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.”