A Photographic Retrospective By John Robert Rowlands
Doug Kershaw
The Stoneman Family
Doug Kersaw
b. 24 January 1936, Tiel Ridge, Louisiana, USA.
This renowned fiddle player
and
vocalist is a major figure in Cajun, or acadian circles, the traditional
music
of Louisiana's French-speaking minority. He was introduced to music
by
'Daddy Jack' and 'Mama Rita', who subsequently appeared on many of
the
artist's compositions, and joined a family-based band, the
Continental
Playboys, on leaving high school. When Kershaw's songwriting
talent resulted
in a publishing and recording contract, he formed a duo with
one of his
brothers, and as Rusty And Doug quickly became popular throughout
the
southern USA. By 1956, they were a regular attraction on The
World's
Original Jamboree, a weekly showcase for local talent, and the
following year
enjoyed a residency on the famed Grand Ole Opry. Three of
Kershaw's
original compositions, 'Louisiana Man', 'Joli Blon' and 'Diddy
Liggy Lo', not
only became Cajun standards, but have been the subject of
numerous cover
versions by both pop and country acts. The brothers embarked
on separate
careers in 1964, but despite the approbation of their peers,
Kershaw did not
secure a larger audience until 1968, when he guested on The
Johnny Cash
Show. This appearance coincided with the release of The Cajun
Way, the
artist's debut for Warner Brothers Records, which affirmed his
new-found
popularity. Cameos on albums by Bob Dylan and John Stewart
endeared
Kershaw to the rock fraternity, while a series of stellar 70s
recordings
confirmed his talent as a flamboyant musician and gifted composer.
He signed
with Scotti Bros. in 1981, and achieved his highest chart position
(number 29)
with 'Hello Woman' the same year. After an enforced absence
through
substance abuse, he returned to the charts in 1988 with 'Cajun Baby',
on which
he duetted with Hank Williams Jr.
The Stoneman Family
The Stonemans (or the Stoneman Family)
ranked among country music's
most famous family bands, and were closely
associated with their legendary
father, Ernest "Pop" Stoneman, who played
with them for a number of
years. The core of the band was made up of six of
Pop's thirteen children:
Patsy, Scotty, Donna, Jimmy, Roni and Van. They were
originally known
as the Blue Grass Champs, and got their start after winning
on Arthur
Godfrey's Talent Scouts in the mid-'50s. They soon added members
and
gained a following in Washington, D.C. and the surrounding area.
Eventually
Pop joined them, and they added television appearances to their
live
performance schedule, eventually getting their own television show.
They
debuted on the Grand Ole Opry in 1962 and throughout the decade
they
toured the country, playing regularly at the Black Poodle in Nashville.
They also
hosted a syndicated television show, shown on about fifty stations
nationwide.
In 1966, they had their first country hit with "Tupelo Country
Jail," which made
it to the Top 40. The following year, they made it past the
Top 30 with "The
Five Little Johnson Girls." Following Pop Stoneman's death
in 1968, Patsy
Stoneman joined the band. In 1968, they had their final chart
hit with
"Christopher Robin," which only reached the Top 50. They underwent
several
major personnel changes through the '70s and began recording less
frequently,
gradually easing into retirement.
