Rod Bernard, the Cajun entertainer and broadcaster whose work helped pioneer south Louisiana’s swamp-pop sound, died on July 12, 2020.

Born in Opelousas, Louisiana, Bernard played guitar, sang and yodeled at a young age before joining the Blue Room Gang at just ten-years-old. With the Cajun/country-western group, he performed at the Grande Ole Opry and eventually recorded his first song, a cover of Hank Williams Sr.’s “Jambalaya.”

As a teen, he founded Rod Bernard and the Twisters with whom he released “This Should Go On Forever” on the Ville Platte label, Jin. That record would go on to be licensed to Chicago’s Chess label and with it Bernard scored a national hit and an appearance on Dick Clark’s seminal program, “American Bandstand.” Throughout his burgeoning career, Bernard toured with B.B. King, Chuck Berry, Frankie Avalon, Jerry Lee Lewis and more.

Swamp-pop “classics” released by Bernard include “Congratulations To You Darling,” “Forgive,” “Loneliness,” “Fais Do-Do,” and a bilingual take on “Colinda.” With Clifton Chenier, Bernard released 1976’s Boogie In Black & White, a historic collaboration between a Black and white musician. 

For many years, Bernard also worked in radio and television, the latter of which dominated his career for nearly three decades. An advertising executive and on-air talent for Lafayette’s KLFY-TV 10, he also appeared in commercials and frequently served as the guest host for KLFY’s Passe Partout and Meet Your Neighbor programs before retiring in 2018.

The family of Rod Bernard has asked friends and fans to make donations to the United States Marines’ Toys for Tots campaign here. There will be no funeral, at his request. Look for a full obituary in a future issue of OffBeat.

Biographical information herein provided by Shane K. Bernard.