Alcide "Blind Uncle" Gaspard was a partially blind vocalist and guitarist from

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 ...

who alternated between string-band music (in a band with his brothers) and traditional

Cajun The Cajuns (; French: ''les Cadjins'' or ''les Cadiens'' ), also known as Louisiana ''Acadians'' (French: ''les Acadiens''), are a Louisiana French ethnicity mainly found in the US state of Louisiana and surrounding Gulf Coast states. Whi ...

balladry on his recordings for

Vocalion Vocalion Records is an American record label, originally founded by the Aeolian Company, a piano and organ manufacturer before being bought out by Brunswick in 1924. History The label was founded in 1916 by the Aeolian Company, a maker of pian ...

. Born in Avoyelles Parish, Louisiana in 1878 of

Acadian The Acadians (; , ) are an ethnic group descended from the French who settled in the New France colony of Acadia during the 17th and 18th centuries. Today, most descendants of Acadians live in either the Northern American region of Acadia, ...

descent, he became partially blinded when he was seven. It is unknown how Gaspard became blinded in one eye. Very little is known about Gaspard and his life as a musician; even among big-time Cajun musicians and fans. A brilliant, dexterous guitarist and songwriter, he is often regarded in

and

Americana Americana may refer to: *Americana music, a genre or style of American music * Americana (culture), artifacts of the culture of the United States Film, radio and television * ''Americana'' (1981 film), an American drama film * ''Americana'' (20 ...

music circles as a very mysterious and unacclaimed figure. His influences remain unknown, although his family is believed to have brought him into music. Gaspard formed his first band with his brothers Victor and Amade. When he began recording in the late 1920s it was mainly as a backing

guitar The guitar is a stringed musical instrument that is usually fretted (with Fretless guitar, some exceptions) and typically has six or Twelve-string guitar, twelve strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming ...

ist for

fiddle A fiddle is a Bow (music), bowed String instrument, string musical instrument, most often a violin or a bass. It is a colloquial term for the violin, used by players in all genres, including European classical music, classical music. Althou ...

r Delma Lachney (1896) also from Avoyelles Parish of French-Canadian descent. It was then that he also recorded some solo selections of his own during these sessions. None of Gaspard's original recordings are believed to have sold over 100 copies within his lifetime. Gaspard suffered from deep depression and isolation throughout his life, and it is believed he remained a

bachelor A bachelor is a man who is not and never has been married.Bachelors are, in Pitt & al.'s phrasing, "men who live independently, outside of their parents' home and other institutional settings, who are neither married nor cohabitating". (). Etymo ...

until his untimely death. Gaspard reportedly died untimely and alone in 1937. He was believed to be in good-health during the time of his premature passing. His sudden cause of death remains unknown. Gaspard is buried at Mater Dolorosa Catholic Cemetery, in Plaucheville, Avoyelles Parish,

. Many of Gaspard's rare recordings were re-released on Cajun compilations into the millennium. He has since recently retained a small cult-following. One of Gaspard's select songs " Sur Le Borde De L'eau" was recently featured on the 2014 soundtrack of the

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television series ''

True Detective ''True Detective'' is an American Anthology series, anthology Crime fiction, crime Drama (film and television), drama television series created by Nic Pizzolatto for the premium cable network HBO. The series premiered on January 12, 2014, and ...

'', bringing Gaspard's musical endeavors into the mainstream public for the first time. Music journalist

Amanda Petrusich Amanda Petrusich (born c. 1980) is an American music journalist. She is a staff writer at ''The New Yorker'' and the author of three books: ''Pink Moon'' (2007), '' It Still Moves: Lost Songs, Lost Highways, and the Search for the Next American M ...

discusses the song in her book about collecting

78 rpm records A phonograph record (also known as a gramophone record, especially in British English) or a vinyl record (for later varieties only) is an analog signal, analog sound Recording medium, storage medium in the form of a flat disc with an inscribed, ...

, ''Do Not Sell At Any Price''. The song was among those featured in a 2015 interview with Petrusich on the

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program, ''

Fresh Air ''Fresh Air'' is an American radio talk show broadcast on National Public Radio stations across the United States since 1985. It is produced by WHYY-FM in Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The show's hosts are Terry Gross and Tonya Mosl ...

''.Music Journalist Chronicles The 'Wild Obsessive Hunt' For Rare 78 RPM Records
" Nashville Public Radio website, August 2015. Interest in Gaspard and his unsung music career have grown in significant popularity since the recent rediscovery of his music. : ''La Danseuse'
Listen (MP3)
: ''Marksville Blues'
Listen (MP3)

Discography

Compilations

* ''Blind Uncle Gaspard, Delma Lachney & John Bertrand: Early American Cajun Music Classic Recordings From the 1920s'' (2042 Yazoo, 1999) * ''Let Me Play This For You : Rare Cajun Recordings'' (TSQ 2912 Tompkins Square, 2013) * ''Blind Uncle Gaspard, Delma Lachney: On the Waters Edge'' (MRP 069LP Mississippi Records, July 2014)

References

External links

Gaspard's page on Discogs
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gaspard, Blind Uncle 1878 births 1937 deaths Cajun guitarists American folk musicians Singers from Louisiana Guitarists from Louisiana American male guitarists 20th-century American male singers 20th-century American singers 20th-century American guitarists 20th-century American male musicians American blind people Blind musicians Blind singers American musicians with disabilities