Geno Delafose
By All Music Guide
By All Music Guide
A native of Eunice, a small town in southwest Louisianas French triangle, Delafose played frottoir (rub board) in his fathers band, the Eunice Playboys, at the age of seven. He went on to appear on seven of the bands albums, including a collaborative effort with his father, Pere et Garcon Zydeco, in 1992. Although he briefly played drums, Delafose switched to the accordion after his father developed heart problems. He continued to play the squeezebox after his father died in September 1994. While he favors the single-row and triple-row diatonic button accordion for raditional tunes, he switches to the piano accordion for up-tempo zydeco rockers.
Appearing as an opening act for his fathers band since 1993, Delafose released his debut album on Rounder, French Rockin Boogie, the following year. His band, which took its name from the albums title, included Charles Prudhomme on rhythm guitar, Steve Nash on frottoir, Popp Esprite on bass, Bobby BB Broussard on lead guitar, and Delafoses cousin, Germaine Jack, on drums. The group released two more discs on Rounder, Thats What Im Talkin About! in 1996 and La Chanson Perdue in 98, and also appeared in John Sayles film Passion Fish and the soundtrack of Eves Bayou. Residing in a rural section of Duralde, a few miles north of Eunice, Delafose continued to raise horses on his Double D ranch. In 2003 Delafose and company returned after a five hiatus with Everybodys Dancin on the Times Square label.
