"The Pee Wee Special" - Pee Wee Broussard

Another accordionist that helped usher in the "dancehall era" was Chester Isaac "Pee Wee" Broussard (not to be confused with Joseph "Pee Wee" Broussard, tenor banjo player for Happy Fats and Harry Choates). In 1952, Ned Guilbeau, a DJ on a New Iberia radio station, arranged Pee Wee's first session at J.D. Miller's studio at the old M&S Electrical Shop on North Parkerson Street in Crowley, as he liked Pee Wee's playing. There, he recorded two sessions, one which produced the song "The Pee Wee Special" (#1045) on Feature records.

Pee Wee Broussard

During the 1960s, he played fiddle in Marc Savoy's dancehall band. Eventually, he formed the band The Melody Boys. According to those who knew him, Pee Wee liked to fight when he got drunk. He would try to fight people in the dance hall, and if that failed he tried to fight with his own band members.

For the sessions Pee Wee's Melody Boys comprised himself on accordion, Jean "Kaiser" Perez on fiddle, Walter Guidry on steel guitar, Andy Johnson on rhythm guitar, and Nathan Latiolais on drums. Pee Wee Broussard continued to record, cutting both for George Khoury in Lake Charles and Carol Rachou in Lafayette, while he continued his day job as an automobile mechanic at Charlie Lamar's Mechanic Shop in Lafayette... Although he played the accordion on Miller's releases, he also played fiddle, steel and rhythm guitar, and upright bass.

1. Flyright 610, Acadian Two Step, 1988. Notes by Bruce Bastin
2. http://www.acadianmuseum.com/legends.php?viewID=223

Find:
Acadian Two Step (Flyright, 1987)
Acadian All Star Special - The Pioneering Cajun Recordings Of J.D. Miller (Bear, 2011)