Biography
Iry LeJune met his end in a highway mishap at the height of his popularity. While stranded with passenger J.B. Fusilier after a tire blew, the pair had no choice but to repair it on the roadway itself because the shoulder had deteriorated; a passing vehicle struck both men and hurled them into an adjacent field, where LeJune died at once.
His father, Agnus, provided the first lessons on accordion and introduced him to music. Within Cajun circles the art form already held deep significance, yet it mattered even more to young LeJune, whose near-blindness left him few other sources of pleasure or occupation; as he matured it also offered a practical livelihood. The dominant inspiration came from Amédé Ardoin, a Black musician from the area, whose approach prompted LeJune to develop his own tearful vocal manner. LeJune’s quicker fingers, however, transformed Ardoin’s straightforward accordion technique into something far more intricate and showy. When he began performing at neighborhood dances the moment proved unfavorable, for fiddles had supplanted accordions, which many now viewed as outdated; string bands led by the Hackberry Ramblers and by Happy Fats dominated local attention. Attempts to master the fiddle and join that trend proved fruitless. After sitting in with assorted larger ensembles, LeJune persuaded associate Floyd LeBlanc to drive him to Houston for a session with Virgil Bozman’s Oklahoma Tornados. The Opera-label date yielded “Love Bridge Waltz,” a recording whose impact proved immediate and lasting, restoring the accordion’s presence on jukeboxes across the Southwest and giving underemployed players a signature piece. LeBlanc and LeJune remained in Houston for half a year, working bars and dances. Back in Louisiana, LeJune secured a recurring slot on Eddie Shuler’s KPLC program. Station executives objected to the Cajun repertoire, yet Shuler responded by forming a business partnership that placed LeJune’s material on Goldband, Folk Star, and TNT; among the sides were “Teche Special” and “Calcasieu Waltz.” The accordion’s renewed favor soon displaced fiddles once more. LeJune continued to tour southwest Louisiana with his Lacassine Playboys, whose personnel included Duckhead Cormier, Wilson Grainger, and Robert Bertrand. Shuler traveled with the group, playing guitar and capturing performances on short notice at radio stations or, on occasion, in private kitchens. One such impromptu track, “Duraldo Waltz,” ranks among LeJune’s strongest, though it is among the few that omit his accordion. Swallow Records later reissued the classic late-1940s and early-1950s masters in the late 1970s.
His father, Agnus, provided the first lessons on accordion and introduced him to music. Within Cajun circles the art form already held deep significance, yet it mattered even more to young LeJune, whose near-blindness left him few other sources of pleasure or occupation; as he matured it also offered a practical livelihood. The dominant inspiration came from Amédé Ardoin, a Black musician from the area, whose approach prompted LeJune to develop his own tearful vocal manner. LeJune’s quicker fingers, however, transformed Ardoin’s straightforward accordion technique into something far more intricate and showy. When he began performing at neighborhood dances the moment proved unfavorable, for fiddles had supplanted accordions, which many now viewed as outdated; string bands led by the Hackberry Ramblers and by Happy Fats dominated local attention. Attempts to master the fiddle and join that trend proved fruitless. After sitting in with assorted larger ensembles, LeJune persuaded associate Floyd LeBlanc to drive him to Houston for a session with Virgil Bozman’s Oklahoma Tornados. The Opera-label date yielded “Love Bridge Waltz,” a recording whose impact proved immediate and lasting, restoring the accordion’s presence on jukeboxes across the Southwest and giving underemployed players a signature piece. LeBlanc and LeJune remained in Houston for half a year, working bars and dances. Back in Louisiana, LeJune secured a recurring slot on Eddie Shuler’s KPLC program. Station executives objected to the Cajun repertoire, yet Shuler responded by forming a business partnership that placed LeJune’s material on Goldband, Folk Star, and TNT; among the sides were “Teche Special” and “Calcasieu Waltz.” The accordion’s renewed favor soon displaced fiddles once more. LeJune continued to tour southwest Louisiana with his Lacassine Playboys, whose personnel included Duckhead Cormier, Wilson Grainger, and Robert Bertrand. Shuler traveled with the group, playing guitar and capturing performances on short notice at radio stations or, on occasion, in private kitchens. One such impromptu track, “Duraldo Waltz,” ranks among LeJune’s strongest, though it is among the few that omit his accordion. Swallow Records later reissued the classic late-1940s and early-1950s masters in the late 1970s.
Albums
Singles
