7th annual Hank Williams Tribute

D.L. Menard is shown at the Country Show wearing a specially tailored suit that in various places includes musical notes from his hit songs like  “The Back Door,” “The Green Oak Tree,” “Rebecca Ann,” “It’s Just the Angels That Are Crying,” and “Listen to Me When I Talk to You.”

Chris Malpass came all the way from North Carolina to take part in the Hank Williams Tribute.

Maegan Berard, Laura Huval, and Karleen Berard sang "Coat of Many Colors."

During the Hank Williams Tribute, Courtney Granger sang "My Sweet Love Ain't Around," "There'll Be No Teardrops Tonight," and "A House of Gold."

Host Barry Ancelet joined Pope Huval and Laura Huval.

Once again, the Liberty Theater in Eunice was host to three special holiday programs organized by Terry Huval and the Jambalaya Cajun Band.  The Old Tyme Country Show, a tribute to traditional country music, took place Dec. 16, 2006. Hugh Harris starred as Hank Williams Sr. Dec. 30 in a musical biography of the man many consider to be the greatest country singer and composer of all time. The 7th annual Tribute to Hank Williams Sr. was held Jan. 6, 2007, with both matinee and evening performances.

Each year, the country show features music from decades past that brings back memories but that also is still just as beautiful, powerful, and satisfying as when it was first performed by musicians like Jim Reeves, Jimmy Dickens, Dolly Parton, Lefty Frizzell, Jean Shepard, EmmyLou Harris, Bill Monroe, George Jones, Ernest Tubb, Ferlin Huskey, Ray Price, Marty Robbins, Charley Pride, the Louvin Brothers, Patsy Cline, Leann Rimes, and Hank Williams Sr. Vocalists included Karleen Berard and her daughters, Maegan Berard and Laura Huval, Hugh Harris, Pope Huval, Helen Boudreaux, D.L. Menard, Vin Bruce, Barry Ancelet, Terry Huval and his son Luke Huval, who sang Bob Willis' "Roly Poly."  The show included duets, trios, and a quartet, pairing, for example, D.L. Menard with Helen Boudreaux on "Ashes of Love" and the Berard women on Dolly Parton's "Coat of Many Colors."

Stage musicians included Gina Forsyth, fiddle; Ross Shellard, lead guitar and steel guitar; Al Berard, guitars and mandolin; Kenneth David, upright bass; Randy Champagne, acoustic guitar; Tony Huval, snare drum; Terry Huval, steel guitar; Pee Wee Whitewing, guest steel guitarist.

Once again, in reprising his role as Hank Williams Sr. in a musical biography on Dec. 30, 2006, Hugh Harris delivered not an impersonation, but a direct channeling of Hank through his performance, bringing to the Liberty  a true re-creation of Hank's tone, style, and cadence, tracing Hank's life through his music.

The 7th annual Tribute to Hank Williams on Jan. 6, 2007, brought back just about all of the favorite songs that are performed every year from "Setting the Woods on Fire" to "Your Cheatin' Heart" to "Honky Tonk Blues," and on and on, along less familiar songs like "A Teardrop on a Rose," a song Hank wrote but recorded only as a demo (later included on the album Alone with His Guitar).

The show began with Hugh Harris and his brother, Kyle, singing a duet titled "The Conversation," a back-and-forth between Hank Williams Jr. and Waylon Jennings. Chris Malpass, the North Carolina native and member of the Malpass Family who first came to the Liberty for the 6th annual tribute, was back with another memorable performance, including one hip-swiveling Elvis number. He brought along Cousin Bossy, who provided some vintage country comedy. New to the show was Eunice's own Courtney Granger, a Cajun fiddler and vocalist who proved that he can bring just as much power and direct emotion to songs like "A House of Gold" or "There'll Be No Teardrops Tonight" as he does to Cajun songs like "La Valse du Bambocheur."

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

Shown singing "Will the Circle Be Unbroken" at the finale at the Old Tyme Country Show are Laura Huval, Maegan Berard, Karleen Berard, Vin Bruce, Barry Ancelet, Luke Huval, Terry Huval, Hugh Harris, Pope Huval, Helen Boudreaux, and D.L. Menard. Musicians behind them are Ross Shellard, Pee Wee Whitewing, Al Berard, Reggie Matte, Randy Champagne, Gina Forsyth, Tony Huval, and Kenneth David.

Shown from performing "Jambalaya" (and "Grand Texas") before the intermission at the Hank Williams Tribute are Barry Ancelet, Pope Huval, Chris Malpass, Terry Huval, Kyle Harris, Randy Champagne, Reggie Matte, Gina Forsyth, D.L. Menard, Tony Huval, Courtney Granger, Hugh Harris, Kenneth David, and Cousin Bossy.

Posted 1-14-07

All photographs by the David Simpson.

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