Saturday
Night
Zydeco
MDS 0104 | 1989
| A brief history...
Born Alton Rubin in Carencro, LA on February 10, 1932, Rockin' Dopsie was among the first to play zydeco music. He began playing the accordion in his teens and soon was playing house dances with his cousin, Chester Zeno in the Lafayette area. The duo was good enough to be booked into local clubs like the Blue Angel and The Bon Ton Roulet. For $25 a night, Dopsie would cover many of the currently popular R&B tunes as well as those by local legend, Clifton Chenier. Regionally popular, he did not made his first recordings until 1969 but soon he was earning international acclaim with his earthy, down home sound. Dopsie was devoted to preserving the old French songs that form the basis of zydeco. People around the world knew him as the left-handed accordion player, who played his instrument upside down. His career got a big boost in 1985 when he recorded "That Was Your Mother" with Paul Simon on the latter's landmark Graceland album. Later Dopsie would also record with other pop singers including Cyndi Lauper and Bob Dylan. He has also done television commercials and appeared in a few films, including Delta Heat. In 1986 he was named the "Crown Prince of Zydeco," and in 1988, after Chenier passed away, he was crowned the New King. Rockin' Dopsie passed away August 26, 1993. Related links... |