Dennis McGee


Dennis McGee was one of the earliest recorded Cajun musicians.
A fiddle player, he recorded and performed with [Louisiana Louisiana Creole people|Creole people|Creole] accordionist and vocalist Amédé Ardoin, with accordionist Angelas LeJeune, and with fiddlers Sady Courville and Ernest Frugé. The recordings with Courville and Frugé are among the few surviving examples of Cajun music as it existed before the influence of the accordion became prominent.
McGee's repertoire included not only the waltz and the two-step common to Cajun music but also such dances as the one-step, polka, mazurka, reel, cotillion, the varsovienne, and others.

Early life

Dennis McGee was the son of John McGee Sr. who was of French and Irish ancestry and Amelia, of French and Seminole Indian ancestry. Both sides of his family were Cajun. Amelia died when Dennis was two years old. His first language was French. He received his first violin at the age of 14, and started playing dances within 6 months.
As a young man, McGee met fellow sharecropper Amédé Ardoin. The two started playing music together, soon playing at dancehalls up to five nights per week. They recorded together starting in 1929 in New Orleans, producing some of the earliest recordings of Cajun and Creole music, alongside Joe and Cléoma Falcon, Leo Soileau, Mayeus Lafleur, Douglas Bellard, and Kirby Riley.

Legacy

In the 1970s and 80s, McGee continued to perform with Sady Courville at festivals and special concerts and recorded for various American and French labels including Morningstar, Cinq Planetes, Swallow, and Music of the World.
His records are contemporary with Joe and Cléoma Falcon's. Also, his legacy includes his knowledge of playing older styles of Cajun music before the 1900s, when the accordion was introduced.

Notable recordings

  • Chère Mama Creole
  • Madame Young, Give Me Your Sweetest
  • Courville and McGee Waltz
  • Happy One Step
  • Jeunes Gens Compagnard
  • Adieu Rosa

Discography

1929 New Orleans Session with Amédé Ardoin
  • "Taunt Aline" / "Two Step de Mama"
  • "Madam Atchen" / "Two Step de Prarie Soileau"
  • "La Valse ah Abe" / "Two Step de Eunice"
1930 New Orleans Session with Amédé Ardoin
  • "Amadie Two Step" / "La Valse A Austin Ardoin"
  • "Blues de Basille" / "La Valse A Thomas Ardoin"
  • "Two Step D'Elton" / "La Valse de Gueydan"
  • "Valse des Opelousas" / "One Step Des Chameaux"
  • "Valse A Alcee Poulard" / "One Step D'Oberlin"
1934 San Antonio Session with Amédé Ardoin
  • "Les Blues De Voyage " / "La Valse De Amities "
  • "Les Blues De Crowley " / "Oberlin"
  • "Sunset" / "Tout Wue Reste C'Est Mon Linge"
1929 New Orleans Session with Sady Courville
  • "Madame Young Donnez Moi Votre Plus Jole Blonde" / "Mon Chere Bebe Creole"
  • "Myself" / "Vous M'Avez Donne Votre Parole"
  • "Allon A Tassone" / "Disez Goodbye A Votre Mere"
  • "Courville And McGee Waltz" / "Happy"
1929 New Orleans Session with Ernest Fruge
  • "Valse Du Puit D'Huile" / "One Step De Mamou"
  • "Valse Du La Penitencier" / "One Step De Chupic"
  • "Valse Des Vachers" / "Jeunes Gens Campagnard"
  • "La Valse Des Reid" / "Adieu Rosa"
1930 New Orleans First Session with Ernest Fruge
  • "La Valse De Lange Au Paille" / "Two Step Du Grand Maraist"
1930 New Orleans Second Session with Ernest Fruge
  • "Lanse Des Belaire" / "Les Blues Du Texas"
  • "La Valse De Rosalie" / "One Step Des McGee"
  • "Valse A Pap" / "Two Step De La Ville Platte"
1930 New Orleans Session with Walter Coquille
  • "La Rille Cajen" / "La Danse Carre"
Compilations
  • The Traditional Cajun Fiddling Of Dennis McGee & S D Courville
  • "The Early Recordings of Dennis McGee," by Dennis McGee, featuring Sady Courville and Ernest Fruge
  • Sady Courville & Dennis McGee: La Vieille Musique Acadienne
  • Cajun Home Music
  • The Complete Early Recordings Of Dennis McGee
  • La Vieille Musique Acadienne by Sady Courville & Dennis McGee
  • Dennis McGee & Sady Courville
  • ''Himself by Dennis Mcgee''

Family

McGee had three wives: Nita Rozas, Marie Young, and Gladys Courville. He stayed married to his final wife until she died in 1990. One of his sons, Gerry McGee, was a member of The Ventures. Gerry McGee went to Hollywood, California, and recorded with numerous rock and pop stars, such as Elvis Presley "Girls, Girls, Girls"and "Trouble With Girls", Movie Soundtrack "Great Balls of Fire", and Rock Sensation, Ivy Lite Rocway and Country Superstar, Dwight Yoakam.