D. L. Menard

D. L. Menard
Menard at the 2008 Black Pot Festival.
Background information
Birth name	Doris Leon Menard
Born	(1932-04-14) April 14, 1932 (age 85)
Origin	Erath, Louisiana
Genres	Cajun
Instruments	Guitar
Associated acts	Louisiana Aces, Le Trio Cadien

Doris Leon "D. L." Menard (born April 14, 1932) is a notable songwriter, performer, and recording artist in contemporary Cajun music. He has been called the "Cajun Hank Williams."

Menard was born in Erath, Louisiana, the only child of Ophy and Helena Primeaux Menard. He was part of a Cajun farming family. He took up the guitar at 16 and started playing dances in Louisiana clubs at 17. He is strongly influenced by the late Hank Williams, who he met in 1951 at the Teche Club shortly before Williams's death. Since then Menard has performed in more than 30 countries and served as a good-will ambassador for Cajun culture. He has also recorded with non-Cajun artists, including Bryan Ferry.

Menard and his late wife Louella had seven children, leading to 17 grandchildren, and one great-grandchild. He still lives in Erath and continues to play, perform and record. He has maintained a separate career as a craftsman, noted for his handmade ash-wood chairs.

Menard is known for his "tinny" voice and popular guitar strumming style. Musician and historian Ann Savoy generalizes Cajun guitar strumming to two styles: Old Time Style (Cléoma Falcon) and D. L. Menard Style. It uses bass runs on chord changes and incorporates up-strokes along with down-strokes. He modeled his strumming style after David Bromberg, who he met in 1973.

Menard is best known for the song "La Porte En Arrière" ("The Back Door"), which he both composed and regularly performs. Cajun folklorist Barry Jean Ancelet has called this the most played and recorded Cajun song ever, selling over 500,000 copies in 1962 alone. It has been covered by dozens of Cajun and zydeco bands and by other francophone artists such as Kate & Anna McGarrigle. Menard has said he modeled it on Hank Williams' "Honky Tonk Blues." He says that he composed it in less than an hour, while working at a gas station in Erath.