| Hadley Castille | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Hadley J. Castille |
| Born | March 3, 1933 |
| Origin | Leonville, Louisiana |
| Genres | Cajun |
| Occupations | Musician, Fiddler |
| Instruments | Fiddle |
| Associated acts | Hadley J. Castille and the Sharecroppers Hadley Castille & The Louisiana Cajun Band |
| Website | http://www.hadleyjcastille.com/ |
Hadley J. Castille (March 3, 1933 – )[1] is a prominent Cajun fiddler.
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Castille was born to a Cajun French speaking family. His father was named François Castille. He learned to play the fiddle from his Uncle Cyprien Castille at around the age of 9.[1][2] After moving around for a while, he ended up in Pecaniere - a small community near Leonville, LA. Here, he first heard "Jole Blon" by Harry Choates during a trip to the The Silver Slipper, a grocery store and bar.[3] The song inspired him to take up a new style of playing.[4] In the early 1950s, he started playing at Roy's Bar in Port Barre, LA and local house parties.[5] Also, they played on the KSLO "Amateur Hour" segments on Saturday mornings.[5] After graduating, Castille moved to New Orleans to play in a country band. However, after four to five months he moved back to Leonville, and eventually enlisted in the US Army.[5] The Korean War ended soon after arriving in Fort Hood, Texas. He spent his entire service in Killeen, Texas, where he played in an on base band.[5] After service, he backed off from music to focus on family and his plumbing business.[6]
In the early 1980s, Castille was invited to perform in Canada at a Saskatchewan music festival. This experience caused him to relearn old Cajun tunes and focus on sharpening his skills.[6] He returned to the festival for the next 18 years.[6] He started to recording music and playing many festivals during this time.[6]
Castille continues to perform with his sharecropper band, and also leads many workshops at festivals.[6]
Castille's has played Cajun music most his life. This has earned Castille has earned many awards over the years. He has been inducted into the Louisiana Hall of Fame.[2] Also, he has received the Acadiana Folk Heritage Award from the Acadiana Arts Council. He has been inducted into the Northwestern University Hall of Master Folk Artists.[2] His work with "200 Lines: I Must Not Speak French" has earned him a Cajun French Music Association Heritage Award.[7] He received an honorable discharge from the United States Army having served during the Korean War.[2] Also, his music has been heard in films, such as A Perfect World with Clint Eastwood.[2]