Roy Carrier facts for kids

Joseph Roy Carrier Sr. (born February 11, 1947 – died May 3, 2010), known as Roy Carrier, was a famous American Zydeco musician. He played the accordion and helped make Zydeco music popular. Roy was also the father of Chubby and Dikki Du Carrier, who became Zydeco musicians too.

Roy Carrier's Early Life

Roy Carrier was born in 1947 in a small town called Lawtell, Louisiana. He grew up in a big family with nine children. His family worked on farms, sharing their crops.

Learning Music as a Kid

Roy's father, Warren, was also a Zydeco musician. He played the accordion at parties and local dances on weekends. When Roy was just 6 years old, he started going with his dad to these events.

Roy would play the frottoir, also known as a "rubboard," along with his father. He did this for many years. Later, he learned to play the drums and then the guitar.

Secret Accordion Practice

Roy really wanted to play the accordion, just like his dad. He would secretly practice on his father's accordion when his dad was away. Even though he risked getting into trouble, he kept practicing.

Soon, his father saw how good Roy was becoming with the accordion. After that, he let Roy practice whenever he wanted.

Forming The Night Rockers

In 1961, when Roy was 14, he started his first band. They called themselves The Night Rockers. Roy played guitar, his brother played drums, and his uncle played the rubboard. A local accordion player named Chris Johnson also joined them.

Since most of the band members were underage, they couldn't play in bars. Instead, they played at many parish dances. Roy watched Chris Johnson closely and kept practicing his own accordion skills.

After about a year, Chris Johnson left the band. Roy was ready to take over as the main accordion player. However, he had a farming accident and lost part of his right index finger. This made it hard for him to play the accordion and even affected his guitar playing for a few years.

Roy Carrier's Music Career

When Roy was 17, he went back to playing the accordion. Because he was missing part of his finger, he had to find a new way to play. He developed a special method called "crossing chords" or "cross-chording." This helped him make the sounds that his missing finger would normally create.

In 1965, he started The Night Rockers band again. Roy was the main accordion player, and Lawrence Chavis played guitar. They started playing in local bars and nightclubs.

Working Offshore and Playing Music

In 1972, when Roy was 25, he stopped farming. He got a job working on an offshore oil rig. His work schedule was seven days on the rig, followed by seven days off. During his time off, he would keep practicing and playing shows with his band. He worked at this job for 16 years.

Opening The Offshore Lounge

Roy saved enough money from his oil rig job to buy a small local club in Lawtell in 1980. He named it The Offshore Lounge. This club became a special place for Zydeco musicians. They would meet there and practice their skills together in "jam sessions" every Thursday. These jam sessions became very popular.

Roy used his club to help Zydeco music grow in the area. He also helped many famous Zydeco musicians get their start.

Helping Other Musicians

Musicians like Geno Delafose and Beau Jocque played at The Offshore Lounge early in their careers. Geno Delafose even got his first paid performance from Roy. Robby Robinson, who later started the band Zydeco Force, was once a member of Roy's band. Roy even lent equipment to Zydeco Force to help them begin.

Roy's own sons, Chubby and Troy, started playing with The Night Rockers when they were just 10 years old. This was just like their father had done when he was young.

In 1989, Roy stopped working offshore. With encouragement from his son Chubby, he started touring with The Night Rockers outside of Louisiana.

A Teacher of Zydeco

Roy Carrier is seen as a teacher for many musicians. He taught almost a whole generation of Zydeco artists. Because of his importance, Roy was part of the first group of musicians to be added to the Zydeco Hall of Fame. He was honored alongside other legends like Clifton Chenier and Boozoo Chavis.

In 2020, Smithsonian Folkways bought Roy's record label, Right on Rhythm. They released a new CD called Choose Your Shoes. This CD was originally made for Roy to sell at his shows. It was put together from live recordings of his earlier CDs. Many people say his music is a great example of "old school" Zydeco.

Death

Roy Carrier passed away in 2010 at the age of 63. His funeral was held at Holy Family Catholic Church in Lawtell, Louisiana.

Discography

• Zydeco Strokin (Paula Records, 1995)
• Soulful Side of Zydeco (Zane Records, 1995)
• Roy Carrier at His Best (Zane Records, 1995)
• Nasty Girls (Right on Rhythm, 1996)
• Twist and Shout (Right on Rhythm, 1998)
• Offshore Blues & Zydeco (Right on Rhythm, 2000)
• Whiskey Drinkin' Man (Right on Rhythm, 2001)
• Living Legend (Severn Records, 2004)
• Zydeco Soul (Mardi Gras, 2006)