Ervin "Vin" Bruce (April 25, 1932 - June 8, 2018) was one of the first

Cajun music Cajun music (french: Musique cadienne), an emblematic music of Louisiana played by the Cajuns, is rooted in the ballads of the French-speaking Acadians of Canada. Although they are two separate genres, Cajun music is often mentioned in tandem w ...

ians to appear on the

Louisiana Hayride ''Louisiana Hayride'' was a radio and later television country music show broadcast from the Shreveport Municipal Memorial Auditorium in Shreveport, Louisiana, that during its heyday from 1948 to 1960 helped to launch the careers of some of th ...

and

Grand Ole Opry The ''Grand Ole Opry'' is a weekly American country music stage concert in Nashville, Tennessee, founded on November 28, 1925, by George D. Hay as a one-hour radio "barn dance" on WSM. Currently owned and operated by Opry Entertainment (a divis ...

Biography

Bruce was born in

Cut Off, Louisiana Cut Off (historically named La Coupe) is a census-designated place (CDP) on the Bayou Lafourche in Lafourche Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 5,533 in 2020. It is part of the Houma– Bayou Cane–Thibodaux metropolita ...

. His father, Levy Bruce, worked as a trapper and fisherman, and played fiddle at local Cajun dances, usually held in someone's

front room In Western architecture, a living room, also called a lounge room (Australian English), lounge (British English), sitting room (British English), or drawing room, is a room for relaxing and socializing in a residential house or apartment. Su ...

. Being from a musical family, Vin's interest in Cajun music grew and at the early age of 10 he learned how to play the guitar on his own. He also learned to sing.

Career

Bruce began his musical career playing guitar with the Southern Serenaders and the Hillbilly Swing Kings. On October 22, 1951, Bruce signed a

recording contract A recording contract (commonly called a record contract or record deal) is a legal agreement between a record label and a recording artist (or group), where the artist makes a record (or series of records) for the label to sell and promote. Artists ...

with

Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music, Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of Japanese Conglomerate (company), conglomerate Sony. It was founded on Janua ...

Nashville, Tennessee Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the List of muni ...

and recorded all-time popular Cajun songs such as "Dans La Louisiane" (1952), "Fille de la Ville," and "Clair de la Lune," recording with

Chet Atkins Chester Burton Atkins (June 20, 1924 – June 30, 2001), known as "Mr. Guitar" and "The Country Gentleman", was an American musician who, along with Owen Bradley and Bob Ferguson, helped create the Nashville sound, the country music s ...

Grady Martin Thomas Grady Martin (January 17, 1929 – December 3, 2001) was an American session guitarist in country music and rockabilly. A member of The Nashville A-Team, he played guitar on hits such as Marty Robbins' "El Paso", Loretta Lynn's " Coal ...

, Tommy Jackson,

Owen Bradley William Owen Bradley (October 21, 1915 – January 7, 1998) was an American musician and record producer who, along with Chet Atkins, Bob Ferguson, Bill Porter, and Don Law, was one of the chief architects of the 1950s and 1960s Nashville sou ...

and Shook Jackson. Bruce was one of the first Cajuns to perform on the stage of

the Grand Ole Opry The ''Grand Ole Opry'' is a weekly American country music stage concert in Nashville, Tennessee, founded on November 28, 1925, by George D. Hay as a one-hour radio "barn dance" on WSM (AM), WSM. Currently owned and operated by Opry Entertainment ...

and the ''

''. In the mid-1950s, Bruce's career took a downturn as

rock and roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a Genre (music), genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It Origins of rock and roll, originated from Africa ...

became popular. Columbia released his contract, and Bruce returned to Louisiana and raised cattle. In 1961 he signed a contract with

Swallow Records James Floyd Soileau (born November 2, 1938) is an American record producer. Biography Soileau was born in Faubourg, a small community between Ville Platte and Washington, Louisiana. He grew up speaking Cajun French and did not speak English un ...

, and had a hit single with ''Jole Blon''. For his contribution and performance in Cajun music, Bruce is known as "the King of Cajun Singers" and has been inducted into the Nashville Music Hall of Fame, the CFMA Cajun Music Hall of Fame, and the Westbank Musicians Hall of Fame. He was also chosen as the Lafourche Parish Citizen of the Year.

Discography

*1953 ''My mama said I'd stay single'' *1961 ''Jole Blon'' *1979 ''Greatest Hits'' *1979 ''Cajun Country'' *2000 ''Essential Collection'' *2000 "Carousel for Two'' *2006 ''Cajun Legend!''

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bruce, Vin 1932 births 2018 deaths Cajun musicians Musicians from Louisiana People from Cut Off, Louisiana