Beau Jocque facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Beau Jocque
Beau Jocque at the New Orleans Jazz Fest, 1997
Background information
Birth name	Andrus Espre
Born	(1953-11-01)November 1, 1953 Duralde, Evangeline Parish, Louisiana, U.S.
Died	September 10, 1999(1999-09-10) (aged 45) Kinder, Louisiana, U.S.
Genres	Zydeco
Instruments	Accordion, vocals
Years active	1991–1999
Labels	Rounder Mardi Gras Records

Beau Jocque (born Andrus Espre; November 1, 1953 – September 10, 1999) was a famous zydeco musician and songwriter. He was active in the 1990s and came from Louisiana.

Beau Jocque was known for his deep voice and mixing different music styles into zydeco. Most of all, people loved the powerful energy of his music. With his band, the Hi-Rollers, he became one of the most popular dance hall acts of his time. He sang and wrote many songs in Louisiana French, Louisiana Creole, and English. Most of his music was released by Rounder Records.

Who Was Beau Jocque?

Early Life and Influences

Beau Jocque was born Andrus Espre in Duralde, Louisiana. His dad, "Tee Toe," was a great accordion player. But he stopped playing music when Andrus's older brother was born. Andrus played guitar in a high school band. He liked bands like War, ZZ Top, and Santana. These were not zydeco bands.

After high school, he joined the Air Force. He became a sergeant and worked in London and Germany. He even helped escort important people around Europe. He spent nine years in the military. Later, he worked as an electrician and welder. He lived in Kinder, Louisiana for a long time. He also enjoyed writing poems and talking about respecting nature.

Starting His Music Career

In 1987, Andrus had a work accident. It made him unable to move his legs for a while. While he was getting better, he started playing his father's accordion. He practiced for a year and got very good.

Then, he and his wife Michelle, also known as Shelly, studied other zydeco groups. He watched how the crowd reacted to different parts of the music. He learned that when everything came together, it really made people dance.

Andrus spoke Louisiana Creole French very well. He was also a very tall and big man. So, he took the stage name "Beau Jocque." In Louisiana Creole, this means "Big Guy."

In 1991, he started his band. His wife Shelly played the rubboard. They began playing small shows and word quickly spread. He attracted younger fans by adding rock guitar, blues beats, and even rap into his songs. His first recordings became popular on local radio. Soon, Beau Jocque was playing shows almost every night. Just a few years after his accident, he was one of the biggest stars in Louisiana zydeco. In 1995, a newspaper said there had never been a zydeco star like him.

Beau Jocque and the Zydeco Hi-Rollers won the Big Easy Music Awards three times. They were named Best Zydeco Artist.

First Recordings and Big Hits

Beau Jocque's first recording was in 1992. It was called My Name is Beau Jocque. He sold cassettes of it at his shows. They sold out very fast!

A producer from Rounder Records, Scott Billington, heard about Beau Jocque. He signed him to his record label. In 1993, Beau Jocque Boogie was released. It had his first big hit song, "Give Him Cornbread." Beau Jocque wrote the song himself. It mixed parts of older zydeco and hip hop songs. Fans loved it so much they would throw cornbread onto the stage! Beau Jocque Boogie became the best-selling zydeco album ever.

Beau Jocque made five studio albums for Rounder Records. A live album was released after he passed away. All his albums were very successful. He also recorded two albums for Mardi Gras Records.

Friendly Rivalry with Boozoo Chavis

Beau Jocque became famous very quickly. This caused some tension with older musicians. They felt he hadn't worked long enough to earn his fame. Another zydeco pioneer, Boozoo Chavis, even sang a song about it. He said Beau Jocque played his music but couldn't sing his song.

But this rivalry was also good for their music careers. A club in New Orleans called the Mid-City Lanes Rock n' Bowl held yearly "Boo vs. Beau" battles. These shows brought in over 1,000 people and set attendance records. Even Mick Jagger and Charlie Watts from The Rolling Stones came to watch one time! A 1994 movie called The Kingdom of Zydeco was even made about this rivalry.

It was mostly a friendly competition. They would joke about each other in public. But they supported each other in private. Beau Jocque often played Boozoo Chavis's songs. He even played a show to help raise money for Chavis's wife's surgery. In the 1994 movie, both musicians said the "battles" were just a fun way to promote their music.

The last "Boo vs. Beau" battle was on May 2, 1999.

Personal Life

Beau Jocque and his wife Michelle, or Shelly, had two sons. Their names were Andrus Adrian and Justin Travis.

In 1995, Beau Jocque had a heart attack while on tour. Some radio stations wrongly reported that he had died. He surprised everyone, even the mayor of his town, by showing up at a local supermarket soon after.

His Passing

On September 9, 1999, Beau Jocque and the Zydeco Hi-Rollers played a show in New Orleans. They drove back home to Kinder, Louisiana, about 200 miles away. The next morning, September 10, 1999, his wife found him. Beau Jocque had passed away from a heart attack. He was at the peak of his music career. He is buried in Saint Matilda Cemetery in Eunice, Louisiana.

His passing happened just two weeks after his father, Sandrus, had also passed away.

The Hi-Rollers Band Members

Here are some of the people who played in the Hi-Rollers:

• Chuck Bush (bass guitar)
• Steve Charlot (drums)
• Russell "Sly" Dorion (guitar)
• Ray Johnson (guitar)
• Mike Lockett (keyboard)
• Wilfred Pierre (rubboard)

Music Albums

Studio and Live Albums

Film and TV Appearances

• Louisiana Blues (1993): Beau Jocque appeared as himself in this film about Cajun and Zydeco music.
• The Kingdom of Zydeco (1994): Beau Jocque and Boozoo Chavis were in this movie. It showed their friendly competition to be the "King of Zydeco."
• By the River of Babylon: An Elegy for South Louisiana (2015): This TV show included music from Beau Jocque.

Other TV Shows

• Late Night with Conan O'Brien: He appeared on this show on June 26, 1995.
• Late Show with David Letterman: Beau Jocque & The Zydeco Hi-Rollers were on a special New Orleans episode on May 15, 1998.

Awards and Honors

• 1994: Won the Big Easy Music Awards for Best Zydeco Artist.
• 1994: Beau Jocque and the Zydeco Hi-Rollers were voted Hottest Band at the first Zydeco People's Choice Awards.
• 1995: Won the Big Easy Music Awards for Best Zydeco Artist again.
• 1995: His song "Yesterday" won Best Song of the Year at the Second Annual Zydeco People's Choice Awards.
• 2000: Won the Big Easy Music Awards for Best Zydeco Artist after his passing.

Images for kids

• 

  Beau Jocque at the New Orleans Jazz Fest, 1997