Biography
Guitarist and vocalist Lennis Sonnier joined the Hackberry Ramblers at an early stage, marking him as a veteran figure within Cajun tradition. Founded in 1930 by fiddler Luderin Darbone, the Hackberry Ramblers rank as the oldest continuously operating ensemble in the genre. Darbone, a specialist in hillbilly fiddle material, fused those elements into Cajun string band music alongside fellow trailblazers Leo Soileau, Happy Fats, and Doc Guidry. During the 1930s and 1940s the group maintained its own radio show heard across southwest Louisiana and east Texas.
Sonnier entered the recording studio with the Ramblers for the first time in 1935. Among the many tracks the ensemble cut, the enduring tale “Jolie Blonde” stands out as its best-known number. Floyd and Lonnie Rainwater, the other founding members alongside the brothers, gave way to later personnel changes that occurred with frequency under Darbone’s steady leadership, much like shifting gravel along a bayou roadside. The Ramblers’ earliest releases appeared in French, with Sonnier serving as the primary singer in that language. A connection to Montgomery Ward through certain radio broadcasts prompted the group to switch to English-language recording, which placed Sonnier and several Ramblers behind guitarist and vocalist Joe Werner. For those particular sides the musicians adopted the name Riverside Ramblers, matching a tire brand promoted by the sponsor. The resulting track “Wondering” achieved modest success and later gained wider recognition through country icon Webb Pierce’s version. The original recording’s performance earned Werner a modest solo deal with Decca.
World War II brought an initial disbandment, yet the group reassembled in 1946 to produce a series of sides for Deluxe. For ten years it also held a popular Saturday-night engagement at a Lake Charles, Louisiana club. An older, strictly part-time lineup recorded an album for Arhoolie in 1963; the label in turn helped generate a broader national listenership for Cajun music beginning in the late 1960s. Sonnier withdrew from active performance sometime during the 1980s. Fans, particularly Cajun guitarists, continue to recall him warmly, often citing the distinctive wrist action they studied while attempting to master his strumming patterns.
Sonnier entered the recording studio with the Ramblers for the first time in 1935. Among the many tracks the ensemble cut, the enduring tale “Jolie Blonde” stands out as its best-known number. Floyd and Lonnie Rainwater, the other founding members alongside the brothers, gave way to later personnel changes that occurred with frequency under Darbone’s steady leadership, much like shifting gravel along a bayou roadside. The Ramblers’ earliest releases appeared in French, with Sonnier serving as the primary singer in that language. A connection to Montgomery Ward through certain radio broadcasts prompted the group to switch to English-language recording, which placed Sonnier and several Ramblers behind guitarist and vocalist Joe Werner. For those particular sides the musicians adopted the name Riverside Ramblers, matching a tire brand promoted by the sponsor. The resulting track “Wondering” achieved modest success and later gained wider recognition through country icon Webb Pierce’s version. The original recording’s performance earned Werner a modest solo deal with Decca.
World War II brought an initial disbandment, yet the group reassembled in 1946 to produce a series of sides for Deluxe. For ten years it also held a popular Saturday-night engagement at a Lake Charles, Louisiana club. An older, strictly part-time lineup recorded an album for Arhoolie in 1963; the label in turn helped generate a broader national listenership for Cajun music beginning in the late 1960s. Sonnier withdrew from active performance sometime during the 1980s. Fans, particularly Cajun guitarists, continue to recall him warmly, often citing the distinctive wrist action they studied while attempting to master his strumming patterns.