Get-Together this spring in Thibodaux, LA. The Breaux, Guidry and Hebert families are having a day where our three families can meet together to LES GUÉDRY 12 share stories, do genealogy, overcome difficult roadblocks, meet new cousins and renew ET PETITPAS old acquaintances. Learn about our Get-Together in this newsletter. D’ASTEUR CIRCLE OF This issue of “Generations” features some of the early Cajun musicians from the Guédry DISTINCTION family. We hope you enjoy the article. We plan to feature other fields of music in later 2017 INDUCTEES articles. And don’t miss how Hank Williams’ famous song Jambalaya (On the Bayou) “descended” from the Guédry family. BREAUX, GUIDRY 15 On a sad note for our family, since our last newsletter, we lost two Guidry musicians who & HEBERT have entertained us at our Reunions in the past. Tommie Guidry (Thomas Ewell Guidry) GET-TOGETHER 10 MARCH 2018 died on 22 July 2017 at only 44 years of age. An exceptional diatonic accordionist and THIBODAUX, LA vocalist, Tommie won many contests and awards and played with several Cajun bands in southwest Louisiana. At the time of his death he was playing a Cajun show in Crowley, LA when he suffered a heart attack. Tommie played at our 1999 Guédry Reunion in Hou- HISTORICAL 16 ma, LA with his band. He was the son of Ewell and Alice Guidry and brother of Warren TIDBITS Guidry – the first Vice-President of Les Guédry d’Asteur. On 26 September 2017 Black Guidry (Ronald John ‘Black’ Guidry Sr.) passed away in Houma, LA at the age of 76 CAJUN MUSCIANS 18 years. Black played guitar, diatonic accordion and sang. He cut several 45s and CDs over IN THE FAMILY the years, but was most known for entertaining guests on his Cajun Man Swamp Tours. AN EARLY HISTO- Black entertained us at our 2011 Reunion in Cut Off, LA and took many of us on a swamp RY cruise. Black was the son of René Guidry and Marguerite Bonvillain. by R. Martin Guidry GENERATIONS Volume 15 Issue 3 Page 2 HANK WILLIAMS’ JAMBALAYA AND THE GUIDRY CONNECTION by R. Martin Guidry Many folks have heard the late great Hank Williams sing Jambalaya (On the Bayou) either on the radio, a record or CD; however, few know the origins of the song. It has a somewhat complex, evolving early his- tory. On 1 October 1929 the Guidry Brothers, a local Cajun band from the Lafayette, LA area, travelled to New Orleans and recorded six Cajun songs for Vocalion Records. The names of the three or four members of this band are unknown today; however, their 78 records have kept their music alive. The melody of one recorded song Le Garçon Négli- gent (The Careless Boy) became the genesis for several other songs that eventually evolved into Jambalaya (On the Bayou). Le Garçon Négligent (Guidry Brothers) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2ucwum8Dcg Over the next several years other South Louisiana Cajun bands recorded songs based on the melody of the Guidry Brothers’ Le Garçon Négligent. These included the 1934 La Valse de Bayou Plaquemine by the Breaux Brothers, Cleoma Breaux’s 1936 Pin Solitaire, J. B. Fuselier’s 1936 Pine Island, the 1937 hit Abbe- ville by the Jolly Boys of Lafayette, Allons Kooche Kooche in 1937 by the Louisiana Rounders with Papa Cai- ro and the 1940 Happy Fats’ tune Gran Prairie. Allons Kooche Kooche (Louisiana Rounders) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWfHR6Mb_tM WWII drew many Cajun musicians into the U. S. Army and Navy including Jules Angelle “Papa Cairo” Lam- perez. After the war ended and he returned home, Papa Cairo remembered the melody of Allons Kooche Kooche and he wanted to record that melody into a song he hoped to make popular throughout the United States. At this time Western Swing and Texas honky tonk were becoming popular on the music scene in the South. Shortly before 1947 Chuck Guillory added Papa Cairo to his band and in 1948 Papa Cairo had Guillo- ry’s Western Swing band record Big Texas with the melody of Allons Kooche Kooche. Sometimes Big Texas is referred to as Gran Texas. Big Texas (Chuck Guillory & His Rhythm Boys) Chuck Guillory & His Rhythm Boys https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCHHKOhRPDY (Papa Cairo at the far right) Soon after this recording session, Papa Cairo formed his own band and in 1949 Papa Cairo and His Boys recorded Big Texas No. 2 in English. It is a very catchy song about a rejected lover starting a new life in the distant and unknown Texas hinterlands. Recording the song in English provided Papa Cairo with an expanded audience outside of South Louisiana and Southeast Texas. Big Texas No. 2 (Papa Cairo and His Boys) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-m97g1h9ZMQ GENERATIONS Volume 15 Issue 3 Page 3 HANK WILLIAMS’ JAMBALAYA AND THE GUIDRY CONNECTION by R. Martin Guidry Unsure of the success of his song, in 1951 Papa Cairo went to J. D. Miller’s recording studio in Crowley, Lou- isiana and rerecorded Big Texas in English and in French for Miller’s Feature Records. Big Texas (Papa Cairo and His Boys – 1951) (French) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0iVNAJZIQU Big Texas (Papa Cairo and His Boys – 1951) (English) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqwrsTPvjPY In 1952 Hank Williams became aware of the tune Big Texas and decided to record it; however, he spiced up the text with Cajun French words and used text from a version Moon Mullican had written, but not copyright- ed. Some disagreement exists about how Hank Williams got the words to Jambalaya (On the Bayou) despite the general belief that it was Moon Mullican’s version. Many stories have surfaced over the years about this – even including references to Dudley LeBlanc’s Hadacol Caravan of which Hank was a member. The origin of the words to Jamabalaya (On the Bayou), may be unclear; however, the source of the melody is very clear. It descends from the 1929 Guidry Brothers’ recording of Le Garçon Négligent. Jambalaya (On the Bayou) (Hank Williams – 1952) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lq1FBwLqgdQ And now you know how the Guidry family heavily influenced one of the best-known county hits of all time. Above: Breaux Brothers Right: Hank Williams, Sr. GENERATIONS Volume 15 Issue 3 Page 4 HANK WILLIAMS’ JAMBALAYA AND THE GUIDRY CONNECTION by R. Martin Guidry The Evolution of “Jambayala” GENERATIONS Volume 15 Issue 3 Page 5 BON APPETIT Turkey and Oyster Gumbo 1 turkey carcass and any left over meat from a baked turkey. From Jack Guidry’s Cooking Louisiana 1 qt. fresh shucked oysters cookinglouisiana.com 1/2 cup roux 4 med. onions chopped 4 stalks celery chopped 1/2 bell pepper chopped 1 cup green onion tops chopped 1/2 cup parsley chopped 1 tsp. gumbo filé 2 pinches ground thyme Louisiana Hot Sauce 7 to 8 quarts of water Salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste Cooked Rice Take the carcass and remove as much meat as you can cutting large pieces into bite sized pieces. Putting the meat back in the fridge. Break the carcass up some, put in a stock pot, cover with water and boil about an hour. This is your turkey stock. Remove carcass to let cool picking any meat left on it. Throw the carcass away. Strain the stock to get any meat that's in it. Keep the stock. While the carcass is boiling make a dark roux in a 12 quart pot. Add the onions and sauté about 15 minutes then add celery and bell pepper and sauté another 20 - 30 minutes.