music is all about. Having fun and letting the good times roll.” Over the past 35 years he has been doing just that, traveling widely and becoming as renowned for his flashy showmanship and audience interaction as for his singing and washboard playing. Hitting the stage at a young age with his father, the late, legendary zydeco accordionist, Rockin’ Dopsie Sr. (Alton Rubin) and his band, the Zydeco Twisters, Dopsie Jr. (David Rubin) has carried on both the family name and its musical legacy. “I was officially a member of the Zydeco Twisters around 1982-’83 but, growing up, my father would always pull me up on stage to do dancing and stuff like that,” Dopsie Jr. recalled. “My daddy told me, ‘You gotta come up with a gimmick,’ so mine was wearing an apron, a cowboy hat and cowboy boots and doing those James Brown splits on stage. That was my thing and it has followed me a long way.” Growing up in a musical household in the heart of Cajun Country, Dopsie Jr. played congas, drums and accordion at an early age. His three brothers play instruments as well. The oldest brother, Alton Jr. (nicknamed “Tiger”) plays drums and Dopsie Jr.’s younger brothers Anthony and Dwayne both play accordion. Tiger and Anthony are current members of the Zydeco Twisters while Dwayne has enjoyed a successful solo career with his own band, the Zydeco Hellraisers. Collectively, they are known as “The First Family of Zydeco.” At his father’s urging, Dopsie Jr. took up the washboard when Dopsie Sr.’s cousin, Chester “Shorty” Zeno, had to leave the band for health reasons. “I was always my dad’s entertainer. I’d perform and dance while he was playing,” he said. Memories of Dopsie Jr.’s youth include a steady stream of celebrity guests coming to the Rubin home in Lafayette. Among them were BB King, Bobby “Blue” Bland, Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown, Johnnie Taylor and other renowned musical artists. Preeminent among them was Clifton Chenier, often referred to as “The King of Zydeco” and with whom Rockin’ Dopsie Sr. frequently performed. “When these guys came over, my momma would cook up a gumbo or my dad would barbecue,” Dopsie Jr. fondly recalled. “I got to know a lot of them as a young kid. As time grew and I got to perform with my dad, I played with these guys. It was amazing.” The years to come would bring Dopsie Jr. even greater fame. Assuming leadership over the Zydeco Twisters after his father’s sudden, unexpected death in 1993, Dopsie Jr. went on to perform all over the U.S. and abroad. He has played with the Rolling Stones, Jimmy Buffett, Billy Joel, Beyonce, Bonnie Raitt, Cyndi Lauper, the Dixie Chicks, Dolly Parton, Mark Chesnutt and other rock and country stars, and recorded on albums by such superstars as Paul Simon (Graceland) and Bob Dylan (Oh Mercy). He has also performed in Carnegie Hall and in the White House for President Bill Clinton. A year after his father’s passing, he played at the Smithsonian Institute when Dopsie Sr.’s accordion and other memorabilia were added to the museum’s permanent collection. At home in the New Orleans area Rockin’ Dopsie Jr. and the Zydeco Twisters reign as one of the top crowd favorites, headlining festivals, Carnival balls and other large-scale events. They have performed on nationally syndicated TV shows and late night TV and they have generously given pro bono performances for charitable fundraisers and other worthy causes. Dopsie Jr. emphatically notes that zydeco is at the heart of the music he performs, even though his style and song selection often incorporate other genres. “I keep it old school zydeco but I do a lot of cover tunes; a little rock, a little rhythm and blues, a little soul, and I try to put a zydeco feel into it,” he explained. “You come in with a lot of rhythm and a nice, heavy accordion solo and get that zydeco drumbeat in there and it all comes together. I do a diverse blend of music and it seems to work.” As for his trademark, onstage splits, Dopsie Jr. laughed when asked if he was PHOTOS COURTESY OF ROCKIN' DOPSIE JR. JANUARY / F E B R UARY 2 0 1 7 breakthrumediamagazine.com | BREAKTHRU MEDIA | 17
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