On This Day in 1932, the Singer-Songwriter Known as the “Cajun Hank Williams” Was Born

Being compared to country icon Hank Williams in most ways is quite the compliment. And while D. L. Menard is often compared to Hank Williams as his Cajun counterpart, Menard was in a league all his own.

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D. L. Menard was born on this very day, April 14, 1932, in Erath, Louisiana. A lifelong singer-songwriter, performer, and recording artist of Cajun music, Menard remains a legend in the genre’s history. And he really did have quite the career. Let’s take a look back at the legendary musical career of Cajun music icon D. L. Menard!

The Legacy of Doris Leon “D. L.” Menard

Doris Leon Menard was born on April 14, 1932, in Erath, Louisiana. The only child of a Cajun farming couple, Menard learned to play the guitar as a teenager and performed at Louisiana clubs from a young age. He was an enormous fan of Hank Williams and was influenced by him musically, and he even met the country icon at the Teche Club in 1951, not long before the icon passed away.

Menard is best known for the song “La Porte En Arrière” or “The Back Door”, which he composed and performed often. Some, like Cajun folklorist Barry Jean Ancelet, believe this is the most-performed and most-recorded Cajun song of all time. It sold more than 500,000 copies in the year 1962. Menard is on record saying that he was influenced to compose the song by Hank Williams’ “Honky Tonk Blues”. 

Throughout his career, Menard never lost the “tinny” tone to his voice that made his style of singing so unique. He was also known for his style of guitar-strumming, a mix of “Old Time Style” (best exemplified by the work of Cléoma Falcon) and Menard’s own bespoke style. He often used bass runs during chord changes and mixed upstrokes and downstrokes in his playing style. It’s also believed that Menard modeled much of his strumming style after blues artist David Bromberg, whom Menard met in 1973.

Throughout his rich career, Menard performed around the world, bringing Cajun culture and music to places it may have never touched before. He wasn’t afraid to step out of the mold, though. He performed with plenty of non-Cajun musicians, including the likes of Roxy Music’s Bryan Ferry. In 1992, Menard’s album Le Trio Cadien was nominated for a Grammy Award. He was nominated again in 2010 for the album Happy Go Lucky. In later years, he was inducted into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame.

Outside of music, Menard was also quite the craftsman. He was known for making ashwood chairs by hand.

D. L. Menard passed away on July 27, 2017, in Scott, Louisiana. He was 85 years old. He followed his wife, Louella, and left behind seven children, 17 grandchildren, and 27 great-grandchildren. His legacy in such a unique and beautiful American musical genre will never be forgotten, especially among Louisiana natives.

Photo by Sylvia Pitcher/Redferns