On this day (November 13) in 1996, Mel McDaniel fell into an orchestra pit during a concert at the Heymann Performing Arts Center in Lafayette, Louisiana. The fall nearly killed him, and he never fully recovered from the injuries it caused, despite undergoing multiple surgeries. The incident ended his touring career and put a damper on his recording career as well. He would only release one more album before he passed away in 2011.
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McDaniel’s recording career began in the mid-1970s, but he found the peak of his success in the 1980s. The decade saw him release several hits, including “Louisiana Saturday Night,” “Take Me to the Country,” “Big Ole Brew,” and “I Call It Love.” His biggest hit, though, was the 1984 No. 1 “Baby’s Got Her Blue Jeans On.”
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While he hadn’t released any new music since his 1991 LP, Country Pride, McDaniel remained popular with genre fans, and his songs stayed in heavy rotation on country radio throughout the decade. As a result, he was still able to sustain a touring career in the mid-1990s.
Mel McDaniel Recalls Falling into the Orchestra Pit
In a 2008 interview, Mel McDaniel recounted the incident that put an end to his touring career. “We were doing a show in Lafayette, Louisiana, and I was the ninth person that fell in this pit,” he said. “They had an orchestra pit there in front of the stage, but the way the stage was set up, the way the lights were, I didn’t know there was a hole there at all,” he explained.
To add insult to injury, McDaniel fell as he was attempting to connect with his fans. “I couldn’t see nothin’. So I started walking to the crowd. I thought it was like an auditorium or something. I didn’t think about there being a hole there,” he explained. “Anyway, I started going out to the audience to pass out some picks and shake hands and all. I didn’t get too far. I took about four steps and down I went,” he added.
More than a decade after the fall, McDaniel said he was still using a cane.
McDaniel Was Far from the First to Fall
As Mel McDaniel stated in the interview, many had been injured by falling into the venue’s orchestra pit. After suffering multiple injuries, which resulted in massive medical bills, McDaniel filed a lawsuit against the City of Lafayette and the Lyons Club, the event’s promoter. Initially, the court found in favor of the defendants. However, McDaniel won the case upon appeal.
According to court documents attached to the case, “From 1983 to 1998, there were nine reported accidents involving persons falling into the open orchestra pit.” The documents further stated that the first incident resulted in a man’s death. Then, another incident happened, “approximately every 18 months.” Patrons, performers, and venue employees were among those who were injured by the open pit.
Featured Image by David Redfern/Redferns
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