Mervin Faul was born on September 21st, 1932 in Iota, Louisiana. He attended school in Lawtell and Opelousas, before moving to Iowa, Louisiana in 1948. At age 5, Mervin learned to play the harmonica and entertained his family playing “Jolie Blonde “. At age 16, he learned rhythm guitar and by age 17 he would start playing the steel guitar, his favorite instrument. In 1950, Mervin began playing steel with Percy Fuselier and The Elton Playboys. He joined Cleveland Crochet and his band in 1953. In 1956, he joined a group composed of the Golden Triangle in Texas and from Sulphur area called the French Ramblers with Allen Thibodeaux, Alex Caswell, Bobby Caswell, Jack Jagneaux, Ophey Godeau, Alvin Myers, Travis Burk, Lonnie Lejuene, Ed Wagner, Roland Ledet , Lane and Wayne Thibodeaux. They were regular performers at the Rodair Club and Sparkle Paradise in East Texas. They also played at Speedy's Broken Mirror in Sulphur, Pochetown Barn, the Magnolia Club, the White Elephant, and Ovey Guidry's Bar. He also played with Alphee Bergeron and The Veteran Playboys, John Oliver and The Crowley Playboys, Sidney and The Traveler Playboys, Robert Bertrand and The Louisiana Ramblers, Sonny O’Quain and The Choupique Playboys, Phil Menard and The Louisiana Travelers, and Joe Simon and The Louisiana Cajuns which featured Leo Abshire, Clayton Suire, Joe Simon and an 18 year old accordion player named Chris Miller. Over years he played with a virtual Who’s Who in Cajun Music. Mervin played at the Folklife Festival in San Antonio; Spring Festival in Spring, Texas; Adley’s Club, Club 26, and Liberty Theater in Eunice; Ivy’s Club, Club 90, and Landry’s in Iowa, Louisiana; Blackie’s Lounge, Shamrock Club, Moulin Rouge, and Players Casino in Lake Charles; Randoll’s in Lafayette, Harris’s Seafood Restaurant in Hayes; Belizaire’s in Crowley; Palemino Club, Vinton; Slims Lounge in Kinder; Cypress Inn at Rutherford Beach; Rodair Club in Port Acres, Texas; Sparkle Club in Bridge City, Texas, among others. He is on many recordings of listed bands that he had performed with. He was also recorded live on KEUN Radio out of Eunice, throughout the 1950’s and 1960’s with various Cajun Bands. Mervin was inducted into the CFMA Lake Charles Chapter’s Cajun Music Hall of Fame in 1997. Composed by Neal P Granger
Joe Simon and the Louisiana Cajuns. Standing L-R: Leo Abshire, Clayton Suire, Mervin. Kneeling L-R: Joe Simon and Chris Miller.