Merlin Fontenot was born on September 26, 1923, to Enos Fontenot and Gertrude McGee Fontenot, farmers who raised cotton, potatoes, and sugar cane as their main crops near the town of Eunice, Louisiana. Enos played the accordion which is where Merlin likely developed his love for French music at a young age. He 1st tried the accordion at the age of seven before becoming interested in playing the fiddle. After constructing a makeshift fiddle with a cigar box and thread, he quickly realized he needed the real thing, so he eventually was able to acquire one from Sears and Roebuck for around $10. By his teens he was playing at Bal de Maison’s ( house dances) around the Eunice area, many times making to town on foot some three miles away from the family farm. In 1940, he began playing with his father-in-law, the popular and well established accordion player Ambrose Thibodeaux and his uncle Lawrence Thibodeaux until the beginning of WWII , when Merlin was drafted into the Navy, where he served in the Pacific campaign. During the war Merlin, along with other soldier/musicians entertained troops over the Armed Forces radio program. Following the war and throughout the mid 1940’s/1950’s, he and his wife Lillian settled in Jacksonville, Florida where he had various jobs while playing mostly country music. He even made a couple of appearances at the Grand Ole Opry. In 1971, they moved back to Louisiana and settled in the Lafayette area. He began working as a carpenter and began playing in Cajun music band which featured Davis Guidroz, Dulis Landry, Wade Landry and George Boles. They would play at a popular joint called Etly’s Lounge in Eunice. It was there that a young phenom named Ken Smith would sometimes join in. Merlin played with many notable Cajun musicians through the years such as Jo-el Sonnier, Nathan Abshire, The Balfa Brothers, Ambrose Thibodeaux, Amar “T-Frere” Devillier, Reggie Matte, Lee Benoit, Bubba Frey, Fred Charlie, to name a few. Merlin performed at Vermilionville Cajun Cultural Center in Lafayette for years where he also served as a cultural ambassador. He also played at the popular Bubba Frey’s restaurant, south of Eunice. Merlin was heavily involved in the preservation of the Acadian culture. He was considered one of the great fiddlers to come out of the region and appeared on several recording albums. Merlin passed on January 10, 2017 in Lafayette. Thanks to Jerry Devillier, Ron Yule, Eunice News archives, Evangeline News archives for their contributions. Composed by Neal P Granger
