Dwayne Dopsie (pronounced “DOOP-sie”) grew up in an extended family with a rich musical heritage. His father, the late Rockin’ Dopsie, was a giant in the world of Zydeco music. Dwayne showed a serious interest in music when his instrument of choice was still larger than he was.

“When I was four years old,” he recalls, “I woke up while my parents were still asleep. My dad’s accordion was on the kitchen table. I slid the straps over my shoulders, but when I moved away from the table, I couldn’t support the weight of the instrument. I fell face forward on the floor, making a huge crash. After that, my dad gave me a small rubboard to play on. A few years later, he gave me a small accordion; I learned to play by listening and watching his fingers as he played.”

He was seven when he played his first gig with his father’s band at Mardi Gras. “I played ‘Lucille’, and the audience threw money in the accordion case. Before I knew it I had fifty dollars!”

At nine, Dwayne played with his father on a Dolly Parton TV show and at age ten in a Super Bowl half-time performance. At 19, after winning awards from Lawrence Welk Resorts, the American Accordionists’ Association, and the Accordion Worldwide website, Dwayne formed The Zydeco Hellraisers.

“Musically, the most important person in my life has always been and will always be my dad,” the younger musician says, “From the first time I heard him until today, everything I do points toward his influence. So the music I play will always have an oldtime Zydeco feel to it, but also be influenced by new musical ideas from South Louisiana swamp pop to mainstream funk, R&B, and reggae.

“I want to keep that old-time Zydeco feel, but also make the music accessible to music lovers all over the world.”