Singer Rod Bernard, who died Sunday, stirred pride and controversy in 1958. The then-teenager from Opelousas was the talk of St. Landry Parish and beyond when he performed his Billboard Top 20 pop hit, “This Should Go on Forever,” on “American Bandstand.” Still a baby like the rock ‘n’ roll music it featured, “Bandstand” grew into an American television institution.

Bernard’s history-making moment also showed how times were much different. Legendary “Bandstand” host Dick Clark received a viewer complaint objecting to “sinner” in Bernard’s ballad.

Bernard sang, ‘If it’s a sin to really love you, then a sinner I will be.”

Before his TV appearance, producers flew Bernard to Chess Records in Chicago to recut the lyrics to “If it’s wrong to really love you, then wrong I’ll always be.” That modified version became a hit in England and a rare find at home.

The “Bandstand” single can be found on a 2003 CD, “The Early Jin Singles: Southland Rock ‘n’ Roll” on Ace Records, based in the United Kingdom. The album, which highlights 1950s and ‘60s swamp pop releases on Jin Records out of Ville Platte, is available locally at floydsrecordshop.com.

The 30-song CD includes selections from the Boogie Kings, Rockin’ Sidney, Phil Bo, Johnnie Allan and Red Smiley and the Vel-Tones featuring Clint West. West, aka Clinton Guillory, is the late father of current Lafayette Mayor-President Josh Guillory.

Bernard’s regional hits can be found on “Rod Bernard: The Essential Collection,” which is also on Jin Records. Some, like “Colinda” and “Fais Do Do,” have French and English lyrics. Others, like “Good Hearted Man” and “Play a Song for My Baby, show off Bernard’s penchant for Fats Domino and the blues.

Almost two decades after his “Bandstand” glory, Bernard found more homegrown fame when he teamed with fellow Opelousas native and zydeco-king-in-the-making, Clifton Chenier, for the 1976 album, “Boogie in Black & White.” The title raised some eyebrows as public schools had just been integrated six years earlier.

But Bernard, Chenier and a sizzling band of black and white musicians raced through R&B and blues classics, like “My Babe” and “Rockin’ Pneumonia and Boogie Woogie Flu,’ along with the Cajun waltz, ‘My Jolie Blonde.” The album found new life in 2014 when it was re-released on CD.

Bernard leaves behind groundbreaking music and fond memories. Many still smile about the day a boy from Opelousas made history on national TV and opened the do to so much more. You can read more about Bernard in the words of his son, Shane Bernard, here.

(Herman Fuselier, a longtime music journalist, is executive director of the St. Landry Parish Tourist Commission.)

St. Landry Parish is the largest parish in Louisiana by landmass. Among these sprawling lands, we are blessed to have several diverse ecosystems and wildlife, including coastal prairies, upland hardwood habitats, bottomland hardwood habitats, and the iconic wetlands.

The coastal prairie, or Cajun prairie, is characterized by rolling fields of grasses and wildflowers, some of which were used by indigenous people as healing items. Some locals who have native prairie plants in their gardens report the rejuvenating effects of wild bergamot just from maintaining them normally. Upland hardwood can have mixtures of evergreens, pines, and deciduous trees. Magnolias and live oaks are some of the more well-known Louisiana trees found here. Gum, oak, and bald cypress are parts of the bottomland hardwood ecosystem. For more about these ecosystems and the native plants surrounding the St. Landry Parish Visitor Center catch up on our other blog here.

There are many ways to appreciate all that the outdoors of St. Landry Parish has to offer. Here, we will go through some of the activities you can participate in and how.

Trail Safety

Before you head out on your outdoor adventure, the Atchafalaya Water Heritage Trail has these safety tips for you:

• Some trail sites are remote and may be out of internet service range, so carry a Louisiana road map and printed driving directions with you. You can pick up waterproof paddle trail maps as well as Louisiana road maps at the St. Landry Parish Visitor Center.
• If planning to walk, hike, or paddle at a trail site, research the site’s amenities beforehand and pack water, bug spray, and sunscreen.
• Practice Leave No Trace principles by carrying out everything you carry in. Do not litter.
• Check the weather forecast and dress accordingly. Wear appropriate footwear for the activities you will be engaging in.
• Tell someone where you are going.
• Stay on approved walking/paddling trails so as not to damage the nearby environment.
• Do not leave valuables in your car.
• Always wear a lifejacket when on the water and know your limits. When paddling, choose a trail that is appropriate for your skill level.
• Obey rules posted at trail sites. Trail sites are owned by different organizations, agencies, and private landowners, so rules may vary.
• Take pictures, not souvenirs. Leave natural objects and cultural artifacts for future visitors to discover.

Birdwatching

In a previous blog post, we spoke about some of the different bird species that make St. Landry Parish their home and where one would be able to find them. Here I’d like to talk about some ways to make that experience a little easier especially if you have an interest in getting started with birdwatching. If you have a Louisiana hunting or fishing license, you’re good to go to traverse our Wildlife Management Areas. If you don’t have one or are not interested in having one, you can buy a Wild Louisiana Stamp online here. This will give you access to WMAs or other Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries managed lands for just under $10 a year or $2 for a single day. You can learn more about other WMA/Refuge/Conservation Area licenses, permits, and access requirements here.

Some birds that have been sighted in St. Landry Parish are either endangered or protected. The Swallow-tailed Kite is one of these remarkable avians. A white and black raptor with long, pointed wings, this bird has a deep forked tail, not unlike a swallow. It is the largest of the North American kites. St. Landry Parish falls within their breeding range where they prefer pines adjacent to swampland. If you spot one of these birds, please contact Jennifer Coulson at jacoulson@aol.com or 504-717.3544.

Indian Bayou is managed by the US Army Corps of Engineers and is a part of the America’s Wetland Birding Trail that you can follow to hit iconic swampland birds including songbirds, raptors, and wader-bird species as well as the Bald Eagle. You won’t need a Wild Louisiana Stamp for this area. Bayou Fordouche, Bayou Fuselier, the north flats of Henderson Lake, and Lake Bigeaux all run through this area and are perfect to spot large wading birds like the Rosette Spoonbill, Wood Stork, and Great Egrets. This area also offers 35 miles of hiking, biking, and horseback riding and eight miles of all-terrain vehicle trails.

Biking

While our Wildlife Management Areas are not suited for mountain biking, there’s no denying our scenic byways are ideal for long-distance biking. If you truly want to experience a biking adventure like no other, you have to attend Cycle Zydeco. Every year, Louisiana’s Cajun & Creole Cycling Festival rolls through Acadiana. Hundreds of bikers from across America and even the world, participate in this “rolling party”. They have live music, food, swamp tours, scavenger hunts, beer tastings, and of course, a winding stretch of road with scenic views.

If you can’t wait until April when the festival kicks off, then you can try the route yourself. Here’s a map of the route they take through St. Landry Parish.

This path is chosen for the general lack of traffic, its avoidance of major highways, and scenic views. It follows, for a time, Bayou Teche and eventually Bayou Courtableau. These two waterways were important for steamboat travel back in the 1800s.

Hiking/Walking Trails

Besides the winding paths of our Wildlife Management Areas, there are several places to experience the natural beauty of St. Landry Parish. The Cajun Prairie Restoration Site is a 10-acre tract of land in Eunice used as a living exhibit of the now endangered ecosystem of the Cajun Prairie. Walk the paths and see the collection of grasses and wildflowers that dot this rolling field. Check out their website for guided tour events.

Another way to appreciate the outdoors on foot is by visiting Atelier de la Nature in Arnaudville. This nature reserve and education center aims to inspire people to steward the nature in their backyard. They offer dual-language cooking workshops, guided nature walks, eco-workshops, art and science educational programming, and more. At the site, they are working to preserve native prairie lands, hardwood, and wetland habitats as well as family-friendly nature trails with outdoor art pieces including sculptures using recycled materials.

You can continue reading about outdoor activities in St. Landry Parish, here, in Part 2 of our Comprehensive Guide.

Mary Hawkins is the communications manager for the St. Landry Parish Tourist Commission. Contact her at hawkins@cajuntravel.com.

Music made by St. Landry Parish natives have traveled to the Grammy Hall of Fame, movies, TV shows, and festivals across the globe. Here’s the beginning of a #StLandryParish playlist that you can enjoy. There’s plenty more of this #GumboForYourSoul to come.

“Best of  Clifton Chenier” (Arhoolie) – Born in the country between Opelousas and Port Barre, “King of Zydeco” Clifton Chenier worked his way to a Grammy, the Grammy Hall of Fame and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, a supreme honor won by Hank Williams, Frank Sinatra, Michael Jackson and other all-time greats.

This “Best of” album shows what the fuss is all about, from hard-driving, two-steps to French blues to a live version of the hypnotic party starter, “Party Down at the Blue Angel Club).”

   “Refait,” Hadley Castille (Swallow) – Imagine crawling out of a mudhole, catching a plane, and performing before thousands of screaming fans in Canada. Such was the life of Cajun fiddler/plumber Hadley Castille, a proud native of Pecanierre (near Leonville.)

Castille used his meager, sharecropping roots and Harry Choates-flavored fiddling to pen stories about neighbors making moonshine and punishment for speaking French at school. Castille’s creations, redone on the “Refait” CD, have entertained Pres. George H.W. Bush and landed in the Clint Eastwood movie, “A Perfect World.”

“Le Cowboy Creole,” Geno Delafose (Time Square Records) – The legions of fans that follow Geno Delafose have pretty much given up hope of another CD. The last one, “Le Cowboy Creole,” earned a Grammy nomination. But that was 12 years ago.

Geno’s studio absence helped fuel fans who, before coronavirus, made Delafose’s band the most booked in the region – bar none. Like his shows, the CD includes a little something for everybody – zydeco, Cajun, swamp pop, a bi-lingual “When Will I Be Loved” from the Everly Brothers, and Lionel Richie’s “Easy.”

“Zydeco Live!” various artists (Rounder) – Perhaps the best live zydeco recording ever, “Zydeco Live!” was crafted in 1989 in the music’s dearly-departed Grand Ole Opry, Richard’s Club in Lawtell. This two-album set captures zydeco pioneer Boozoo Chavis in his red-hot comeback.

Willis Prudhomme and John Delafose, Geno’s dad, were in top form. Nathan and the Zydeco Cha Chas, now world-traveled veterans, were just starting out.

Listeners outside Louisiana have asked why there’s no applause in this live album. Back then, zydeco fans danced instead of clapping. The dance floor was packed.

“Zydeco Famous Flames Live,” Leon Chavis (Chavis) – Leon Chavis has used skills learned as a trumpet player at Northwest High School and the world-famous Southern University Jaguar Marching Band to become one of contemporary zydeco’s hottest acts. Chavis’ first live CD, released in late April, landed at No. 4 on the iTunes World Music Chart.

Less than a month later, Chavis unveiled “Encore,” part two of his greatest hits live. It checked in at No. 8 on the World Chart. Get the passport ready, Leon.

    (Herman Fuselier, a longtime music journalist, is executive director of the St. Landry Parish Tourist Commission.)