Slim would be older. He's the one who convinced me to switch from the harmonica to accordion in the mid-60s. When this author asked the sinewy and angular Willis to corroborate this writer's testimony about Charlie's reluctance to play lead, he chuckled again. Just one time, I think. This author then went to his collection and pulled out a 1981 John Delafose et Les Freres Prudhomme recording on Mike Lachney's Bad Weather label and, sure enough, Willis's memory again served him well.
Music plays an important function in the lives of the denizens of Southwest Louisiana.
Cajuns in parishes such as Evangeline, Acadia, and St. Landry. Had it not been for the nexus of interstate routes 190 and 165, it might not have existed at all. Growing up in a destitute sharecropper family during the Great Depression, Willis worked hard in the fields and looked forward to what little entertainment was available-house parties, fairs, and bazaars, wherein music figured prominently. Black artists such as John Delafose of Eunice and Delton Broussard and the Lawtell Playboys and many other Creoles actually incorporated the Cajun fiddle in their orchestras and French was the language of choice. It was actually the late Clifton Chenier of Lafayette who was credited with inventing what is now known as zydeco when he picked up the piano accordion, capable of infinite blues progressions, and burst on the scene in the 50s.