Mr. Joe Bonsall and Mr. Phil Menard instituted the Cajun French Music Hall Of Fame in the Lake Charles Chapter of the Cajun Music Association in 1990. Since Mr. Bonsall’s death it has been chaired by Mr. Phil Menard. There are currently 141 musicians and disc jockeys who have been inducted in our Hall of Fame, and this is an ever-growing number, as each year, we induct six to ten new members. The Hall of Fame Was established not only to honor our musicians that play traditional Cajun music, but also the disc jockeys that get this music aired.

There are rules and guidelines by which each musician is judged and they must meet all the requirements contained therein to be inducted. The instruments, which they play and for which they can be inducted, are the accordion, fiddle, bass guitar, rhythm guitar, steel guitar, and drums.

Our Hall Of Fame pictures and biographies are presently housed at the V.F.W. Post #2130 on Country Club Road in Lake Charles; however, we may not be able to continue to add new inductees to our exhibit there, and could possibly lose the use this facility in the near future.


The Hall of Fame also has instruments and memorabilia donated from our living and now deceased musicians that cannot be displayed due to a lack of space at V. F. W. Post #2130.

One of the major reasons we are interested in building a facility for the Lake Charles Chapter of the Cajun Music Association is to have a place to house not only our Hall of Fame, but also a place to act as a Cajun Music and Culture Museum for these precious artifacts. To have a location were our young musicians can come to see the accomplishments of their parents, grandparents and even their great grandparents would truly be a great endeavor