Born in Church Point in 1929, Ellis Vanicor’s Cajun sound would become indelibly linked with a little community smack in the middle of Jennings and Lake Charles — Lacassine.
A self-taught fiddler, Vanicor was an original member of the Lacassine Playboys, which formed in the 1940s with Vanicor, his brothers Orsy, Milton and Ivy, Jimmy Aguillard, and Iry and Asa Lejeune. He would play with the Lacassine Playboys, and other traditional Cajun bands, for the next 70 years. In the process, Vanicor became known for his fiddle style that exemplified the raucous fun of Cajun music.
Ellis Vanicor died at the age of 96 on Sunday, Aug. 31 at his home in Lacassine. He had retired from the Lacassine Playboys and fiddling only six years before, at 90.
Vanicor was known as a generous mentor to younger musicians, in particular Lake Charles musician Chris Miller of the band Bayou Roots. In a Sept. 3 interview about Vanicor for the Lake Charles American Press, Miller attributed the “Lacassine sound” to Vanicor and his brothers, calling it very rhythmic, joyous and designed to lure people to the dance floor.
Vanicor was in the Cajun Music Hall of Fame, and was a giant of the Cajun fiddle community. Despite decades of music and collaborations on stages and recording studios, Vanicor was primarily known as a live performer. The Lacassine Playboys recorded their first-ever CD in 2010, “Don’t Bury Me,” when Vanicor was 81 years old. It was a People’s Choice Award winner from the Cajun French Music Association. Vanicor’s accolades also included Fiddler of the Year and four Le Cajun Awards from the Association.
In addition to music and raising a family, Vanicor and his wife operated Vanicor’s Grocery in Lacassine for 23 years. According to his obituary, he was heavily involved with community and civic organizations, including helping to found Cajun Days, the Lacassine Volunteer Fire Department and the Lacassine Community Center.
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