Ledel "Blackie" Forestier was born October 28, 1928, in a community in St. Landry Parish, Louisiana, known as Coulee Croche. to farming parents Ferdinand Forestier and Edolia Hernandez Forestier. This was later renamed Cankton. In 1930, the family bought property and moved to the community of Pine Island, near Jennings. They farmed their property and grew cotton, corn, sweet potatoes, etc. Following the family's move Blackie's father and a cousin Philmeon, owned dancehalls and booked both Cajun and hillbilly string bands. Noted Cajun musicians such as J.B. Fusilier, Leo Soileau, Dennis McGee, and Alex Guidry were known to play there on occasion. There was always an accordion present in the house as long as he could remember. It belonged to his older brother Lawrence (14 years his senior) who played well. As a kid growing up he was barely allowed to look at this instrument, much less touch it. A family tradition of the Forestiers' was that every Christmas, all four of his brothers (3 played accordion : Lawrence, Austin, and Lovely John), with wives and children, would spend the day at their parents house and enjoy good food, drinks, and his brother would play the accordion. When Blackie came out of the military service from the Coast Guard in 1954, at the next Christmas gathering, when his brother Lawrence put the accordion down for a break, he picked it up and started making noise with it. This was the 1st time ever that he had held one in his hands. His 2nd to oldest brother Austin had bought his own accordion and had learned to play a little bit. He must of liked the noise Blackie was making because he told him to keep his accordion for two weeks and at that time he would check on him. Over the next few years he learned the accordion and played with local musicians such as Ellis Vanicor, Duffy Sensat, Ronnie Broussard, Tommy Regan, and David Trahan. By 1957, Blackie played his 1st gig for an oil company in Houston. He named his band Blackie Forestier and the Cajun Aces which initially featured Benny Martin (guitar), Roland Broussard (fiddle), Havenus "Bubba" Guillory (bass), Tommy Regan (drums) and Jesse Jay Stutes (steel). Through the years there were line-up changes mainly at fiddle which included: Arthur Leger, Rufus Thibodeaux, Tony Thibodeaux, Duffy Sensat, and Russel Quibodeaux. They played at local dancehalls such as T-Georges's in Lake Arthur, but their main booking was a Saturday night gig at Bourque's in Lewisburg. 1962, was playing all over the US. They traveled extensively and played at the 1st tribute to Cajun music in 1974 at the Blackham Coliseum in Lafayette, Festivals Acadiens, International Festival, Southwest Louisiana Heritage Festival, New Orleans Jazz Festival, Crab Festival, Border Festival in El Paso, Tx., Jericho Beach Festival, Cajun Festival in Rhode Island, Eunice Folklife Festival, French Market Festival, Folklife Festival in British Columbia, and Concert on the Hill in Missouri. he was named as the Best Accordionist and Best Band by a regional newspaper. He appeared in two documentary films, one being The Bal de Noce, by CODOFIL. He has been given many citation awards for his many contributions through the years. He appeared on numerous radio and television programs throughout the US and Canada. In 1970-72, they had a show on KPLC television in Lake Charles. The group disbanded for awhile in 1979, but reorganized in 1984.They brought Cajun music to events sponsored by the World Congress of Sociologist, the Houston Fine Arts Association, and the American Cultural Society. Numerous recordings on the Circle D, Cajun Jamboree, Country Star, and La Louisianne record loabels were released by the Cajun Aces. Blackie was inducted into the CFMA Lake Charles Chapter Cajun Music Hall of Fame in 1993 and the CFMA National Cajun Music Hall of Fame in 1997 in Eunice. He is also a member of the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame. Blackie passed away after suffering a heart attack in Lake Charles on November 19, 2001. He was buried in Jennings. His music still lives on today. Thanks to those who helped contribute to this article including Ron Yule, CFMA, Evangeline News Today archives, Opelousas Daily World archives, and my parents Louis and Dora Granger for introducing me to Blackie's music in my early years. * Dedicated to Blackie's wife Pat and the Forestier family* Composed by Neal P Granger
Blackie and the Cajun Aces :L-R: Jay Stutes, Tommy Regan, Roland Broussard, Blackie, Bubba Guillory, and Bennie Martin.
