Doug Kershaw
A Louisiana fiddle virtuoso whose fiery Cajun rhythms and electrifying stage presence brought swamp rock to a national audience.
Born 1936 (age 90)·American singer-songwriter·Birthday: January 24·The Silent Generation
Biography
Doug Kershaw emerged from the bayous of Louisiana, where he learned to play fiddle on an instrument made from a cigar box. With his brother Rusty, he formed the duo Rusty and Doug, scoring a major country hit with "Louisiana Man" in 1961, a song that became an anthem for the Cajun experience. Going solo, Kershaw transformed into a dynamic showman, appearing on national television and at festivals like Woodstock, where he played a blistering set that introduced his high-energy Cajun sound to the rock generation. His technique was ferocious and precise, his performances a whirlwind of motion and sound that earned him the nickname "The Ragin' Cajun." More than just a performer, Kershaw served as a cultural ambassador, ensuring the vibrant, accordion-and-fiddle-driven music of his home reached ears far from the Atchafalaya Basin.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Doug was born in 1936, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Doug Was Born
The biggest hits of 1936
#1 Movie
San Francisco
Best Picture
The Great Ziegfeld
Doug's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1936Born
Jesse Owens wins four golds at the Berlin Olympics
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"The Way You Look Tonight" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: The Great Ziegfeld
1941Started school
Pearl Harbor attack brings the US into WWII
Gas: $0.19/galHome: $3,060Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Chattanooga Choo Choo" — Glenn MillerBest Picture: How Green Was My Valley
1949Became a teenager
NATO founded; Mao proclaims the People's Republic of China
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Riders in the Sky" — Vaughn MonroeBest Picture: All the King's Men
1952Could drive
Queen Elizabeth II ascends the throne
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,350Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Blue Tango" — Leroy AndersonBest Picture: The Greatest Show on Earth
1954Could vote
Brown v. Board of Education desegregates US schools
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $8,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Little Things Mean a Lot" — Kitty KallenBest Picture: On the Waterfront
1957Turned 21
Sputnik launches the Space Age
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $10,550Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"All Shook Up" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: The Bridge on the River Kwai
1966Turned 30
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1976Turned 40
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1986Turned 50
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1996Turned 60
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2006Turned 70
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2016Turned 80
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2026Age 90 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- His song "Louisiana Man," recorded with his brother Rusty, became one of the first commercially successful tracks about Cajun life.
- Performed at the 1969 Woodstock festival, bringing Cajun music to the heart of the counterculture movement.
- Inducted into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame in 2009 for his enduring impact on the state's musical heritage.
- Released over 15 solo albums, with singles like "Diggy Liggy Lo" charting on the country charts.
Did You Know?
He built his first fiddle at age five using a discarded cigar box.
Kershaw served in the U.S. Army as a paratrooper in the 101st Airborne Division.
He made numerous appearances on *The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson*, often playing the fiddle while standing on his head.
His mother, a traiteur (folk healer), taught him traditional Cajun songs and stories.
“I'm just a Louisiana man, a product of the land, and I'm proud of it.”
