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Regular Session, 2014
SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTI ON NO. 81
BY SENATOR GUILLORY
LEGIS POWERS/FUNCTIONS. Declares Sunset, Louisiana, the "Rubboard Capital of the
World".
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTI ON1
To declare Sunset, Louisiana, the "Rubboard Capital of the World".2
WHEREAS, as deeply rooted in the Cajun culture of Louisiana as crawfish étoufée,3
the Zydeco rubboard, also known as a frottoir, is one of only four true musical instruments4
that are original to the United States; and5
WHEREAS, it is a mid-twentieth century invention designed specifically for Zydeco6
music; and7
WHEREAS, Willie Landry, a Louisiana native working as a master welder and metal8
fabricator at the Texaco Refinery in Port Arthur, Texas, met two brothers from Louisiana,9
Cleveland and Clifton Chenier in 1946; and10
WHEREAS, Cleveland rhythmically strummed his old time, hand-held washboard11
with bottle openers and played the rubboard to support Clifton's unique brand of emerging12
Zydeco music; and13
WHEREAS, the wood frame washboard was supported on Cleveland's neck by a14
rope, and Clifton approached Willie Landry with a design for a musical rubboard, the15
frottoir; and16
WHEREAS, Willie crafted the vest frottoir from Clifton's design and the first frottoir17
to be used strictly as a musical instrument was born from that historical, chance encounter18 SCR NO. 81
SLS 14RS-1125 ORIGINAL
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between a now famous Creole musician and a Cajun metal craftsman; and1
WHEREAS, the rubboard is played as a stroked percussion instrument, often in a2
band with a drummer; and3
WHEREAS, in Zydeco bands, it is usually played with bottle openers or spoon4
handles in each hand to make a louder sound and is stroked eight to sixteen times in a four5
beat measure; and6
WHEREAS, Willie Landry's son, Tee Don, mastered his father's techniques for7
making the rubboard and carries on his father's legacy in his small shop, Key of Z8
Rubboards, in Sunset, Louisiana; and9
WHEREAS, each rubboard is handcrafted, registered, and numbered by Tee Don;10
and11
WHEREAS, the stainless steel musical rubboards of today are in demand around the12
world and have been used by many leading Zydeco band members and celebrities, including13
Billy F. Gibbons of ZZ Top, Buckwheat Zydeco, C. J. Chenier, Chubby Carrier, Zydeco Joe,14
Cyril Neville of the Neville Brothers, David Peter of Louisiana LeRoux, Gatemouth Brown,15
Mojo and the Bayou Gypsies, and Boo Zoo Chavis; and16
WHEREAS, the Smithsonian Institution acquired two hand-made rubboards, which17
are housed in the National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C.; and18
WHEREAS, Tee Don Landry's heritage and strong commitment to preserving a19
unique musical instrument has resulted in the production of high quality stainless steel20
rubboards, and the continuation of a legacy passed down from father to son in Sunset,21
Louisiana.22
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby23
declare Sunset, Louisiana, as the "Rubboard Capital of the World".24
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Nancy Vicknair.
DIGEST
Guillory SCR No. 81
Declares Sunset, Louisiana, the "Rubboard Capital of the World".