Papa Cairo
| Julius "Papa Cairo" Lamperez | |
|---|---|
Papa Cairo with Harry Choates
|
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Julius Angelle Lamperez |
| Also known as | Papa Cairo |
| Born |
July 27, 1920 New Orleans, Louisiana |
| Died |
November 13, 1999 Crowley, Louisiana |
| Genres | Cajun, country |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, vocalist |
| Instruments | Lap steel guitar |
| Labels | Decca, Bluebird, Feature Records, B&C Records |
| Associated acts | Daylight Creepers, Rayne-Bo Ramblers, Harry Choates and his Melody Boys, Chuck Guillory & his Rhythm Boys, Papa Cairo And His Boys |
Julius Angelle "Papa Cairo" Lamperez (b.July 27, 1920 New Orleans, Louisiana – d. November 13, 1999 Crowley, Louisiana) was a popular guitarist, steel guitarist and country string band artist in Louisiana and southeast Texas during the 1930s through the 1950s. He would later be known as the first person to write the tune "Grand Texas" which would later be popularized by Moon Mullican and Hank Williams as the song Jambalaya.
Lamperez was born in New Orleans but raised in Crowley. By 1932, at age of 12, he learned to read music and play the fiddle and became good friends with Joe Falcon and Cleoma Breaux. He married Bessie Short. In 1934, he formed the Daylight Creepers band along with guitarist Bill Redlich and fiddler Erby Thibodeaux. Their music was broadcast on KVOL. When not playing music, he played football and loved boxing.
He disbanded the group and in 1937, he joined Joe Werner and the Louisiana Rounders playing guitar and singing. They recorded 12 songs in Dallas in 1937 for Decca Records including "Allons Kooche Kooche", a tune based on the Jolly Boys of Lafayette's "Abbeville". The melody would have a huge impact on his later recording of "Grand Texas". While in the band, he would meet Horace Andrus "Uncle Ambrose" Thibodeaux, Leroy "Happy Fats" Leblanc, Oran Guidry and Harry Choates. Happy Fats noticed he always wore a diamond-shaped gem on his tie and finger. Using the Cajun French word for "diamond" ("karo", pronounced "cairo"), his nickname became "Papa Cairo". He played the guitar across his knees with a metal finger attachment. By December 1937, Lamperez would be back in Dallas, this time with Leo Soileau's Rhythm Boys and in 1938, he recorded again with Joe in New Orleans.
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