Le Roux (band)

Louisiana's LeRoux (a/k/a LeRoux) is a pop band founded in Baton Rouge, Louisiana that saw its heyday from 1978-1983. Their biggest hits were "Take A Ride On A Riverboat" with its 4-part a capella intro, the 1978 hit song "New Orleans Ladies", the 1982 hits "Nobody Said It Was Easy" and "Addicted", and the 1983 hit "Carrie's Gone". Their music, though pop-oriented, combined many elements such as funk, R&B, Dixieland jazz, rock, and some Cajun-flavoring, thus defying a pigeonhole into one definable category like many other diverse Louisiana artists, common to an area known for its many musical influences and tastes.

Members

The main members of the band during its heyday were Jeff Pollard on guitar/lead vocals, Leon Medica on bass, Tony Haselden on guitar, Rod Roddy on keyboards/vocals, Bobby Campo on percussion/flute/trumpet/vocals, and David Peters on drums.

Albums

The group was formed in 1977 and signed a deal with Capitol Records as The Jeff Pollard Band, but shortly changed their name to Louisiana's LeRoux, which refers to roux, a Cajun gravy base used to make gumbo. All of the songs on the self-titled 1978 debut album were sung and written by Pollard except the big hit, "New Orleans Ladies", which was written by Medica. "Bridge Of Silence" was a minor hit also. Three more albums followed ("Keep The Fire Burnin"', "Up", and the live "Higher Up"), but the band was subsequently dropped by Capitol.

Starting with 1980's album "Up", they dropped "Louisiana's" from their name and became simply "LeRoux". In 1981 they signed with RCA, and issued their 5th LP, "Last Safe Place" which was their highest charting album and included their only Top 20 charting single, "Nobody Said It Was Easy", in early 1982. Other changes were in store as Campo and Pollard both quit, with the latter renouncing rock music and entering the Baptist Christian ministry, where he remains today. Fergie Frederiksen, who would later step in to fill other shoes in the band Toto when Bobby Kimball left, took over for Pollard on the 6th album "So Fired Up", and they scored a minor hit with "Carrie's Gone", which Frederiksen wrote after breaking up with actress Carrie Hamilton, who was Carol Burnett's daughter. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough to keep them from being dropped by RCA, at which point the band called it quits.

Most of the band got back together in the 1990s and released "Ain't Nothing But a Gris Gris" in 1999.

Recent activity

After releasing a greatest hits compilation entitled "Bayou Degradable: The Best of Louisiana's LeRoux" in 1996, the band decided to get back together to perform live shows in the southern US and along the Gulf Coast and have been doing so ever since. Original players Medica, Haselden, Peters, Roddy, and Campo reunited along with former members Jim Odom and Randy Knaps (who had taken over for Frederiksen shortly after the 5th album), plus new members Boo Pourciau, Nelson Blanchard, and Mark Duthu. Campo left a year later. Terry Brock came on board in May 2007 as LeRoux's singer, replacing Knaps.

After the group's heyday, guitarist Tony Haselden became a Nashville songwriter in the late '80s and penned the country hits "It Ain't Nothing" for the late Keith Whitley, "That's My Story" for Collin Raye, "Mama Knows" for the group Shenandoah and many others. Bassist and producer Leon Medica resides in Nashville and is in high demand as a studio musician and songwriter.

Members of LeRoux backed up Tab Benoit on his "Brother to the Blues" and "Power of the Ponchartrain" CDs, recorded a live DVD and CD in Nashville with Tab in early May 2007, and are currently touring nationwide with him.

Discography

* "Louisiana's LeRoux" (1978)
* "Keep the Fire Burnin"' (1979)
* "Up" (1980)
* "Live: Higher Up" (1980)
* "Last Safe Place" (1981)
* "So Fired Up" (1983)
* "Bayou Degradable: The Best of Louisiana's LeRoux" (1996)
* "Ain't Nothing But a Gris Gris" (1999)

External links

* [http://www.laleroux.com Official site for Louisiana's LeRoux]