Biography
For seven decades now the high-energy stage name Rockin’ Dopsie (pronounced Doopsie) has stood tall in the deep-groove world of zydeco. This exuberant alias was first used by accordionist Alton Rubin (1932-1993), a towering figure on the zydeco scene who passed both the torch and his moniker to his son, David. Now David Rubin and his red-hot band - who have played with Paul Simon, Tina Turner, Bob Dylan, Beyonce and John Fogerty among others - have recorded the aptly entitled new album More Fun With Rockin’ Dopsie Jr. and the Zydeco Twisters, released on the prestigious ATO label.
Zydeco (pronounced ZY-duh-coe) is the vivacious dance music of southwest Louisiana’s Black Creoles, many of whom speak French or have ancestors who did. It is a rich hybrid of Afro-Caribbean rhythms and African-American styles such as blues, R&B, soul and, more recently, rap and hip-hop. Country music, swamp-pop, reggae, rock also factor into this multi-cultural blend. Zydeco’s purpose is to make people MOVE! If you can’t dance to zydeco, you can’t dance -- period! Just try sitting still after hitting play on More Fun With Rockin’ Dopsie Jr. and the Zydeco Twisters.
More Fun With was co-produced by Grammy-award winners Randall Poster and Stewart Lerman, both of whose resumés also encompass extensive film and television credentials in such acclaimed works as Vinyl and Boardwalk Empire. Last year Poster curated the music for the soundtrack of a remake of Roadhouse. In the original movie from 1989, starring Patrick Swayze, the late blues guitarist Jeff Healey provided all of the music. This time around, director Doug Lyman wanted a variety of musicians, with one common denominator being a distinctive look. Poster’s research led him to Rockin’ Dopsie Jr., a live-wire performer whose dynamic stage moves, executed in seemingly perpetual motion, include agile splits in the best James Brown tradition. Recording several songs with Dopsie and the band went so well that Poster and Lyman had them perform in the film -- which, in turn, led to this album.
In addition to his famous footwork, Dopsie’s performance presence is further fueled by his fleet-fingered playing of the rub-board, also known in Louisiana French as the frottoir, Rockin’ Dopsie Jr. has taken and run with it to scale new heights of zydeco audiences’ excitement.
“I loved working with Dopsie and his band,” Poster says with enthusiasm. “They’re a great bunch of guys, and we all hit it off so well. Recording this album, at Esplanade Studio in New Orleans, was really fun, a pleasure. And you know what? I think everyone should listen to some zydeco every single day!” Rockin’ Dopsie is equally enthusiastic. “This came together when Randy hired us to record a couple of songs for the Roadhouse soundtrack. He’s a big fan of our music. Then he said he wanted to do a whole album on us and we were thrilled -- you can’t beat working with Randy, he’s such a nice, first-class guy, he makes it easy. So does his engineer, Stewart. All the communication worked out so well and everything just fell into place. I’m very happy with this album.”
“We pay tribute to my father here,” Dopsie continues. “We recorded songs that he wrote, like “My Little Girl,” or songs he’s associated with like “That Was Your Mother” -- Randy and Stewart did an especially great job on the mix on that one. My dad would be so proud that all four of his sons are on this album (youngest brother Dwayne who fronts his own band plays accordion on two tracks on this album). It makes me think back to when I was a kid. I remember when B.B. King, Bobby Bland, and other R&B and blues artists would play in Lafayette, they’d come to our house and visit my dad, he’d make a gumbo, or we’d barbecue in the back yard. I loved listening to my dad and those guys talk,” he reflects. “I learned a lot from them. “My dad would love how we put our own new twist on his music,” Dopsie concludes. “You know, sometimes people ask me ‘What is zydeco?’ And I tell them “Zydeco is something that you may not have heard before, that you should have heard a long time ago! Because it’s good time music dance, it’s fun!” (Or this case. More Fun). “Turn this album up, and come out and see us play!”
Besides having performed extensively on their own tours, the band has shared the stage with Tina Turner, Bonnie Raitt, BB King, The Neville Brothers, Dr. John, and Jimmy Buffet. In 1978 they performed on the song That Was Your Mother (Standing On The Corner In Lafayette, Louisiana), which was released on Paul Simon's multi-platinum Grammy award-winning album Graceland. The band has also recorded with Cindy Lauper and Bob Dylan (Oh, Mercy).
In 1994, Rockin' Dopsie, Jr. & The Zydeco Twisters performed at the Smithsonian in Washington, DC, on the occasion of the presentation of the late Rockin' Dopsie's crown (he was indeed "the King of Zydeco") for permanent exhibit. Rockin' Dopsie, his band, and zydeco music were honored by this historic event as they had never been honored before.
Rockin' Dopsie, Jr. & The Zydeco Twisters, still referred to as "Zydeco's Royal Family," have performed in Australia, Italy, France, Germany, Switzerland, Holland, Belgium, Sweden, and many other countries as well as throughout the United States. They have appeared at the most prestigious music festivals and fairs at home and abroad.
The band has made television commercials for Burger King, the Louisiana Lottery, Close-Up toothpaste, Community coffee, Maalox, Danny and Clyde's and Popeye's Fried Chicken. They also appeared in the movie Delta Heat which featured several tracks from their Atlantic album.
They were the house band for the Gayle King Show in January of 1998, the house band on Live With Regis And Kathie Lee in January 1999, house band for a week on Wheel Of Fortune in January 2000, played with Harry Connick, Jr. at the Orpheus Ball in New Orleans during Mardi Gras '98,'99 and '01, entertained President Clinton and the White House press corps on the White House lawn in September 1999, and danced and sang at the Chicago House of Blues with Dan Aykroyd in May 2000. In February of 2002, Dopsie and his brothers performed with Britney Spears and Mystikal on MTV's two-hour Mardi Gras special.
Dopsie really heats things up whenever he and the band perform. Above all else, they create a high-energy, audience participation, dance 'til you drop, dynamic show. It all begins when you hear, "Ladies and Gentlemen, Rockin' Dopsie, Jr. & The Zydeco Twisters!"
The Band...
Rockin' Dopsie, Jr.
(David Rubin)
Rub Board and Vocals
Tiger Dopsie
(Alton Rubin, Jr.)
Drums and Vocals
Anthony Dopsie
(Anthony Rubin)
Accordion
Various Artists
Bass, Lead Guitar, Rhythm Guitar, Saxophone, Trumpet, Keyboard