Marc Savoy ( ; born October 1, 1940) is an American musician, and builder and player of the

Cajun accordion A Cajun accordion (in Cajun French: ''accordéon''), also known as a squeezebox, is single-row diatonic button accordion used for playing Cajun and Creole music. History Many different accordions were developed in Europe throughout the 19th c ...

Early life

He was born on his grandfather's rice farm near Eunice,

Louisiana Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...

. His grandfather was a fiddler, who occasionally played with the legendary Dennis McGee, who was once a

tenant farmer A tenant farmer is a farmer or farmworker who resides and works on land owned by a landlord, while tenant farming is an agricultural production system in which landowners contribute their land and often a measure of operating capital and ma ...

on his grandfather's property. Marc Savoy began playing traditional music when he was 12 years old.

Career

Savoy acquired a Sidney Brown accordion as a teenager, and within a few years was interested in making his own. After earning a degree in

chemical engineering Chemical engineering is an engineering field which deals with the study of the operation and design of chemical plants as well as methods of improving production. Chemical engineers develop economical commercial processes to convert raw materials ...

, in 1966 he went into business full-time as an accordion maker and player, based at his Savoy Music Center in Eunice. His wife is the singer and guitarist

Ann Savoy Ann Savoy ( ; ; born January 20, 1952) is a musician, author, and record producer. Biography Savoy was born in St. Louis, Missouri and raised in Richmond, Virginia. She resides with her husband Marc Savoy and family in Eunice, Southern Louis ...

, whom he met in 1975 and married in 1977. He has performed with Robert Bertrand, Dennis McGee, Rodney Balfa, Sady Courville,

Dewey Balfa Dewey Balfa (March 20, 1927 – June 17, 1992) was an American Cajun fiddler and singer who contributed significantly to the popularity of Cajun music. Balfa was born near Mamou, Louisiana. He is perhaps best known for his 1964 performance at the ...

, D. L. Menard, and Michael Doucet, the latter of whom he plays with in the Savoy-Doucet Band. He also plays in the Savoy Family Band with his wife

Ann Anne, alternatively spelled Ann, is a form of the Latin female name Anna. This in turn is a representation of the Hebrew Hannah, which means 'favour' or 'grace'. Related names include Annie and Ana. Anne is sometimes used as a male name in ...

and their sons Joel and Wilson. He hosts regular jam sessions and mini-festivals at the Savoy Music Center.

Awards and honors

Savoy is a recipient of a 1992

National Heritage Fellowship The National Heritage Fellowship is a lifetime honor presented to master folk and traditional artists by the National Endowment for the Arts. Similar to Japan's Living National Treasure award, the Fellowship is the United States government's h ...

awarded by the

National Endowment for the Arts The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created in 1965 as an independent agency of the feder ...

, which is the United States government's highest honor in the folk and traditional arts.

Discography (albums)

As Marc Savoy

* 1976: ''Under a Green Oak Tree'' (with Dewey Balfa and D.L. Menard) (

Arhoolie Records Arhoolie Records is an American small independent record label that was run by Chris Strachwitz and is based in El Cerrito, California, United States (it is actually located in Richmond Annex but has an El Cerrito postal address.) The label was ...

) * 1981: ''Oh What a Night'' (Arhoolie) * 1998: ''Made in Louisiana'' (Voyager)

Savoy-Doucet Cajun Band

* 1983: ''Home Music'' (K7, Arhoolie) * 1987: ''With Spirits'' (K7, Arhoolie) * 1989: ''Two-Step d'Amede'' (Arhoolie) * 1992: ''Home Music with Spirits'' (Arhoolie) * 1994: ''Live! At the Dance'' (Arhoolie) * 2002: ''The Best of the Savoy-Doucet Cajun Band'' compilation (Arhoolie)

Savoy Family Band

See Savoy Family Band

Savoy-Smith Cajun Band

* 1996: ''Now and Then'' (Arhoolie)

Films

*1972 - ''Spend It All'

*1981 - '' Southern Comfort (1981 film), Southern Comfort''. Directed by

Walter Hill Walter Hill (born January 10, 1942) is an American film director, screenwriter and producer known for his action films and revival of the Western (genre), Western genre. He has directed such films as ''The Driver'', ''The Warriors (film), The ...

. *1989 - ''J'ai Ete Au Bal (I Went To The Dance)''. Directed by

Les Blank Les Blank (November 27, 1935 – April 7, 2013) was an American documentary filmmaker best known for his portraits of American traditional musicians. Life and career Leslie Harrod Blank Jr. was born November 27, 1935, in Tampa, Florida. He atten ...

*1990 - ''Yum Yum Yum! A Taste Of Cajun And Creole Cooking''. Directed by Les Blank

*1991 - ''Marc & Ann''. Directed by Les Blan

References

External links

* * * *. Barry Jean Ancelet, Meloche.net * at Rootsworld {{DEFAULTSORT:Savoy, Marc 1940 births Living people Cajun accordionists People from Eunice, Louisiana National Heritage Fellowship winners 20th-century American musicians Musicians from Louisiana 21st-century American accordionists Arhoolie Records artists