Johnny Rebel (singer)
Johnny Rebel | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Clifford Joseph Trahan |
| Also known as | Tommy Todd Jericho Jones Johnny "Pee Wee" Blaine Johnny "Pee Wee" Trayhan Johnny "Pee Wee" Trahan Filthy McNasty |
| Born | October 3, 1938 Moss Bluff, Louisiana, United States |
| Origin | Crowley, Louisiana, United States |
| Genres | Country, Rockabilly, Swamp pop |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, Songwriter |
| Instrument(s) | Singing, Guitar |
| Years active | 1958–present |
| Labels | Reb Rebel, Zynn, Todd, Flyright, Viking, Ringo, WOW, X-Rated, Wildwood, Master-Trak, AggWood, Try It Man, Johnny Rebel |
Johnny Rebel is the pseudonym of Cajun country musician Clifford Joseph Trahan (born October 3, 1938), also known as Pee Wee Trahan. Trahan has used this pseudonym most notably on racist[1] recordings issued in the 1960s on J. D. "Jay" Miller's Reb Rebel label of Crowley, Louisiana.[1][2] Johnny Rebel is often misidentified as the pseudonym of David Allan Coe, and some of his songs have been misattributed to Johnny Horton.[citation needed]
Rebel music
His songs frequently use the racial epithet nigger and often voice sympathy for Jim Crow-era segregation and the Ku Klux Klan.
Trahan first recorded under the Johnny Rebel moniker in the mid-1960s. He employed J. D. "Jay" Miller's recording studio in Crowley, Louisiana. Miller, in fact, produced the sessions and issued the recordings on his own Reb Rebel label.[2]
Trahan's first release — the fifth for the Reb Rebel label — was a 45 RPM single of "Lookin' for a Handout" and "Kajun Ku Klux Klan." He would record five more singles for the label, which included "Nigger, Nigger," "In Coon Town," "Who Likes a Nigger?," "Nigger Hatin' Me," "Still Looking for a Handout," "Some Niggers Never Die (They Just Smell That Way)," "Stay Away from Dixie," and "Move Them Niggers North."[2] At least two of Trahan's songs, "Keep a-Workin' Big Jim" and "(Federal Aid Hell!) The Money Belongs to Us", were not about race, but about political issues — namely, the efforts of Louisiana district attorney Jim Garrison to solve the Kennedy assassination, and a song critical of U.S. federal aid programs.[3]
In 1976, Trahan's song "Lâche pas la patate" ("The Potato Song"), sung by Jimmy C. Newman earned gold record status in Canada.[4]
Two of these songs were eventually issued in album format by Reb Rebel Records under the title "For Segregationists Only".[2]
After a hiatus of about three decades, Trahan returned as Johnny Rebel in 2001 when he issued his CD single "Infidel Anthem," recorded in response to the September 11, 2001 attacks.[3] In 2003 Trahan released the album It's the Attitude, Stupid!, on the Try It Man record label. At least two persons or entities claim ownership of the Johnny Rebel catalog. At present, however, it is unclear who actually owns the recordings.[3]
Johnny Rebel's songs have been covered by other singers such as Big Reb and the German band Landser. In 2005, his song "Some Niggers Never Die (They Just Smell That Way)" was used in the film What Is It? directed by Crispin Glover.[citation needed]
Trahan has rarely allowed himself to be photographed by anyone other than close friends and family, although he claims there are indeed images of him on the Internet. He says he has no idea where those photos originated.[3] Trahan has owned a driving school in Crowley, Louisiana which he handed over to his son in 2008.Cite error: The <ref> tag has too many names (see the help page). He appeared in a front-page article of the Crowley Post Signal on December 10, 2008 (about his writing of songs celebrating area high school football teams).
A CD compilation of his works simply shows a hooded Klansman together with a depiction of the Confederate Battle Flag. The cover of the album "It's the attitude stupid" shows a hooded Klansman, holding what appears to be either a Walkman or MP3 player, and wearing headphone round.
Popular culture
The television series The Boondocks parodied Johnny Rebel's music in one of its episodes (entitled The Story of Jimmy Rebel). The episode portrays a recording artist who is ostensibly Johnny Rebel.
Discography
Studio albums
| Year | Album details |
|---|---|
| 1971 | For Segregationists Only
|
| 2003 | The Complete Johnny Rebel Collection
|
| It's the Attitude, Stupid!'
|
Singles
 |
| Year | Single | Peak positions | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| US Country | |||
| 1966 | "Lookin' for a Handout / Kajun Ku Klux Klan" | — | For Segregationists Only |
| "Nigger Hatin' Me / Who Likes a Nigger" | — | ||
| 1967 | "(Federal Aid Hell!) The Money Belongs to Us / Keep a Workin' Big Jim " | — | |
| 1968 | "Nigger, Nigger / Move Them Niggers North" | — | |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | |||
Footnotes
- ^ a b Shane K. Bernard, The Cajuns: Americanization of a People. Jackson, Miss: University Press of Mississippi, 2003, p. 63f.
- ^ a b c d John Broven, South to Louisiana: The Music of the Cajun Bayous. Gretna, Louisiana: Pelican, 1983, p. 252f. ISBN 0-88289-608-3.
- ^ a b c d Nick Pittman, "Johnny Rebel Speaks", in: Times of Acadiana, Lafayette, Louisiana, ca. 2000.
- ^ "Page about Lâche pas la patate on Discogs.com".
References
- B & H Interview Johnny Rebel, 'A True Son Of Louisiana, 2009' [1]
- John Broven, South to Louisiana: The Music of the Cajun Bayous (Gretna, La.: Pelican, 1983).
- Shane K. Bernard, The Cajuns: Americanization of a People (Jackson, Miss: University Press of Mississippi, 2003).
- Terry E. Gordon, Rockin' Country Style
- Landser: Deutsche Wut/Rock gegen Oben, 1997, CD (track 9 "Kreuzberg" is a German language cover of Trahan's "Coon Town")
