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Regular Session, 2014 ENROLLED
SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTI ON NO. 81
BY SENATOR GUILLORY
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTI ON
To declare Sunset, Louisiana, the "Rubboard Capital of the World".
WHEREAS, as deeply rooted in the Cajun culture of Louisiana as crawfish étoufée,
the Zydeco rubboard, also known as a frottoir, is one of only four true musical instruments
that are original to the United States; and
WHEREAS, it is a mid-twentieth century invention designed specifically for Zydeco
music; and
WHEREAS, Willie Landry, a Louisiana native working as a master welder and metal
fabricator at the Texaco Refinery in Port Arthur, Texas, met two brothers from Louisiana,
Cleveland and Clifton Chenier in 1946; and
WHEREAS, Cleveland rhythmically strummed his old time, hand-held washboard
with bottle openers and played the rubboard to support Clifton's unique brand of emerging
Zydeco music; and
WHEREAS, the wood frame washboard was supported on Cleveland's neck by a
rope, and Clifton approached Willie Landry with a design for a musical rubboard, the
frottoir; and
WHEREAS, Willie crafted the vest frottoir from Clifton's design and the first frottoir
to be used strictly as a musical instrument was born from that historical, chance encounter
between a now famous Creole musician and a Cajun metal craftsman; and
WHEREAS, the rubboard is played as a stroked percussion instrument, often in a
band with a drummer; and
WHEREAS, in Zydeco bands, it is usually played with bottle openers or spoon
handles in each hand to make a louder sound and is stroked eight to sixteen times in a four
beat measure; and SCR NO. 81 ENROLLED
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WHEREAS, Willie Landry's son, Tee Don, mastered his father's techniques for
making the rubboard and carries on his father's legacy in his small shop, Key of Z
Rubboards, in Sunset, Louisiana; and
WHEREAS, each rubboard is handcrafted, registered, and numbered by Tee Don;
and
WHEREAS, the stainless steel musical rubboards of today are in demand around the
world and have been used by many leading Zydeco band members and celebrities, including
Billy F. Gibbons of ZZ Top, Buckwheat Zydeco, C. J. Chenier, Chubby Carrier, Zydeco Joe,
Cyril Neville of the Neville Brothers, David Peters of Louisiana's LeRoux, Gatemouth
Brown, Mojo and the Bayou Gypsies, and Boo Zoo Chavis; and
WHEREAS, the Smithsonian Institution acquired two hand-made rubboards, which
are housed in the National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C.; and
WHEREAS, Tee Don Landry's heritage and strong commitment to preserving a
unique musical instrument has resulted in the production of high quality stainless steel
rubboards, and the continuation of a legacy passed down from father to son in Sunset,
Louisiana.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
declare Sunset, Louisiana, as the "Rubboard Capital of the World".
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES