ZydecoOnline Remembers Rockin' Dopsie

ZydecoOnline Remembers Rockin' Dopsie


"Crowned Prince of Zydeco"
Transitions on August 26, 1993

August 26, 2009

by Rod Sias
www.ZydecoOnline.com
Uniting the Zydeco Nation
#ZydecoNation

Alton "Rockin' Dopsie" Rubin

The Prince of Zydeco

February 10, 1932 – August 26, 1993

Alton Rubin Sr., known to the Zydeco Nation as Rockin' Dopsie, died on Thursday, August 26, 1993 of a heart attack in Opelousas, Louisiana. He was rushed to Doctor's Hospital in Opelousas Louisiana, but could not be revived and officially pronounced dead.

Rockin' Dopsie (February 10, 1932 – August 26, 1993) was born Alton Rubin in Carencro, Louisiana on February 10, 1932. His family came from very humble means and was like most African American Creole families living in Southwest Louisiana at the time. As a child he worked in the sugarcane and cotton fields, and began is long relationship with the accordion through is father, a skilled Creole accordionist in his own right.

Mr. Alton's father often took him to the local Creole "la la" house parties that were held on the weekends and an integral part of the black Creole culture in Southwest Louisiana. At the age of 14, Mr. Alton's father gave him his first accordion, but told him if that he had to teach himself to play the accordion.

Rockin' Dopsie & His Cajun Twisters
She Left Me Early One Morning (1980)

Rockin' Dopsie - accordion, vocals
Morris Frances - bass 
Chester Zeno – washboard 
"Blind" John Hart - sax 
Charley Tyler - guitar 
Alan Rubin Jr. - drums

Mr. Alton learned to play the button accordion by listening to and learning songs he heard on the radio. Freed from the constraints of "informal" formal instruction, he learned to play the accordion left handed, which meant he had to turn the accordion upside down, which was totally unorthodox way of playing the accordion.

Nevertheless, Mr. Alton eventually became a very proficient and skilled accordion player eventually surpassing the accordion skills of his father, and he became a frequent musician at the Creole "la la" dances.

When he became of age, Mr. Alton moved to Lafayette, Louisiana during the 1950's where he worked as a "hod carrier" during the day("Hod carrying" is an unskilled laboring occupation in the bricklaying industry. A hod carrier supports the bricklaying team on site by carrying bricks, delivering mortar, and other task). 

Mr. Alton also developed his skills as and was known as an excellent "hoofer" (which was a slang term for the day for a professional dancer/tap dancer).

At night, Mr Alton teamed up with his cousin, the great Chester Zeno (who played the washboard) and began to play in the local and area blues clubs. He took on the stage name "Dopsie" after seeing a Chicago dancer named "Doopsie" performed in Lafayette, Louisiana. Mr. Alton (Dopsie) became a well known musician locally and regionally in the 1950's and 1960's occasionally recording with local independent labels. He played in in many Zydeco and Blues clubs earning the name "Rockin" by the people because of his electrifying performances.

Despite his growing popularity as a musician, and repeated attempt from musicians (including the King of Zydeco himself, Mr. Clifton Chenier) to become a full time musician, Mr. Alton (Rockin' Dopsie) only played music "part-time" , focusing on raising a family, while working full time during the day as a hod carrier and other jobs. He eventually became an electrical contractor. 

Eventually, Rockin' Dopsie did take Mr. Clifton Chenier's advice and began to record and play music full time. During the 1970's Rockin' Dopsie recorded his debut album with Sam Charters for Sweden's Sonet label, and over the next ten years, recorded five more albums for the label. 

Rockin' Dopsie & His Cajun Twisters

Of his own style, Mr. Rubin told The New York Times in 1989: "I mix it up a little bit with blues and a little jazz. There's always different people in the audience who want to hear different sounds." His popularity began to soar in Europe and he often toured the continent introducing hundreds of thousands to Zydeco Music, Louisiana Creole French (his first language), the black Creole culture of southwest Louisiana throughout the world through his music.

In the 1980's Rockin' Dopsie's music began garnering the attention of the mainstream music industry in the United States. In 1985, he was introduced to millions in the United States when he recorded "That Was Your Mother" with Paul Simon on the singer's Graceland album. Rockin' Dopsie would also record with other pop singers including Cyndi Lauper and Bob Dylan. 

He has also appeared in a few films, including Delta Heat. His last album, "Louisiana Music," was his first for a major label. The album received a Grammy nomination after it was released in November 1991.

In 1987, the William Dudley "Dud" Lastrapes, Jr. mayor of Lafayette, Louisiana crowned Mr. Alton "King of Zydeco" days after Clifton Chenier. This coronation was widely resented by many local people and seen as a lack of respect for Clifton Chenier as a divisive intrusion of the music and the culture by people seeking to cash in on the growing success of Zydeco Music. Rockin' Dopsie was drawn in the middle of this emotional controversy and was criticized (often unjustly) for this mayham. It was the only stain on his otherwise illustrious career.

Despite this episode and his growing international fame, Rockin' Dopsie never forgot or left his core base in the Zydeco Nation, often performing in Zydeco road house in Louisiana and Texas, and local and regional church bazaars and festivals, and collaborated with many local musicians (including Clifton Chenier whom he had a close working and personal relationship with). 

If Clifton Chenier was the "King of Zydeco", Rockin' Dopsie was undeniably its "Prince of Zydeco." His influence on Zydeco music is immeasurable. He was a true ambassador and he helped guide and led the revival Zydeco Music.

Thank you Rockin' Dopsie for for fighting the good fight, for walking the narrow road, and showing us the importance of keeping our roots strong!

10:59 PM