Louisiana State Fiddle Championship
Due to the ongoing pandemic NSU will not be able to hold the Louisiana State Fiddle Championship as a face-to-face event in Prather Coliseum in July 2021. However, the Natchitoches-NSU Virtual Festival can be found on YouTube at nsu.la/FolkFest. This online festival includes free videos of performances by music groups such as Rusty Metoyer & The Zydeco Krush, the LaCour Trio, Ron Yule and Friends, the Yvette Landry Trio, Soul Creole, and a virtual Cajun fiddle workshop with Wilson Savoy and Chris Segura of the Pine Leaf Boys as well as interviews with folk artists such as Juanita Leonard and Roy Parfait!
The purpose of the Louisiana State Fiddlers’ Championship (LSFC) is to perpetuate the traditional music and styles of fiddling integral to many kinds of Louisiana music, to help develop an appreciation and understanding of traditional music, to encourage young fiddlers to pursue musical endeavors, and to encourage jam sessions and contests as a way to promote creativity and the continuation of the fiddle tradition.
2019 Louisiana State Fiddle Championship Winners
Championship Round
1st Grand Champion: Ron Yule
2nd Place: Joe Suchanek
3rd Place: Owen Meche
Twin Fiddles Competition
1st Place Tie: Wilfred Luttrell and Ron Yule
1st Round: Ages 0-21
1st Place: Owen Meche
1st Round: Ages 60+
1st Place: Joes Suchanek
2nd Place: Ron Yule
3rd Place: Birgit Murphy
4th Place: Mark Young
5th Place: Wilfred Luttrell
6th Place: Ron Pace
For more information, contact us at folklife@nsula.edu or (318) 357-4332
Prather coliseum and CAPA Annex/Magale Recital Hall are wheelchair accessible.
Natchitoches-NSU Folk Festival Venue/LA State Fiddle Championship
Grand Champions
(2004—present)
2004 Lauren Hodges – Ragley, LA (17 years old)
2005 Ben Robinson – Choudrant, LA (19 years old)
2006 Emily Young – DeRidder, LA (19 years old)
2007 Vic Middleton – Homer, LA (29 years old)
2008 Hallie Yarbrough – Bastrop, LA (41 years old)
2009 Ben Robinson – Choudrant, LA (23 years old)
2010 Jason Saucer – West Monroe, LA (33 years old)
2011 Lauren Ford- Monroe, LA (17 years old)
2012 Beau Thomas -Abbeville, LA (39 years old)
2013 Thomas Jenkins – Bush, LA (29 years old)
2014 Carson Taylor – West Monroe, LA (12 years old)
2015 James Linden Hogg – Prairieville, LA (15 years old)
2016 Joanna Calhoun – West Monroe, LA (17 years old)
2017 Joe Suchanek — Fields, LA (60 years old)
2018 Clancey Stewart — Florien, LA (20 years old)
2019 Ron Yule — DeRidder, LA (76 years old)
Louisiana State Fiddle Championship/Rebel State Historic Site Venue
Grand Champions
1970 Thomas Ray Beebe
1971 Tex Grimsley
1972 Charlie Walding
1973 Hank Strickland
1974 Bob Henderson
1975 Ken Smith
1976 Jamesette Kile
1977 Jewels Lasyone
1978 Jewels Lasyone
1979 Scarlett Johnson
1980 Ken Smith
1981 Greg Edwards
1982 Louis Darby
1983 Ken Smith
1984 Chuck Nation
1985 Johnny Johnson
1986*
1987*
1988 Mary Grimsley
1989 Curry Perkins
1990 Ken Smith
1991 Fred Beavers
1992 Curry Perkins
1993 Ken Smith
1994 Bill Grass
1995 John Johnson
1996 Amanda Dark
1997 T-Bo Lairscey
1998 Britton Currie
1999 Curry Perkins
2000 Ron Yule
2001 Jamesette Kile
2002 Dallas Cooley
2003 Fred Beavers
* The winners for 1986 and 1987 are missing from the plaque.
List provided by Stacy Cates, Interpretive Ranger at Rebel State Historic Site in Marthaville, LA on June 15, 2010.
Phone: 1-888-677-3600 · email: rebel@crt.state.la.us
