John Peter Bonvillain

[Joe Rogers]

I just read this in the New Orleans Times Picayune today.
http://obits.nola.com/obituaries/nola/o ... =187264838

Not many steel guitar players can say they backed Elvis, Marty Robbins and Hank Williams.

Rest In Peace.


Joe Rogers

[Mitch Drumm]

That is sad news.

He's not well known, but was a major inspiration to Tom Morrell and I'm sure others after being heard on radio out of New Orleans in the early 50s. No doubt John Hughey heard him as well. I get the feeling his steel playing was mostly for live performances rather than in recording studios.

Here's a bio I found a few years ago and some pictures. I think I met him at his music/record shop in Gretna around 1970, but I had no idea of his steel background at the time.


John Peter Bonvillain was born on November 26, 1931, in Ashland, Louisiana, raised in Houma and New Orleans, and now resides in Gretna, Louisiana.

He's been playing steel guitar for 61 years. His first job was with Irvin Tuttle and has played with many bands around New Orleans, Houma, and in Mississippi.

He played on WWL radio with Bill Cason from 1948 til 1955 and at that time recorded with many bands at the Blue Room of the Roosevelt (Fairmont) Hotel. He wrote and played on the Dr. Tishner commercial, and made the first Charman Tissue commercial at WDSU radio.

He has played with Elvis Presley, Marty Robbins, Hank Williams, Tex Williams, Sam Butera, Joe Jones, Barbara Lynn, Johnny Horton, Jeannie Pruett, Little Jimmy Dickens, Russ "C.J. Cheramie" Wayne, Vin Bruce, Leroy Martin, Russ Russell, and Billy Fayard.

He also wrote and recorded songs for "Gyp the Jitter Bug" and Russ Wayne (aka C.J. Cheramie,) and recorded on Capitol records.

Mr. Bonvillain played just about every club on the Westbank. He wrote and recorded campaign songs for Vernon Wilty, Assessor of Jefferson Parish, Jack Riley, Sheriff of St. Bernard Parish, and played and campaigned for Earl K. Long, Governor of Louisiana.

From 1963 till the present, Mr. Bonvillain has taught music and operates his music store located on Lafayette Street in Gretna, Louisiana.

[Herb Steiner]

Morrell told me that Johnny Bonvillain was the closest you could get to sounding like Joaquin Murphey. I've never heard him play though, to my knowledge anyway.

[Mitch Drumm]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n69J4_Oocfg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJ3lQe1BKgk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8NbYjwRx8wE

You can hear him on the above 3 tracks from the 1953-54 era. Unfortunately, straight hillbilly without many fireworks.

[Todd Clinesmith]

I have some live recordings of Johnny Bonvillain from some radio shows in the 50's. He was great player. He used a lot of Joaquin's signature licks. I would say, it was not quite as smooth as Joaquin phrasing , but very well executed ideas and phrasing.

[Mike Neer]

Rest in peace, Johnny. A great player.

[Tommy Shown]

Cleat Wooley used to talk to me about Johnny all the time, Sad to say another institution of New Orleans music is gone. He used to have a shop on the West bank.

[Arthur Dickerson]

I spent a lot of Wednesday’s with Johnny from 2010 to 2014. I have some recordings on an old iPad but they are lessons, so he's mostly just showing examples and not playing whole songs. And you sure don't want to hear me since I was learning C6th from him. His back really got the best of him and he had a hard time feeling whether he was touching the pedals or not. As a result he played more and more without pedals and I learned a lot more single string melody and slant bar workarounds. He kne2 every one of the legends but was never bragging about-just mentioned it in passing. He said this one guy told him, 'I just like listening to you tune up'. That was Jimmy Day. But the mind blower was when he told me tha Buddy came to stay with him for awhile in the early 60’s or late 50's to ‘brush up on the C6th'. He could play any country song you like any body’s version, but it was jazz that loved. Those recordings are on a 1st gen iPad that I need to find and resurrect. As soon as I do, I’ll post them