Jay Chevalier

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Jay Chevalier (March 4, 1936 in Forest Hill , Louisiana ; † March 30, 2019 in Kenner ) was an American rockabilly and country musician and one of the last active original rockabilly musicians from Louisiana.

Life

Childhood and youth

Jay Chevalier grew up in a remote community in Louisiana. His father gave him his first guitar for his tenth birthday. At the age of 17 Chevalier and his brother got their own radio show on the newly founded radio station KREG in Oakdale , Louisiana. At that time they were playing traditional country. 1954 Chevalier went to the US Navy .

Career

During his military service, Chevalier formed his first band, the Louisiana Long Shots , and made his first major appearance on Jimmy Dean's TV show in 1957 . It was around this time that he made his first recordings for Cajun Records of Norfolk , Virginia . Gene Vincent had recorded his hit Be-Bop-A-Lula there shortly before and became friends with Chevalier. Chevalier's first single Rockin 'Roll Angel is strongly reminiscent of Vincent's echo effect and the "bubbling groove". It was also in Norfolk when Chevalier first saw Elvis Presley : " He sang for about an hour but you couldn't hear a word he said because of all the screaming ".

1959 Chevalier had his biggest hit. He had recorded The Ballad of Marc Elishe / The Ballad of Earl K. Long at Recco Records , but no one wanted to play the record at first because the B-side was a song about Louisiana's governor Earl Long and people thought Chevalier wanted it so supported in any way. In fact, Chevalier did not even know Long and eventually the single sold over 100,000 copies in Louisiana alone. In the early 1960s, he recorded more records for Goldband Records and Pel Records before moving to Las Vegas in 1962 .

Shortly afterwards, Chevalier also brought his Louisiana Long Shots to Las Vegas and they performed together at the “Gold Nugget” in the evening. A single was recorded for Crest Records and the Cotton Town label released an album. In Las Vegas, Chevalier also got the chance to work with stars like Merle Haggard and Carl Perkins . In 1968, Chevalier left Las Vegas for a few years, returned in 1972 and finally moved back to Louisiana in the mid-1970s.

In 1982 Chevalier embarked on extensive tours and in 1989 took on the role of Senator Paul Braden in the film Blaze and contributed the theme music Come Back to Louisiana . He later got the chance to play alongside Tommy Lee Jones in Cobb .

present

In 1997 Chevalier married his wife Gisela and recorded an album. His most famous song from this time is The Ballad of Harry Lee . In 2004, an album of Chevalier's 1950s and 1960s recordings was released by Hydra Records. Chevalier still appears regularly with the Louisiana Long Shorts and is a regular headliner of the Pondarosa Stomp music festival .

Discography

Singles

year title Record company
1957 Rockin '[!] Roll Angel / Down Heart Beat Trail (Over Teardrop Mt.) Cajun Records
1959 Ballad of Marc Elishe / Ballad of Earl K. Long Recco Records
1960 Castro Rock / Mona Goldband Records
1961 I Lula Francana (My Louisiana Maid) / True So True Montel Records
1961 Billy Canon / High School Days Almost Over Pel Records
1961 Big Cloud, Part I / Big Cloud, Part II Speedy West
1961 Mr. Football / Cuttin 'Cane Montel Records
1962 Check Out Time / It Doesn't Matter Crest Records
1962 Khrushchev and the Devil / Too Many Bubbles Cotton Town Jubilee Records
1963 Louisiana Living / Simpley [!] & Softly Cotton Town Jubilee Records
19 ?? Big Wheels / Birmingham Jail Minaret Records
19 ?? I'm Leaving It All Up To You / South To Louisiana Longshot Records
Unpublished titles
1966
  • If I Can't Be Near The One I Love
  • Cuttin 'Cane (old version)
  • High school hop
  • Keeping Late Hours
  • Rockin 'Roll Angel (old version)
 Status unknown

Albums

  • 1964: Jay Chevalier and the Louisiana Long Shots at the Golden Nugget
  • 1995: Sherriff Harry Lee
  • 2004: Rockin 'Country Style (D)

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Chevalier, Jay
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American rockabilly and country musician
DATE OF BIRTH March 4, 1936
PLACE OF BIRTH Forest Hill , Louisiana
DATE OF DEATH March 30, 2019
Place of death Connoisseur