Marc Savoy ( ) (born October 1, 1940) is an American musician, and builder and player of the

Cajun accordion A Cajun accordion (in Cajun French: ''accordéon''), also known as a squeezebox, is single-row diatonic button accordion used for playing Cajun music. History Many different accordions were developed in Europe throughout the 19th century, and ...

Early life

He was born on his grandfather's rice farm near

Eunice Eunice is a feminine given name, from the Greek Εὐνίκη, ''Euníkē'', from "eu", good, and "níkē", victory. Eunice is also a relatively rare last name, found in Nigeria and the Southeastern United States, chiefly Louisiana and Georgia. Pe ...

Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...

. His grandfather was a fiddler, who occasionally played with the legendary

Dennis McGee Dennis (Denus) McGee (born January 26, 1893, Eunice, Louisiana, USA – October 3, 1989) was one of the earliest recorded Cajun musicians. A fiddle player, he recorded and performed with Louisiana Creole people, Creole accordionist and voca ...

, who was once a

tenant farmer A tenant farmer is a person (farmer or farmworker) who resides on land owned by a landlord. Tenant farming is an agricultural production system in which landowners contribute their land and often a measure of operating capital and management, ...

on his grandfather's property. Marc Savoy began playing traditional music when he was 12 years old.

Career

Savoy holds a degree in

chemical engineering Chemical engineering is an engineering field which deals with the study of operation and design of chemical plants as well as methods of improving production. Chemical engineers develop economical commercial processes to convert raw materials int ...

but his primary income is derived from his accordion-making business, based at his Savoy Music Center in Eunice. His wife is the singer and guitarist Ann Savoy, whom he met in 1975 and married in 1977. He has performed with Robert Bertrand,

, Rodney Balfa,

Sady Courville Sady D. Courville Savoy 1984, p. 50. (November 15, 1905, Chataignier, Louisiana – January 3, 1988, Eunice, Louisiana) was a Cajun fiddler noted for his extensive collaboration with Dennis McGee. Early life Courville was the son of Erast ...

Dewey Balfa Dewey Balfa (March 20, 1927 – June 17, 1992) was an American Cajun fiddler and singer who contributed significantly to the popularity of Cajun music. Balfa was born near Mamou, Louisiana. He is perhaps best known for his 1964 performance at th ...

, D. L. Menard, and Michael Doucet, the latter of whom he plays with in the Savoy-Doucet Band. He also plays in the Savoy Family Band with his wife Ann and their sons

Joel Joel or Yoel is a name meaning "Yahweh Is God" and may refer to: * Joel (given name), origin of the name including a list of people with the first name. * Joel (surname), a surname * Joel (footballer, born 1904), Joel de Oliveira Monteiro, Brazili ...

and Wilson. He hosts regular jam sessions and mini-festivals at the Savoy Music Center.

Awards and honors

Savoy is a recipient of a 1992

National Heritage Fellowship The National Heritage Fellowship is a lifetime honor presented to master folk and traditional artists by the National Endowment for the Arts. Similar to Japan's Living National Treasure award, the Fellowship is the United States government's ...

awarded by the

National Endowment for the Arts The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal ...

, which is the United States government's highest honor in the folk and traditional arts.

Discography (albums)

As Marc Savoy

* 1976 : ''Under a Green Oak Tree'' (with Dewey Balfa and D.L. Menard) (

Arhoolie Records Arhoolie Records is an American small independent record label run by Chris Strachwitz and is based in El Cerrito, California, United States (it is actually located in Richmond Annex but has an El Cerrito postal address.) The label was founded ...

) * 1981 : ''Oh What a Night'' (Arhoolie) * 1998 : ''Made in Louisiana'' (Voyager)

Savoy-Doucet Cajun Band

* 1983 : ''Home Music'' (K7, Arhoolie) * 1987 : ''With Spirits'' (K7, Arhoolie) * 1989 : ''Two-Step d'Amede'' (Arhoolie) * 1992 : ''Home Music with Spirits'' (Arhoolie) * 1994 : ''Live! At the Dance'' (Arhoolie) * 2002 : ''The Best of the Savoy-Doucet Cajun Band'' compilation (Arhoolie)

Savoy Family Band

See Savoy Family Band

Savoy-Smith Cajun Band

* 1996 : ''Now and Then'' (Arhoolie)

Films

*1972 - ''Spend It All'

*1981 - '' Southern Comfort (1981 film), Southern Comfort''. Directed by

Walter Hill Walter may refer to: People * Walter (name), both a surname and a given name * Little Walter, American blues harmonica player Marion Walter Jacobs (1930–1968) * Gunther (wrestler), Austrian professional wrestler and trainer Walter Hahn (born 1 ...

. *1989 - ''J'ai Ete Au Bal (I Went To The Dance)''. Directed by

Les Blank Les Blank (November 27, 1935 – April 7, 2013) was an American documentary filmmaker best known for his portraits of American traditional musicians. Life and career Leslie Harrod Blank Jr. was born November 27, 1935 in Tampa, Florida. He atten ...

*1990 - ''Yum Yum Yum! A Taste Of Cajun And Creole Cooking''. Directed by Les Blank

*1991 - ''Marc & Ann''. Directed by Les Blan

References

External links

* * * *. Barry Jean Ancelet, Meloche.net * at Rootsworld {{DEFAULTSORT:Savoy, Marc 1940 births Living people Cajun accordionists People from Eunice, Louisiana National Heritage Fellowship winners 20th-century American musicians Musicians from Louisiana 21st-century accordionists Arhoolie Records artists