Floyd Soileau
Encyclopedia
James Floyd Soileau is an American
record producer
.
Soileau was born November 2, 1938, in Faubourg, a small community between Ville Platte and Washington
, Louisiana
. He grew up speaking Cajun French
and did not speak English until attending school at the age of 6 years. In his junior year of high school, he did an afternoon Cajun
music show as a part-time job with KVPI radio in Ville Platte. After graduating from Ville Platte High in 1956, he opened a small record
store, Floyd's Record Shop and discovered that although people were still interested in them, Cajun French
records were no longer being produced. With the financial help of a friend, Ed Manuel (a juke box operator from Mamou, Louisiana
), who wanted new French records for his juke boxes, Floyd released his first record on the Big Mamou label by artists Austin Pitre
and Milton Molitor. In 1957 Lawrence Walker
and Aldus Roger
helped Floyd launch his own label, Swallow Records.
Over the past 40 years, Swallow Records has released 265 45rpm single records
and 151 album
s of Cajun French music, including recordings by Adam Hebert, Belton Richard
, Dewey Balfa and the Balfa Brothers
, Nathan Abshire
, Jambalaya Cajun Band, Paul Daigle & Cajun Gold, D.L. Menard
, and many more, plus recordings by the Cajun French story teller, Marion Marcotte. 1958 saw the beginning of Jin Records
with artists such as Clint West, Tommy McLain
& the Boogie Kings
, Lil Bob & The Lollipops, Warren Storm
, Skip Stewart, Rockin' Sidney
, Rod Bernard
, Johnny Allan and others making significant contributions to what was the, then, controversial Swamp Pop
music. He has always encouraged his artists to compose new songs to record, and his Flat Town Music Company now publishes over 2800 songs, a majority of which are Cajun and Swamp Pop songs.
His Swallow Publications now publishes two books on the Cajun French language, Cajun Dictionary and Cajun Self-taught, both by Rev. Jules Daigle.
In 1959, he married his high school sweetheart Jinver Ortego. They have three daughters, Catherine, Connie and Cindy, and one son, Christopher.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
record producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
.
Soileau was born November 2, 1938, in Faubourg, a small community between Ville Platte and Washington
Washington, Louisiana
Washington is a small town in St. Landry Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 1,082 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Opelousas–Eunice Micropolitan Statistical Area....
, Louisiana
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...
. He grew up speaking Cajun French
Cajun French
Cajun French is a variety or dialects of the French language spoken primarily in Louisiana, specifically in the southern and southwestern parishes....
and did not speak English until attending school at the age of 6 years. In his junior year of high school, he did an afternoon Cajun
Cajun
Cajuns are an ethnic group mainly living in the U.S. state of Louisiana, consisting of the descendants of Acadian exiles...
music show as a part-time job with KVPI radio in Ville Platte. After graduating from Ville Platte High in 1956, he opened a small record
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
store, Floyd's Record Shop and discovered that although people were still interested in them, Cajun French
Cajun French
Cajun French is a variety or dialects of the French language spoken primarily in Louisiana, specifically in the southern and southwestern parishes....
records were no longer being produced. With the financial help of a friend, Ed Manuel (a juke box operator from Mamou, Louisiana
Mamou, Louisiana
Mamou is a town in Evangeline Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 3,566 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Mamou is located at ....
), who wanted new French records for his juke boxes, Floyd released his first record on the Big Mamou label by artists Austin Pitre
Austin Pitre
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...
and Milton Molitor. In 1957 Lawrence Walker
Lawrence Walker
Lawrence Walker was a Cajun accordionist born near Duson, Louisiana. He is known for his original songs, including Reno Waltz, Evangeline Special, Bosco Stomp, and Mamou Two Step.-Biography:...
and Aldus Roger
Aldus Roger
Aldus Roger was a Cajun accordion player in southwest Louisiana, best known for his accordion skills, and television music program.-Early life:...
helped Floyd launch his own label, Swallow Records.
Over the past 40 years, Swallow Records has released 265 45rpm single records
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
and 151 album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
s of Cajun French music, including recordings by Adam Hebert, Belton Richard
Belton Richard
Belton Richard is a Cajun accordionist. He is known for his baritone vocal range.-Biography:Richard was born in Rayne, Louisiana in 1939. He began to play the accordion at age seven, and at 12 he started playing with 'Neg Halloway and the Rayne Playboys. He founded The Musical Aces in 1959 after...
, Dewey Balfa and the Balfa Brothers
The Balfa Brothers
The Balfa Brothers were an American cajun music ensemble. Its members were five brothers; Dewey on fiddle, Will on fiddle, Rodney on guitar, harmonica, and vocals, Burkeman on triangle and spoons, and Harry on Cajun accordion....
, Nathan Abshire
Nathan Abshire
Nathan Abshire was an American Cajun accordion player who, along with Iry LeJeune, was responsible for the renaissance of the accordion in Cajun music in the 1940s....
, Jambalaya Cajun Band, Paul Daigle & Cajun Gold, D.L. Menard
D.L. Menard
Doris Leon "D. L." Menard is one of the most important songwriters and performers in Cajun music. He has been called the "Cajun Hank Williams" because of the country-tinged sound of his voice and music.-Biography:...
, and many more, plus recordings by the Cajun French story teller, Marion Marcotte. 1958 saw the beginning of Jin Records
Jin Records
Jin Records is a Ville Platte, Louisiana-based swamp pop record label, although some Cajun recordings have also been issued on the label. It was started by Floyd Soileau in 1958....
with artists such as Clint West, Tommy McLain
Tommy McLain
Tommy McLain is an American swamp pop musician, best known as a singer but who also plays keyboards, drums, bass guitar, and fiddle.-Career:...
& the Boogie Kings
The Boogie Kings
The Boogie Kings are an American Cajun swamp pop and blue-eyed soul group.-History:The band formulated in Eunice, Louisiana in 1955 as teenagers first consisting members Doug Ardoin, Skip Morris, Bert Miller, Bryan Leger, and Harris Miller...
, Lil Bob & The Lollipops, Warren Storm
Warren Storm
A talented drummer and vocalist, Warren Storm is a pioneer of the musical genre known as swamp pop, a combination of rhythm and blues, country and western, and Cajun music and black Creole music.-Background and career:...
, Skip Stewart, Rockin' Sidney
Rockin' Sidney
Sidney Simien aka Rockin' Sidney and Count Rockin' Sidney, was an American R&B, zydeco, and soul musician who began recording in the late 1950s and continued performing until his death.-Biography:...
, Rod Bernard
Rod Bernard
Rod Bernard is an American singer who helped to pioneer the musical genre known as "swamp pop", which combined New Orleans-style rhythm and blues, country and western, and Cajun and black Creole music...
, Johnny Allan and others making significant contributions to what was the, then, controversial Swamp Pop
Swamp pop
Swamp rock is a musical genre indigenous to the Acadiana region of south Louisiana and an adjoining section of southeast Texas. Created in the 1950s and early 1960s by teenaged Cajuns and black Creoles, it combines New Orleans-style rhythm and blues, country and western, and traditional French...
music. He has always encouraged his artists to compose new songs to record, and his Flat Town Music Company now publishes over 2800 songs, a majority of which are Cajun and Swamp Pop songs.
His Swallow Publications now publishes two books on the Cajun French language, Cajun Dictionary and Cajun Self-taught, both by Rev. Jules Daigle.
In 1959, he married his high school sweetheart Jinver Ortego. They have three daughters, Catherine, Connie and Cindy, and one son, Christopher.