Doris Leon Menard was an American Cajun singer and songwriter born on April 14, 1932, in Erath. He began playing the guitar at age 16 and performed in local clubs at 17. Menard was influenced by Hank Williams, whom he met in 1951. He was best known for the recording “La Porte En Arrière” (1962), which sold over 500,000 copies. His discography included the studio recordings Louisiana Aces (1974), No Matter Where You At, There You Are (1988), and Happy Go Lucky (2010). In 1993, the album Le Trio Cadien received a Grammy Award nomination. Menard was a recipient of a National Heritage Fellowship in 1994 and joined the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame in 2009. He held performances in more than 30 countries as a cultural ambassador. Menard died on July 27, 2017.
