Alphonse "Bois Sec" Ardoin was born November 16, 1915, in l'Anse de 'Prien Noir (Black Cyprian's Cove named after his great great grandfather who settled the area in the 1930's) to parents Gustave Ardion and Mary Louise Ceasar Ardion near Bayou Duralde, by the community of Duralde, located west off of Hwy 13 between Mamou and Eunice, Louisiana. Bois Sec was the forth of five children, raised with two older sisters : Alphonsine, and Dolvina, one older brother Houston and one younger brother Delphin. For many years, the Ardoin family sharecropped fields, raising rice or soybeans or using the land for grazing livestock. Ardoin's nickname, "Bois Sec" (dry wood), was given to him as a four year old child by a white neighbor by the name of Alfred Veillion because, he said, Alfonse was always the first to the barn when a rainstorm interrupted work in the fields. When he was about two years old, his father died. His mother took a job doing laundry to earn money. Bois Sec's older brother Houston hired himself out to help support the family. When Bois Sec was about seven, he started to take his older brother's accordion and hide in the barn to practice. Eventually his luck ran out as he was heard playing by Houston, but his older brother was so impressed he let him continue playing. It didn't take long for Bois Sec to become a young phenom accordion player. As a young man, Bois Sec often joined his first cousin, accordion player Amédé Ardoin, at dance parties, as well as a club in Basile, where he played accordion. Amédé was well known in the area and was the first French-speaking black musician to make 78 rpm recordings in the 1930s. His song book is the basis for modern Creole and Cajun music. Bois Sec played the triangle for Amédé and watched him play the accordion along with Cajun fiddler Dennis McGee. At age 12, Bois Sec was able to buy his own instrument from a cousin for around three dollars. Bois Sec had gotten hired by the same man who gave him his nickname, Alfred Veillion, to do odd jobs such as washing cars for for 50 cents and made enough to purchase it. He would ride his horse about 10 miles down the road to Eunice to purchase that first accordion. The music style he played was part often referred to as La La or French music, which blends Creole French, African American, and French Afro-Caribbean sounds and rhythms with fast tempos, frequent syncopation, and blues tones. He also was adept to playing traditional Cajun music, which was popular in the region he was raised as a child. One of those families that hired the Ardoin's to do their laundry was a neighboring Cajun farming family, the Devilliers. As told by the son Jerry, his father Amar "T-Frere" Deviller and his mother Dula was on a visit with the Ardoin's when Amar 1st heard the young Bois Sec playing. Amar, being an accordion player himself, was blown away at some of the licks the young kid was playing, so the next time he would visit he made it a point to bring his accordion with him and the two would play together. Bois Sec was an influence on the older Amar, who also played, wrote, and recorded a few songs together (One being 'Durald Waltz) with Dennis McGee at times. In 1934, Bois Sec married Marceline Victorian, began a family and were considered community leaders. In 1948, Ardoin and an amazing fiddler named Canray Fontenot from the community of L'Anse aux Vaches, near the town of Basile, began playing together as the Duralde Ramblers at house dances. The duo played together for more than 40 years and sometimes added other musicians. The two would go on to record various albums and singles as a duo and with other artist. Through those years Bois Sec played with many local Cajun and Creole artist such as Cyprien and Adam Landreneau, Isom Fontenot, The Balfa Brothers, Jerry Devillier, Angelas Manuel, Hadley Fontenot, Ambrose Thibodeaux, Sady Courville, Adam Fontenot, to name a few. (Jerry fondly recalls in the late 1960's/70's going to Bois Sec's camp in the woods with other French Cajun and Creole musicians and just cook and play). In 1966, Bois Sec (accordion), Canray (fiddle), and Isom Fontenot (harmonica) accompanied by Revon Reed (triangle/promoter) performed at the Newport Folk Festival, where they received an enthusiastic reception. In an interview for The National Endowment For The Arts in 1986, Bois Sec was quoted when asked about the experience. "At first, frankly, we felt downright funny about the whole thing". We felt far from home". We played alright, but it wasn't like playing at home for the folks". "There were so many, to start with, a whole crowd of people watching us. When you see thousands watching you for the first time, facing them with only an accordion and and an old fiddle, that's not an easy thing. When they told us it was our turn, we had to brace ourselves. We both had the shivers as we went up on stage. Then we started getting along with the people and they were applauding our music. It's like our fears melted away." Those successive string of years that the Cajun/Creoles from Acadiana performed at Newport from the years 1964 through 1968 is considered the ushering in of the Cajun Renaissance Era, which served as a huge boost to both Cajun and Creole music for the future. Also in 1966, the duo would record their first album called Les Blues de Bayou. They would go on to play at many other large festivals and venues such as the New Orleans Jazz Festival. Bois Sec and his wife Marceline had 14 children, with nine daughters and five sons that carried on the family music tradition. Three of those sons, Gustave "Bud", Morris, Russell, and Lawrence "Black" along with "Gras Bee" Guillory and Canray in the early 1970's, formed a family band called the Ardoin Family Orchestra, also referred to The Ardoin Family Band or Ardoin Brothers. "Bud" passed away from a tragic auto accident in 1974, which caused Bois Sec to temporarily retire from playing music, but eventually started again. Morris filled in for Bud afterwards and Ronald joined on drums. The family had a dancehall and bar called the Cowboy Club in Morris' yard, which was very popular in Duralde. Russel played bass for the band. The popular band played at many festivals, made a number of recordings, and appeared in two films, Dry Wood, (1973) and J'ai Ete' Au Bal (1989 which I proudly own a copy). Son Lawrence "Black Ardoin left the family band in the early 1980's to form his own group called French Zydeco Band and was a huge success. Lawrence's sons, Sean and Chris took over the family band in 1988. ( Lawrence retired from Entergy power Corp. and played enjoyed playing up until his death on December 3,2022). Bois Sec would continue playing in his latter years, even playing at the Festivals Acadiens in Lafayette in 2002 and was still ever popular at appearances up until his death on May 16, 2007, being one of the last surviving members to play the " la musique creole" considered the old style. Bois Sec's impressive music legacy is still cemented today, as his grandson's , Sean ( currently at 4 Gammy nominations) ,Chris, Dexter, and great grandson Alphonse Paul Jr., are very successful artist in their own right. Thanks to those who helped contribute to this story including Sean Ardoin, Jerry Devillier, C.J. Landreneau, Opelousas Daily World archives, Eunice News archives, Evangeline News Today archives, National Endowment for the Arts article, and Ann Savoy author of "Cajun Music. A reflection of a People" Vol. 1. **Dedicated to the Ardoin Family** and special thanks to Sean for his contribution to this article. Composed by Neal P Granger
