Biography
Adam Hebert was a Cajun singer, fiddler, and songwriter born near Church Point, in the Grand Marais area of Acadia Parish, Louisiana, on August 23, 1923.[1][3][6] He grew up in a French‑speaking farming family where traditional Cajun and country music were part of everyday life, and as a child he famously built his first fiddle from a chocolate box and screen wire so he could imitate the musicians he heard around him.[3][5][6] By the time he was four years old he was already dancing to local music, and as he got older he balanced hard farm work with an increasing passion for learning fiddle tunes and Cajun songs from relatives and neighbors.[3][5][6]
Hebert began performing publicly in the 1940s and 1950s, eventually becoming known across south Louisiana for his soulful high-tenor vocals and driving fiddle style that blended older, unaccompanied Cajun ballad traditions with more modern dance‑hall arrangements.[1][3][5] Over the decades he recorded a number of 45s and LPs, some of which were later compiled on releases such as “The Essential Cajun Music Collection,” helping to codify a core repertoire of waltzes and two‑steps for later generations.[1][3][5] His songs and performances kept a strongly traditional French Cajun character even as musical fashions changed, and his body of work has since been recognized within the Festivals Acadiens et Créoles Legacy Series as central to the preservation of classic mid‑20th‑century Cajun music.[1][3][6]
Within Cajun music circles, Adam Hebert is regarded as a tradition bearer whose recordings document the sound of rural southwest Louisiana dance halls in the postwar period.[1][3][6] His fiddle phrasing, ornamentation, and vocal delivery have been cited by cultural historians and musicians as representative of a style that bridges early 20th‑century Cajun music and the more commercial sounds that followed.[1][5][6] Although he did not achieve mainstream commercial fame, reissues of his work, scholarly notes, and tribute performances in Louisiana have solidified his legacy as a beloved, authentic voice of Cajun culture and a resource for contemporary players seeking to reconnect with older repertoire and performance practice.[1][3][6]
Fun Facts
- As a child, Adam Hebert built his first fiddle himself using a chocolate box and screen wire so he could start learning Cajun tunes.[5]
- He grew up in the Grand Marais area about five miles north of Church Point, a rural farming community that deeply shaped his traditional Cajun sound.[6]
- Hebert’s recordings have been highlighted in the Festivals Acadiens et Créoles Legacy Series, underscoring his importance to Louisiana’s Cajun cultural heritage.[6]
- A modern compilation titled “The Essential Cajun Music Collection” gathers key tracks from his career and has helped introduce his work to new listeners beyond Louisiana.[3]
Associated Acts
- The Veteran Playboys
- Adam Hebert and the Country Playboys - eponymous, original
Musical Connections
Discography
Albums
| Title | Release Date | Type |
|---|---|---|
| The Essential Adam Hebert Cajun Music Collection | 2002-04-18 | Album |
Top Tracks
- I Am so Lonely (Louisiana Cajun Music Special: Bon temps rouler)
- La Pointe Au Pain (Cajun Saturday Night)
- Je suis après m'ennuyer (The Essential Adam Hebert Cajun Music Collection)
- ('Tit galop pour) La pointe aux pins (The Essential Adam Hebert Cajun Music Collection)
- Le moulin (The Essential Adam Hebert Cajun Music Collection)
- Mon tour va venir (The Essential Adam Hebert Cajun Music Collection)
- Jolie Fille Special (The Essential Adam Hebert Cajun Music Collection)
- Je peux pas dormer le soir (The Essential Adam Hebert Cajun Music Collection)
- Ouvre cette porte (The Essential Adam Hebert Cajun Music Collection)
- Rosalie (The Essential Adam Hebert Cajun Music Collection)
External Links
Tags: #cajun
References
Heard on WWOZ
Adam Hebert has been played 1 time on WWOZ 90.7 FM, New Orleans' jazz and heritage station.
| Date | Time | Title | Show | Spotify |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 7, 2025 | 12:11 | Christmas Bluesfrom The Essential Adam Hebert | Cajun and Zydecow/ Charles Laborde or Jim Hobbs |