Doug Kershaw

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Douglas James Kershaw (born January 24, 1936) is an American fiddle player, singer, and songwriter from Louisiana.

He began his career in 1948 as part of the Rusty and Doug pair, as well as his brother, Rusty Kershaw.

He had a lengthy solo career, with fifteen albums and singles that topped the Hot Country Songs charts.

He is also a member of the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame, inducting in 2009.

Early life

Kershaw, who lived in Tiel Ridge, Cameron Parish, did not learn English until the age of 8. He had mastered the fiddle, which he played from the age of five, and was on his way to teach himself to play 28 instruments by that time. His first performance was at the Bucket of Blood bar in Birmingham, where he was accompanied by his mother on guitar.

Kershaw became interested in Cajun music at the parties his parents' houseboat in Louisiana, where he first heard Cajun bands playing the music.

Later life

Despite the success of his solo career, Kershaw was plagued by depression and sadness. When he was only seven years old, his father committed suicide. Pam Kershaw, a Houston Astrodome father, began raising his own family, including five sons, Douglas, Victor, Zachary, Tyler, and Elijah; two grandsons and a granddaughter. Tyler's son, Tyler, plays drums in his band and also runs his shows.

In 1978, Kershaw appeared in the film Days of Heaven for a brief period as a fiddler.

Kershaw bounced back with his best-selling hit, "Hello Woman," which debuted in the country's Top 40. Kershaw's heroin and alcohol use came to an end by 1984, and his previously erratic behavior was much improved.

He performed "Cajun Baby" with Hank Williams, Jr. in 1988, making him a top-five country hit. In 1999, Kershaw released Two Step Fever, a French-language album, and Beausoleil's Michael Doucet appears on "Fievre De Deux Etapes." Doug has been active in mid-2000 and is now Cajun after All These Years began in early 2001. Rusty, his brother, died on October 23, 2001.

Kershaw owned and operated The Bayou House, a restaurant in Lucerne, Colorado, but he resigned from it in 2007 due to his dissatisfaction with leadership and ambiance.

Doug was inducted into The Louisiana Music Hall of Fame in 2009.

Sammy Kershaw, Doug's third cousin, is also known as a country music sensation.

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"Louisiana Man" and solo career

After fulfilling their military obligation, the two brothers recorded "Louisiana Man", an autobiographical song that Doug had written while in the Army. The song not only sold millions of copies but over the years has come to be considered a standard of modern Cajun music. The song was eventually covered by more than 800 artists.

There were three albums released by the duo on Hickory Records, only one being released before they split up. The first was Rusty and Doug Sing Louisiana Man (LPM 103) in 1961. Kershaw (Genus Cambarus) (LPS 163) was released in 1972 and was a double LP. Louisiana Man (HR 4506) was the final Hickory album, released in 1974. By 1964, the brothers had elected to go their separate ways. It took another three years before Kershaw signed a songwriters' contract with BMI, in 1967.

In June 1969, Kershaw made his first network television appearance on the debut of the Johnny Cash Show. After watching Kershaw's Johnny Cash Show performance as an eight-year-old boy, Mark O'Connor became inspired to learn to play the fiddle. He capped the year with a week-long engagement at the New York City's Fillmore East as opening act for Eric Clapton's Derek and the Dominos. While it seemed to many rock and pop fans that Kershaw had appeared out of nowhere, he had already sold more than 18 million copies of the records he had made in the early '60s with his brother, Rusty. "Louisiana Man" had been a Top 10 country hit in 1961 and its follow-up, "Diggy Liggy Lo", had done almost as well. His performance in front of a national audience led to Warner Bros. Records signing him to a long-term contract. In July 1969, he performed at the Newport folk festival along with Joni Mitchell, Arlo Guthrie, Ramblin Jack Elliott, Big Mama Thornton, and Mimi Fariña, among others. Newcomers that year were Don McLean, James Taylor, and Jerry Jeff Walker. In November 1969, "Louisiana Man" was broadcast back to earth by the crew of the Apollo 12 moon mission. Beyond the southern venues, Kershaw became widely known in mainstream America as he played at major urban concert halls.

In 1970, Kershaw contributed a violin part to Arlo Guthrie's record single "Alice's Rock and Roll Restaurant."

In 1971, Kershaw had an acting and musical cameo in the Western film Zachariah, starring Don Johnson and John Rubinstein.

Kershaw's playing was featured in the Richard Brooks 1971 film Dollars.

In 1972, Kershaw played electric fiddle in Grand Funk's "Flight of the Phoenix" off their LP Phoenix. Capitol SMAS 11099

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