Hadley Castille

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Hadley Castille
Birth name Hadley J. Castille
Born (1933-03-03) March 3, 1933
Origin Leonville, Louisiana
Died October 25, 2012(2012-10-25)
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] – October 25, 2012[2]) was a prominent Cajun fiddler.

Early life

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][3] 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.[4] The song inspired him to take up a new style of playing.[5] In the early 1950s, he started playing at Roy's Bar in Port Barre, LA and local house parties.[6] Also, they played on the KSLO "Amateur Hour" segments on Saturday mornings.[6] 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.[6] 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.[6] After service, he backed off from music to focus on family and his plumbing business.[7]

Saskatchewan Festival

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.[7] He returned to the festival for the next 18 years.[7] He started recording music and playing many festivals during this time.[7]

Later life

In his later life, Castille continued to perform with his sharecropper band, and also lead many workshops at festivals.[7]

Legacy

Castille's played Cajun music most his life. This earned Castille many awards over the years. He has been inducted into the Louisiana Hall of Fame.[3] 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.[3] His work with "200 Lines: I Must Not Speak French" has earned him a Cajun French Music Association Heritage Award.[8] He received an honorable discharge from the United States Army having served during the Korean War.[3] Also, his music has been heard in films, such as A Perfect World with Clint Eastwood.[3]

Discography

  • 200 Lines: I Must Not Speak French Swallow 6088 (1991)
  • Cajun Swamp Fiddler Swallow 6112 (1993)
  • Musique de Castille Swallow 6123 (1995)
  • Along the Bayou Teche Swallow 6078 (1997)
  • Cajun Christmas Delta Records (1997)
  • Quarante Acres et Deux Mulés (40 Acres and 2 Mules) MTE 5070-2 (2000)[9]
  • Refrait Swallow 6191 (2005)
  • Hadley's Dream (Le Reve' a Hadley) Acadiana Sounds

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Yule 2009, p. 49.
  2. ↑ Weston, Elona (October 25, 2012). "Louisiana Fiddling Legend Hadley Castille Dies". Retrieved October 30, 2012. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 "Hadley J. Castille". Retrieved 2010-06-08. 
  4. ↑ Brasseaux 2009, p.157.
  5. ↑ Yule 2009, p. 50.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Yule 2009, p. 51.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 Yule 2009, p. 52.
  8. ↑ "Hadley J. Castille: Albums, Songs, Bios, Photos". Retrieved 2010-06-08. 
  9. ↑ "Hadley Castille". Retrieved 2010-06-08. 
  • Yule, Ron (October 5, 2009). Louisiana Fiddlers. University Press of Mississippi. ISBN 978-1-60473-295-5. 
  • Brasseaux, Ryan (June 4, 2009). Cajun breakdown: the emergence of an American-made music. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-534306-9. 
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