Old Tyme Country

The third annual Old Tyme Country Show at the Liberty Theater was another outstanding success.  Vin Bruce returned to the stage this year, and Helen Boudreaux performed in the show for the first time. The great vocalists from 2002 were on hand again, along with a superb stage band. The traditional country repertoire is so rich and diverse that each year the Old Tyme Country Show is able to bring a different selection of songs back to life on the stage, the way they were performed many years ago. The event was once again organized by Terry Huval, joined by other members of The Jambalaya Cajun Band and many special guests.

The show opened with Terry Huval singing Ernest Tubb's "Walkin' the Floor" and George Jones' "Walk Through This World with Me." Huval later dressed in black to sing Johnny Cash's "Folsom Prison Blues," followed by Stonewall Jackson's "Life to Go." He also reprised his Elvis Presley impersonation, joined this year by his 5-year-old son, Luke Huval, who at that point stole the show with his miniature version of the King of Rock 'n' Roll.

Vin Bruce did two of his own songs, "Goodbye to a Sweetheart" and "Dans La Louisiane," along with "Slippin' Around" by Floyd Tillman and Ernest Tubb.

Helen Boudreaux performed the Kitty Wells' hit "It Wasn't God Who Made Honky-Tonk Angels" and Carl Smith's "I Overlooked an Angel."

The talented Berard family was back again this year with new selections. Laura Berard sang Patsy Cline's "Crazy," Maegan Berard sang "Once a Day" by Connie Smith, and the two sisters together performed an especially memorable rendition of Linda Ronstadt's "Silver Threads and Golden Needles." Their mother, Karleen Berard,  teamed with Hugh Harris for "Sweet Thang," originally performed by Ernest Tubb and Loretta Lynn, and she also sang another Loretta Lynn number, "Don't Come Home a Drinkin'."  Al Berard joined the other members of the family in the acoustic set, which included Bobby Bare's "Detroit City" and the Johnny Cash-Carter Sisters number "Daddy Sang Bass." Terry Huval and Pope Huval also were part of the group for that number, and they formed a trio with Al for "Talk About Sufferin'."

D.L. Menard's numbers this year were Ernest Tubb's "Letters Have No Arms," Jimmy Davis' "Columbus Stockade Blues," and Hank Williams' "Lonesome Whistle." Don Helms, the only surviving member of Hank Williams' band The Drifting Cowboys, was on hand again to reminisce and to get the steel guitar to sing with the joy and heartache that made it perhaps the one instrument most associated with old time country music. Hugh Harris sang Williams' "My Heart Would Know" and Terry and Pope joined together on "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry."

Pope Huval demonstrated his vocal range, covering songs by four country greats: Tex Ritter, "There's a New Moon Over My Shoulder" and "Under Your Spell"; Marty Robbins, "That's Alright"; Eddie Arnold, "Molly Darlin'"; Jimmy Newman, "A Fallen Star"; plus the acoustic set, during which, among other songs, he joined with Barry Ancelet on "My Baby's Gone" by the Louvin Brothers.

Gina Forsyth's fiddling was another highlight, including her performance of "Orange Blossom Special."

Next year, Christmas and New Year's fall on Saturdays, so the dates of the Old Tyme Country Show and the Hank Williams Tribute will have to be adjusted around the holidays. Watch for announcements in fall 2004.

Click here to go to the page on the first Country Music Show.

Click here to go to the page on the second Country Music Show.

Click here to return to the page on the first Hank Williams Tribute.

Pictured in the top right column is Terry Huval, and, moving down the column, Vin Bruce, Hugh Harris, Karleen Berard, Maegan Berard, Pope Huval, D.L. Menard, and shown during the closing number, "Will the Circle Be Unbroken?" Bobby Dumatrait, Al Berard, and Terry Huval.

In the left column, the top photo shows Laura and Maegan Berard, with their parents, Al and Karleen Berard joining them in the next photo.  Below that are photos of Don Helms, Terry Huval and his son Luke Huval doing their Elvis impersonations , Gina Forsyth on fiddle, and Barry Ancelet with Pope Huval.

Shown during the acoustic set are Laura, Maegan and Karleen Berard,
Terry Huval, Al Berard, Pope Huval, and Kenneth David.

Shown from left during the performance of "Will the Circle Be Unbroken?"are, from left, Hugh Harris, Don Helms, Karleen Berard, Maegan Berard, Reggie Matte on accordion, with Randy Champagne on guitar behind him, Gina Forsyth, Bobby Dumatrait, Laura Berard, Tony Huval (on drums in back), Terry Huval, Al Berard, Pope Huval, Barry Ancelet, Vin Bruce, Helen Boudreaux, D.L. Menard, and Kenneth David.