Fred LeBlanc
Encyclopedia
Fred LeBlanc is currently the lead singer/drummer for the New Orleans based rock band Cowboy Mouth
, as well as a freelance songwriter, record producer, short story author, and acoustic performer. Known for his "maniacal" performance style, and described as "a short, muscular guy with a heavy brow and piercingly intelligent eyes", LeBlanc has been called "one of the more instantly recognizable figures in contemporary Louisiana music."
After graduating from Jesuit High School
in New Orleans, LeBlanc began his career in the early 80's with the Backbeats, also from New Orleans, which featured many future members of Cowboy Mouth
. His tenure with this group was mostly relegated to background drummer.
A year after the Backbeats disbanded in the mid 80's, LeBlanc joined Baton Rouge power trio
Dash Rip Rock
not only as drummer, but also as contributing songwriter and co-lead singer. The band was heavily influenced by the American roots music
movement of the time, as well as the frenzied punk and rock stylings of both the Sex Pistols
and Jerry Lee Lewis
. To this mix, LeBlanc's songs usually had a very strong melodic component, with "Operator", "Blue Moon At Midnight", and "Go Home, Little Girl" being some of his more popular songs with the group. He also arranged
and sang lead upon Dash's cowpunk
version of the Hank Williams standard "I Saw The Light
" which became a live Dash staple, even after LeBlanc left the band in 1989.
Frustrated with the band's focus on maintaining a bar band focus at the expense of songwriting, LeBlanc left Dash Rip Rock in mid '89 and signed a deal as a solo artist with EMI Records. Although no recordings were ever released from his tenure with the label, LeBlanc has said that the year off from the road "gave me a chance to focus on my songwriting," with LeBlanc writing many songs during that time that would appear on various Cowboy Mouth
recordings later on.
LeBlanc formed Cowboy Mouth
in late 1990 with a lineup that has changed variously throughout the years, with the main constants being LeBlanc and John Thomas Griffith
on guitar and vocals. The band has maintained a steady touring schedule since their formation, gaining in popularity steadily throughout the years through the notoriety of their live shows. LeBlanc has written many of Cowboy Mouth
's material, such as "How Do You Tell Someone", "Love Of My Life", "Disconnected", "Take Me Back To New Orleans", "Easy", "Tell The Girl", "So Sad About Me", "The Avenue", and the band's signature song "Jenny Says
".
In addition to performing and recording with Cowboy Mouth, LeBlanc has mixed a few of their early independent label albums. He also produced an album called A Different Story by New Orleans-based popsters Deadeye Dick. The album featured the song "New Age Girl
", which won the band and LeBlanc a gold record in the early '90's and was included in the Jim Carrey
movie Dumb And Dumber.
LeBlanc has also produced material for Mark Bryan
of Hootie & The Blowfish
fame, as well as albums for Dash Rip Rock
(long after he left the band), The Bingemen, and The Garden District—the latter of which are both from New Orleans. He also released solo CD's entitled Here On Earth, Shiver, Double Dammit, and Playing The Game Of My Life, as well as an album of spoken word short stories (also released in text form) called Always Give Thanks. In July 2010, LeBlanc said that he would continue to release solo music, a song or two at a time, during breaks in Cowboy Mouth's schedule.
Cowboy Mouth
Cowboy Mouth is a rock band based in New Orleans, Louisiana. Their name usually means "One with a loud and raucous voice". The nucleus of the band formed in the 1990s, and they have become a powerhouse live act whose performances have been likened to "a religious experience."Some of their most...
, as well as a freelance songwriter, record producer, short story author, and acoustic performer. Known for his "maniacal" performance style, and described as "a short, muscular guy with a heavy brow and piercingly intelligent eyes", LeBlanc has been called "one of the more instantly recognizable figures in contemporary Louisiana music."
After graduating from Jesuit High School
Jesuit High School (New Orleans)
Jesuit High School is an all-male Catholic high school in New Orleans, Louisiana. The school was founded in 1847. It is located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans....
in New Orleans, LeBlanc began his career in the early 80's with the Backbeats, also from New Orleans, which featured many future members of Cowboy Mouth
Cowboy Mouth
Cowboy Mouth is a rock band based in New Orleans, Louisiana. Their name usually means "One with a loud and raucous voice". The nucleus of the band formed in the 1990s, and they have become a powerhouse live act whose performances have been likened to "a religious experience."Some of their most...
. His tenure with this group was mostly relegated to background drummer.
A year after the Backbeats disbanded in the mid 80's, LeBlanc joined Baton Rouge power trio
Power trio
A power trio is a rock and roll band format where the traditional power trio has a lineup of guitar, bass and drums, leaving out the rhythm guitar or keyboard that are used in other rock music to fill out the sound with chords...
Dash Rip Rock
Dash Rip Rock
Dash Rip Rock is a New Orleans based rock band built around the songs of singer-guitarist Bill Davis.The band is a legendary live powerhouse, often being credited with founding the musical genre known as "Country Punk." The New York Times said Dash Rip Rock is "the kind of band that provides a...
not only as drummer, but also as contributing songwriter and co-lead singer. The band was heavily influenced by the American roots music
Roots music
Roots music can refer to several styles or trends in music:* Americana * Folk music* Roots of hip hop, the conditions which led to creation of the hip hop genre* Roots reggae...
movement of the time, as well as the frenzied punk and rock stylings of both the Sex Pistols
Sex Pistols
The Sex Pistols were an English punk rock band that formed in London in 1975. They were responsible for initiating the punk movement in the United Kingdom and inspiring many later punk and alternative rock musicians...
and Jerry Lee Lewis
Jerry Lee Lewis
Jerry Lee Lewis is an American rock and roll and country music singer-songwriter and pianist. An early pioneer of rock and roll music, Lewis's career faltered after he married his young cousin, and he afterwards made a career extension to country and western music. He is known by the nickname 'The...
. To this mix, LeBlanc's songs usually had a very strong melodic component, with "Operator", "Blue Moon At Midnight", and "Go Home, Little Girl" being some of his more popular songs with the group. He also arranged
Arrangement
The American Federation of Musicians defines arranging as "the art of preparing and adapting an already written composition for presentation in other than its original form. An arrangement may include reharmonization, paraphrasing, and/or development of a composition, so that it fully represents...
and sang lead upon Dash's cowpunk
Cowpunk
Cowpunk or Country punk is a subgenre of punk rock and New Wave that began in the UK and California in the late 1970s and early 1980s. It combines punk rock or New Wave with country music, folk music, and blues in sound, subject matter, attitude, and style...
version of the Hank Williams standard "I Saw The Light
I Saw the Light
"I Saw the Light" is a 1948 gospel song written and first performed by Hank Williams, not to be confused with the hit song by Todd Rundgren or the No. 1 country hit by Wynonna Judd....
" which became a live Dash staple, even after LeBlanc left the band in 1989.
Frustrated with the band's focus on maintaining a bar band focus at the expense of songwriting, LeBlanc left Dash Rip Rock in mid '89 and signed a deal as a solo artist with EMI Records. Although no recordings were ever released from his tenure with the label, LeBlanc has said that the year off from the road "gave me a chance to focus on my songwriting," with LeBlanc writing many songs during that time that would appear on various Cowboy Mouth
Cowboy Mouth
Cowboy Mouth is a rock band based in New Orleans, Louisiana. Their name usually means "One with a loud and raucous voice". The nucleus of the band formed in the 1990s, and they have become a powerhouse live act whose performances have been likened to "a religious experience."Some of their most...
recordings later on.
LeBlanc formed Cowboy Mouth
Cowboy Mouth
Cowboy Mouth is a rock band based in New Orleans, Louisiana. Their name usually means "One with a loud and raucous voice". The nucleus of the band formed in the 1990s, and they have become a powerhouse live act whose performances have been likened to "a religious experience."Some of their most...
in late 1990 with a lineup that has changed variously throughout the years, with the main constants being LeBlanc and John Thomas Griffith
John Thomas Griffith
John Thomas Griffith is an American singer-songwriter best known as a guitarist and vocalist for the band Cowboy Mouth. John Thomas Griffith first established himself on the American music scene in the early 1980s as lead singer and guitarist for the Red Rockers, co-writing their 1983 MTV hit...
on guitar and vocals. The band has maintained a steady touring schedule since their formation, gaining in popularity steadily throughout the years through the notoriety of their live shows. LeBlanc has written many of Cowboy Mouth
Cowboy Mouth
Cowboy Mouth is a rock band based in New Orleans, Louisiana. Their name usually means "One with a loud and raucous voice". The nucleus of the band formed in the 1990s, and they have become a powerhouse live act whose performances have been likened to "a religious experience."Some of their most...
's material, such as "How Do You Tell Someone", "Love Of My Life", "Disconnected", "Take Me Back To New Orleans", "Easy", "Tell The Girl", "So Sad About Me", "The Avenue", and the band's signature song "Jenny Says
Jenny Says
"Jenny Says" is a song written by drummer and lead singer Fred LeBlanc from Cowboy Mouth's first studio album, Word Of Mouth in 1992, as well as their 1996 major label debut album, "Are You with Me?" It is Cowboy Mouth's most successful single to date and their signature song. Traditionally,...
".
In addition to performing and recording with Cowboy Mouth, LeBlanc has mixed a few of their early independent label albums. He also produced an album called A Different Story by New Orleans-based popsters Deadeye Dick. The album featured the song "New Age Girl
New Age Girl
"New Age Girl" is a song by alternative rock trio Deadeye Dick, from their debut album A Different Story and the soundtrack to the 1994 film Dumb and Dumber....
", which won the band and LeBlanc a gold record in the early '90's and was included in the Jim Carrey
Jim Carrey
James Eugene "Jim" Carrey is a Canadian-American actor and comedian. He has received two Golden Globe Awards and has also been nominated on four occasions. Carrey began comedy in 1979, performing at Yuk Yuk's in Toronto, Ontario...
movie Dumb And Dumber.
LeBlanc has also produced material for Mark Bryan
Mark Bryan
Mark Bryan is the lead guitarist for the band Hootie & the Blowfish. He also plays the mandolin, among numerous other instruments, and helps with background vocals....
of Hootie & The Blowfish
Hootie & the Blowfish
Hootie & the Blowfish is an American rock band that enjoyed popularity in the second half of the 1990s. They were originally formed in 1986 at the University of South Carolina by Darius Rucker, Dean Felber, Jim Sonefeld, and Mark Bryan. The band has recorded five studio albums to date, and has...
fame, as well as albums for Dash Rip Rock
Dash Rip Rock
Dash Rip Rock is a New Orleans based rock band built around the songs of singer-guitarist Bill Davis.The band is a legendary live powerhouse, often being credited with founding the musical genre known as "Country Punk." The New York Times said Dash Rip Rock is "the kind of band that provides a...
(long after he left the band), The Bingemen, and The Garden District—the latter of which are both from New Orleans. He also released solo CD's entitled Here On Earth, Shiver, Double Dammit, and Playing The Game Of My Life, as well as an album of spoken word short stories (also released in text form) called Always Give Thanks. In July 2010, LeBlanc said that he would continue to release solo music, a song or two at a time, during breaks in Cowboy Mouth's schedule.
Cowboy Mouth studio albums
- Word of Mouth • 1992
- It Means Escape • 1994
- Are You with Me? • 1996
- Word of Mouth (Remix1) • 1996
- Mercyland • 1998
- Easy • 2000
- Uh Oh • 2003
- Voodoo ShoppeVoodoo ShoppeVoodoo Shoppe is the tenth release and the seventh studio release of Cowboy Mouth.Cowboy Mouth has associated themselves quite strongly with the city of New Orleans and the music scene in that city. Voodoo Shoppe was the first album produced by the band after Hurricane Katrina, and generated a fair...
• 2006 - Fearless * 2008
Cowboy Mouth live albums and EPs
- Mouthin' Off (Live & More) • 1993
- Mouthin' Off (Live & More) (Remastered) • 1997
- Cowboy Mouth LIVE! (limited edition 5-song EP issued with Mercyland) • 1998
- Live in the X LoungeLive in the X LoungeLive in the X Lounge is a series of albums released by Birmingham, Alabama's former alternative rock radio station, WRAX.Though the station can no longer be found on the air, this series of live performances was produced while the station was known as 107.7 The X...
"Jenny Says" • 1998 & 2001 - All You Need Is Live • 2000
- Live in the X LoungeLive in the X LoungeLive in the X Lounge is a series of albums released by Birmingham, Alabama's former alternative rock radio station, WRAX.Though the station can no longer be found on the air, this series of live performances was produced while the station was known as 107.7 The X...
"Easy" • 2000 - Uh Oh (5-song Preview EP) • 2003
- Live at the Zoo • 2004
- Mardi GrasMardi Gras (Cowboy Mouth album)Mardi Gras is a Cowboy Mouth EP that was released in coordination with the band's 16th Annual Rock N' Roll Mardi Gras Tour. The album is composed of Mardi Gras themed music and an acoustic version of a song from the band's 2006 album Voodoo Shoppe.-Track listing:# "Iko Iko" - 2:38# "Hurry Up And...
• 2010
Dash Rip Rock Albums featuring Fred LeBlanc
- Paydirt (1998) (producer only)
- Ace of Clubs (1989) (drummer/singer/songwriter)
- Dash Rip Rock (1987) (drummer/singer/songwriter)