Martin “Bull” Leger was born in Church Point, Louisiana, on January 3rd, 1900. He was inspired to play Cajun music by his father, Noah Leger, and played the accordion. His music playing career spanned from 1915 to 1983. He had his own band, “The Country Boys” for 30 years, Bull & The Little Bulls for 5 years, and he filled in with many other bands when called upon. He played with famous musicians such as Bobby Leger, Phil Menard, Lawrence Walker, Nathan Abshire, Iry Lejuene, and Bill Lejuene, among others. He taught Hall of Fame’r Phil Menard, along with Homer Lejuene, and Cyrus, Gus, and Willis Leger how to play the accordion. In the late 1940’s, “Bull” owned a cafe in Lake Charles next to his son-in-law Phil Menard’s service station on Kirkman Street. On Saturday afternoons Lawrence Walker would bring in his Packard to Phil to get serviced and would go next door to eat, and eventually jam with “Bill”. Young musicians like Iry Lejuene and Bobby Leger would come there to take part in the jam sessions. He played at many house dances, private parties, wedding dances, nursing homes all over South Louisiana. Some of the clubs and dancehalls he performed; The Purple Peacock in Eunice, The Blue Moon and John’s Barn in Lake Charles, The Clover Club in Lacassine, Club 90 in Iowa, Porche Town Club in Sulphur, The Avalon Club in Basile, The River Club in Mermentau, Bee Pellerin’s Club in Judice, all in Louisiana and B. And O.’s Sparkle Club in Bridge City, Texas. He retired as an employee of city of Lake Charles, Louisiana were he lived for many years. In 2003, he was inducted into the CFMA Lake Charles Chapter’s Cajun Music Hall of Fame. In the late 1960’s to early 1970’s my parents moved one city block off Kirkman Street near where Phil Menard had converted his gas station to a car lot. Phil continued to have Saturday jam sessions and my father, the late Louis B Granger would occasionally visit there on Saturdays to “look for a vehicle”. I often wonder what great musicians he had witnessed playing there during those days. Composed by Neal P Granger
