A buddy sent me a DVD with Pee Wee Broussard playing a TV show in the mid-80's, and I thought Pee Wee was amazing. The band was very good, and tight, but I Pee Wee really smoked it. He didn't look young in the video, so I guessed he's passed by now, but he was really something. I really liked his style and level of musicianship.

I hadn't heard anything about him on this forum before. Anybody have more info?

He's one of my favorites. Didn't record much apparently.

There are a few of his recordings on Neal's site under the 1950's-60's. link #2

Found and loaded. And they're good, too. Thanks for the tip!

Was your friend's film on youtube? I wonder if it was the TV show on Channel 15 hosted by Alex Broussard in the 70s-80s? I sure would like to see that!

Chester "Pee Wee" Broussard also played on the records by Lee Man Prejean and the Happy Playboys of Scott, several 45s that are sometimes on those compilations. Valse de Tout'l'Monde is a classic! Good player! You see him in the background at some of the outdoor parties hosted by Marc Savoy on the film Spend it All. Yes, he's long gone.

Neal, didn't Pee Wee play with Happy Fats back in the day, or was that Alex Brousard?

Dowell

There was more than one well known Pee Wee Broussard. One is the accordion player Chester "Pee Wee" Broussard who played with Lee Man Prejean's band and had his own band too. There was another Pee Wee Broussard who DID play banjo with Happy Fats band in the 30s and 40s, then with Al Terry. He is pictured in Johnnie Allen's great picture book, Memories. Alex Broussard played banjo with Happy Fats, but later, like in the 50s-60s, I believe. I think the band was called the Bayou Buckaroos by that time. Happy Fats' band also had a fiddler named Andrus "Uncle Ambrose" Thibodeaux, but that's not the same "Uncle Ambrose" Thibodeaux who made those great accordion records on the La Louisianne label in the 60s-70s.

I guess there weren't enough names to go around!

It does get a little confusing sometimes.

Dowell

I don't know where my friend got it, but he was playing with Lee Man Prejean and the Happy Playboys. It was about an hour long, I think. I was up all night watching it (wife's out of town), and could hardly sleep with his playing in my head. The more I heard the better I liked it.

Nice to see some talk of Pee Wee Broussard on here. He is one of my all time favorites. He was underrated as a player. Does anyone know what year he passed away. I know he was still playing in the late 90s, I believe. I lone the old records on Hadacol.

Well, he was still alive in September 1997. At Festivals Acadiens that year, Ann Savoy hosted a panel with several of the "older" Cajun musicians. One of them was Pee Wee Broussard; another was Chuck Guillory. I'm not sure about the others, but I think one of them was Carlton Frank. Unfortunately, I remember more about the event than I do about the individuals who were members of the panel; but it was quite impressive. it would be nice to hear it again - I wonder if Ann Savoy or someone else recorded it.

I do know of several recordings by Pee Wee Broussard:
Six on Flyright 610 - Acadien Two-Step; three on La Louisianne-110 - Cajun Music at Home; one on CFMA LP-02; and one on Disky DCD 148, Volume 4 - Cajun Collection.

That's not much information, but maybe a start. These guys should not be forgotten!

Jack Bond

Thanks for FYI Mr. Bond. Yes, I know a buddy of mine played with him the accordion around '96 or '97. Peewee played the fiddle on that gig. I know who I could ask. I'll try to locate her.

...and he did not use his left hand middle finger when he played the fiddle...It was always sticking straight up! Made for an interested visual presentation! He only used his index, ring and pinky fingers on his left hand!

Yes, but PeeWee was a lil firecracker too.