New Orleans-born singer/songwriter and rockabilly legend Jim Oertling passed away in his home on July 10, 2020.

Jim Oertling at the 2015 Ponderosa Stomp. Photo: Edgar Mata, used with permission

His family moved to San Antonio, where Oertling graduated from high school in 1960 and later attended Louisiana State University, graduating in 1965. As a student at LSU, Oertling formed a band, Jim Oertling and the Bayou Boys, and entered Cosimo Matassa’s studio in 1963 to cut the epic rockabilly single “Old Moss Back,” using his Elvis-like baritone. It was improbably about a fisherman’s never-ending battles with an elusive fish. He followed up with another single before moving on to Lafayette’s legendary La Louisianne record label to record the rockabilly gem “Louisiana Gambler.” In 1978, his single “World of a Woman” reached number one on the New Orleans radio charts. In 1997 he was inducted into the Rockabilly Hall of Fame and and was honored in New Orleans at the 2015 Ponderosa Stomp. Oertling also played at the Stomp in 2016, and was also honored as a Louisiana Tradition Bearer in 2017.

A memorial service and Mass will be held on Friday July 24, 2020 at Saint Peter’s Catholic Church, East 19th Avenue, Covington, Louisiana. Visitation will be from 9:30 a.m. until 11:00 a.m. with Mass beginning at 11:00 a.m. The family asks that during these ceremonies, that guests refrain from hugging, kissing or shaking hands. Instead, offer support with a call, a virtual hug, a text, hugging a pet, or by having a Mass in Mr. Oertling’s memory. In lieu of flowers, donations should be made to Saint Peter’s Catholic Church.