Dancehalls in Acadia Parish

Martinez Dance Hall

Photos courtesy of Robert Thibodeaux Judith Kershaw: “My grandmother, my father’s (Robert Thibodeaux) mother, owned and ran her husband’s (A. Martinez) Dance Hall. When my dad (Robert) was starting barber school in Monroe, his stepfather became ill and my dad and mom moved back down to help my grandma run it. I have many memories from that time. I sat on a bar stool behind the bar with my grandma many Saturday nights. I also spent Sunday mornings helping my dad clean it. I have great memories of sitting on the stage while upcoming greats played awesome music. My grandmother owned the entire block in which her home and the dance hall sat. My heart broke at the age of 10 when my grandma passed away from cancer. Martinez Dance Hall was closed forever after that. Eventually it was torn down and my dad sold the property, which now has four homes on it.” Stacy Lejeune: “When I was six years of age to about 9 or 10 years old, we lived in Morse, LA. We lived about a two blocks from Martinez’s Dance Hall, which was next to Hwy. 91. In those days, which would have been in the early 1970’s, we didn’t have air conditioning, so we would sleep with windows open. From our bedroom window, we could hear the music, from Martinez’s. My mother and father visited many of these dance halls back in the day. Some of the halls that I can remember that they visited were: Martinez’s, Country Club in Riceville, the Bannecek, the Lake Shore Club in Lake Arthur, and the Riverclub in Mermentau. My parents were awesome dancers and even won a dance competition! My mom and my step-father could probably give more names because they have been to many of these places and more.” From “Louisiana Fiddlers” by Ron Yule and : “By the early 1950s, Lionel (LeLeux) began playing around the area with his son, John (rhythm guitar), and other musicians. Their first shows were at Adolph Martinez’s Dancehall in Morse.” ...

Babineaux Dance Hall

Listed in “Readers recall clubs where they danced to Louisiana Music” from The Daily Advertiser, December 29, 1998: “Readers of The Daily Advertiser were asked to submit names of’ the clubs where they danced to Louisiana music in the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s, with a brief recollection of what the club was like and who played there.” ...

Newman’s Country Club

Listed in “Readers recall clubs where they danced to Louisiana Music” from The Daily Advertiser, December 29, 1998: “Readers of The Daily Advertiser were asked to submit names of’ the clubs where they danced to Louisiana music in the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s, with a brief recollection of what the club was like and who played there.” ...

La Salle de Tee-Gar Guidry

Marty Guidry: Tee-Gar Guidry opened his dance hall in Mermentau Cove, Louisiana before 1920. Nathan Abshire, the legendary Cajun accordionist, played his first performance there in 1921 at the age of eight. After launching his professional career at Tee-Gar Guidry’s dance hall, Nathan became the most recorded Cajun accordion player. ...

River Club

Owned by a Mr. Bonin- Gene Istre- “Well one quick story i’m sure know one else will tell, around 1977 i’m not positive about the year but i’m close, i was friends with Mr. Bonin who was the owner of The Famous River Club here in Mermentau. Well the bridge had to come down and it was time for the club to come down and make some room for a new bridge which is the bridge we pass on today. Mr Nook as he was called payed a few of his grandchildren and their friends who was my brother and i , he gave us each $20.00 in $2.00 bills. We were all young like 13 to 15 and we enjoyed ripping it up.Anyway thats my story of The River Club , I know from stories told to me through out my life that there were a lot of love fights and some marriages that happened there.” ...

Tiffany’s

Included in a 2006 Louisiana Cajun dance hall list compiled by WYNK Cajun DJ “Tee Mick” Abed, sent to me in personal correspondence from David Marcantel ...

Charlie’s

From Austinchronicle: 2005: “Charlie’s, Highway 90 in Mermentau. Crawfish boils and spicy music!” From http://www.justice.gov/crt/about/hce/documents/hylitessettle.php: Accused of racial discrimination after three African Americans were refused service in 1999 ...

Dupre LeBleu Dance Hall

Listed in “Readers recall clubs where they danced to Louisiana Music” from The Daily Advertiser, December 29, 1998: “Readers of The Daily Advertiser were asked to submit names of’ the clubs where they danced to Louisiana music in the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s, with a brief recollection of what the club was like and who played there.” John Broven’s “South to Louisiana” book states that Alfee Bergeron started played there in 1924. ...