Austin Pitre
Encyclopedia
Austin Pitre was born in Ville Platte, Louisiana
. A Cajun
music pioneer, Pitre claimed to be the first musician to play the accordion
standing up, rather than sitting down. Along with his band, the Evangeline Playboys, Pitre recorded Cajun
dancehall hits such as the Opelousas Waltz.
Besides being a talented musician, Pitre was also a highly regarded mechanic and had his own automotive repair shop near Ville Platte, Louisiana.
In 1997, Pitre was posthumously inducted into the Cajun French Music Association's Hall of Fame. That same year, Arhoolie released the CD "Austin Pitre & His Evangeline Playboys - Opelousas Waltz" which was a remaster of recordings that PItre had made in 1971.
Pitre's last wife, Dorothy, survived him and is active in preserving his legacy as well as Cajun music in general. She has hosted the weekly Rendezvous des Cajuns at the Liberty Theater in Eunice, Louisiana, and has also worked at the Cajun Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Eunice where Austin Pitre's Monarch accordion can be seen.
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
. A Cajun
Cajun
Cajuns are an ethnic group mainly living in the U.S. state of Louisiana, consisting of the descendants of Acadian exiles...
music pioneer, Pitre claimed to be the first musician to play the accordion
Accordion
The accordion is a box-shaped musical instrument of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone family, sometimes referred to as a squeezebox. A person who plays the accordion is called an accordionist....
standing up, rather than sitting down. Along with his band, the Evangeline Playboys, Pitre recorded Cajun
Cajun
Cajuns are an ethnic group mainly living in the U.S. state of Louisiana, consisting of the descendants of Acadian exiles...
dancehall hits such as the Opelousas Waltz.
Family
Pitre's father was Joseph Vige Pitre and his mother was Marie Fontenot. His older brother, Jean Baptiste "Curley" Pitre (June 14, 1906 - December 29, 1978) was a farmer who lived in the Prairie Ronde area.Music and Career
Pitre was the front man for "Austin Pitre & the Evangline Playboys" for many years and played dance halls around the South Louisiana area. His unique style of playing included standing up to play the accordion without the aid of a shoulder strap, as well as playing the accordion behind his head and between his legs.Besides being a talented musician, Pitre was also a highly regarded mechanic and had his own automotive repair shop near Ville Platte, Louisiana.
Death and legacy
Pitre died on April 8, 1981 at the age of 63. He is buried in the Mt. Calvary Cemetery, located on Highway 190 just east of Eunice, Louisiana.In 1997, Pitre was posthumously inducted into the Cajun French Music Association's Hall of Fame. That same year, Arhoolie released the CD "Austin Pitre & His Evangeline Playboys - Opelousas Waltz" which was a remaster of recordings that PItre had made in 1971.
Pitre's last wife, Dorothy, survived him and is active in preserving his legacy as well as Cajun music in general. She has hosted the weekly Rendezvous des Cajuns at the Liberty Theater in Eunice, Louisiana, and has also worked at the Cajun Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Eunice where Austin Pitre's Monarch accordion can be seen.
See also
- List of people related to Cajun music
- History of Cajun MusicHistory of Cajun musicCajun music has its roots based in the ballads of the French-speaking Acadians of Canada and Country music.-Early years:The first form of traditional cajun music began before the 20th century in south Louisiana. When the Acadians came from New Brunswick & Nova Scotia to Louisiana in 1764, they...