Doug Kershaw facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Doug Kershaw
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Doug Kershaw playing the fiddle at the 2009 Festivals Acadiens et Créoles.
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Douglas James Kershaw |
| Born | January 24, 1936 Cameron Parish, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Origin | Louisiana |
| Genres | Cajun music, country, folk, bluegrass |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, songwriter |
| Instruments | Vocals, fiddle, cajun accordion, guitar |
| Years active | 1948–present |
Douglas James Kershaw, born on January 24, 1936, is a famous American fiddle player, singer, and songwriter from Louisiana. He has been making music since 1948! He first started with his brother, Rusty, in a duo called Rusty and Doug. Later, he had a great solo career, releasing many albums and having songs hit the music charts. Doug is so important to music that he was even added to the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame in 2009.
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Growing Up with Music
Doug Kershaw was born in a small community called Tiel Ridge in Cameron Parish, Louisiana. He didn't learn to speak English until he was eight years old. By then, he was already amazing at playing the fiddle, which he started at age five! He was also teaching himself to play many other instruments. His very first performance was at a local bar called the "Bucket of Blood," where his mom played guitar with him.
Doug became very interested in Cajun music because of parties his parents would host. These parties happened on their houseboat in Louisiana. That's where he first heard Cajun bands playing their lively music.
The "Doug and Rusty" Duo
Doug grew up surrounded by the sounds of Cajun fiddle and accordion music. He taught his brother, Rusty, how to play the guitar. In 1948, they formed a band called the Continental Playboys with their older brother, Nelson "Peewee" Kershaw.
When Peewee left the group in the early 1950s, Doug and Rusty continued as a duo called Rusty & Doug. In 1955, when Doug was nineteen, they performed on the Louisiana Hayride radio show in Shreveport, Louisiana. They also played at the WWVA Jamboree in Wheeling, West Virginia.
At first, the brothers sang mostly in French. But a record label owner named J. D. "Jay" Miller encouraged them to sing some songs in English too. In 1955, Doug and Rusty recorded their first song, "So Lovely, Baby." This song became a hit, reaching number 14 on the country music charts!
Soon after, Doug and Rusty were invited to become regular performers on the Louisiana Hayride. They also performed at the famous Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee. The next year, they became regular members of the Opry cast.
Even with his busy music career, Doug went to McNeese State University in Lake Charles, Louisiana. He earned a degree in Mathematics! In 1958, at the peak of their early success, Doug and Rusty both joined the United States Army. They focused on their military service for three years before returning to music.
"Louisiana Man" and Solo Success
After their time in the Army, the two brothers recorded "Louisiana Man." This was a special song that Doug had written about his own life while he was in the Army. The song sold millions of copies! Over the years, "Louisiana Man" became a classic song in modern Cajun music. More than 800 other artists have even recorded their own versions of it.
The duo released three albums on Hickory Records. The first was Rusty and Doug Sing Louisiana Man in 1961. By 1964, the brothers decided to go their separate ways. It took three more years before Doug signed a contract as a songwriter in 1967.
In June 1969, Doug Kershaw appeared on national television for the first time. He was on the very first episode of The Johnny Cash Show. Many years later, a famous fiddle player named Mark O'Connor said that watching Doug's performance on that show inspired him to learn the fiddle!
Doug also performed for a week at the Fillmore East in New York City. He was the opening act for Eric Clapton's band, Derek and the Dominos. Many rock and pop fans thought Doug was a new artist. But he had already sold over 18 million copies of his records with his brother, Rusty, in the early 1960s! "Louisiana Man" was a Top 10 country hit in 1961, and his next song, "Diggy Liggy Lo," was also very popular.
His performance on national TV led to Warner Bros. Records signing him to a long-term contract. In July 1969, he played at the Newport Folk Festival alongside other famous musicians like Joni Mitchell and Arlo Guthrie. Later that year, in November 1969, the song "Louisiana Man" was even played back to Earth by the astronauts on the Apollo 12 Moon mission! Doug Kershaw became well-known across America, playing in big concert halls far from Louisiana.
In 1970, Doug played the violin on Arlo Guthrie's song "Alice's Rock and Roll Restaurant." The next year, in 1971, he had a small acting and musical part in the Western film Zachariah. His fiddle playing was also featured in the 1971 film Dollars. In 1972, Doug played electric fiddle on the song "Flight of the Phoenix" by the band Grand Funk.
Later Life and Family
Doug Kershaw found happiness and built a family. He married his wife, Pam, at the Houston Astrodome on June 21, 1975. They raised five sons: Douglas, Victor, Zachary, Tyler, and Elijah. He also has two grandsons and a granddaughter. His son Tyler plays drums in his band and helps manage his shows!
In 1978, Doug briefly appeared as a fiddler in the movie Days of Heaven. Later, he had one of his biggest hits, "Hello Woman," which reached the Top 40 on the country music charts.
In 1988, he recorded a duet called "Cajun Baby" with Hank Williams, Jr.. This song became a Top 50 country hit. Doug released a French-language album called Two Step Fever in 1999. His brother Rusty passed away on October 23, 2001. Doug continued to release new music, including Hot Diggity Doug in 2000 and Still Cajun After All These Years in 2001.
In 2009, Doug Kershaw was officially inducted into The Louisiana Music Hall of Fame. Interestingly, Doug's third cousin is also a country music star, Sammy Kershaw.
Relevant Reading
- Kershaw, Doug with Cathie Pelletier. 2019. The Ragin' Cajun: Memoir of a Louisiana Man. Macon, GA: Mercer University Press.
