"Chuck's Waltz" - Chuck Guillory

Murphy "Chuck" Guillory learned to play from his father, Mady Guillory. He first picked up the instrument at the age of seven in the 1930s.3  

I picked up his violin when I was 7 and I was too little to tune it. He tuned it for me, and I started playing with one finger--I learned to play it own my own.3  

Starting out small, like most Cajun musicians, he played in local establishments, country dances, and local musical contests.  According to Guillory,

I'd rather play music than eat.2  

Hé, p'tite fille, un jour à venir, mais, malheureuse, 

Moi, j'connais tu vas pleurer tu sera trop tard,

Hé, un jour à venir chérie, 

Moi, j'connais tu vas venir, mais, malheureuse.

Hé, mais, tu connais, chérie, 

Tu connais, t'es jamais dernière* pour ça t'as fait.

Herman Durbin, Jimmy Newman, Chuck Guillory,
Curzy "Pork Chop" Roy, R.R. Sagg (emcee),
Julius "Papa Cairo" Lamperez

After the breakup of Harry Choates' Melody Boys, Guillory attracted two of his biggest sidemen in the industry, fiddler Curzy "Porkchop" Roy and steel guitar player Julius "Papa Cairo" Lamperez.   Porkchop grew up learning from his father, in which he recalls "could play anything, accordion, fiddle, guitar, piano...".1   He explained his nickname from childhood,

When I was a kid, I chewed gum all the time. As soon as the flavor was gone, I'd spit the gum out and pop in another piece. So my father called me "cochon" (pig).1  

Daily World
May 2, 1950

At sixteen years old, Porkchop cut his teeth early on, playing the drums with Harry Choates and the Melody Boys and by the time Papa was filling in, the band, the two musicians found themselves in Eunice working alongside Guillory's group. Together, in 1950, they recorded a tune called "Chuck's Waltz" (#1015).   It's a song most likely introduced to Guillory by his early sideman, Preston Manuel. Preston, who played with Chuck shortly after the war, had helped popularize this tune in the 1930s as "Chere Tu Tu" with J.B. Fuselier.  Preston recalled playing with Guillory,

I had quite playing with J.B. for a few years, right after WWII, and we organized a band, me and Chuck, The Rhythm Boys.   My main man is Chuck .  I like to play with him and he's such a nice guy.  He's a good fiddler too!4   

Hey, little girl, one day will come, well, oh my,

I know you are going to cry, you'll be too late, 

Hey, one day will come, dearie, 

I know you're going to return, well, oh my.

Hey, well, you know, dearie,

You know, you'll never last*, for what you've done.

After working in the grocery business in Mamou for years, he brought back Preston and Porkchop for something he called a "re-comeback" in 1982, re-recording many of his old tunes including "Chuck's Waltz".   Porkchop reminisced a harrowing night with the band and Papa Cairo,

One night, we played a dance at Tee Maurice. Afterward, we went riding around Bosco with Papa Cairo...just looking around. The fella driving the car jumped a canal and we ended up in the water. I came up with my hair hanging all over my face. Papa Cairo was laughing at me, but he changed his tune when he saw his six string steel-guitar floating down the canal.  He started hollering for someone to grab it quick.   He didn't mind being in the canal near as much as losing that steel.1  

1. "Cajun Musician Curzey Roy Recalls the Robust Rhythms".  Fannie Genin. DW. Sep 1984.
2. "Guillory Nominated". Candace Riley. VPG. Mar 5, 1989
3. "Fiddler Stands By Old Time Music". Robin Miller. TT Sep 26, 1993.
4. "Ye Yaille Chere" by Raymond Francois 
5. Lyrics by Stephane F

Release Info:
Chuck's Waltz | Feature F-1015-A
Teiyut Two Step | Feature F-1015-B

Find:
Grand Texas (Arhoolie, 1998)
Jimmy C NEWMAN - The Original Cry, Cry, Darling (Jasmine, 2009)