Very little is known about Gaspard and his life as a musician; even among big-time Cajun musicians and fans. A brilliant, dexterous guitarist and songwriter, he is often regarded in
Cajun and
Americana music circles as a very mysterious and unacclaimed figure. His influences remain unknown, although his family is believed to have brought him into music. Gaspard formed his first band with his brothers Victor and Amade. When he began recording in the late 1920s it was mainly as a backing
guitarist for
fiddler
Delma Lachney (1896) of French-Canadian descent. It was then that he also recorded some solo selections of his own during these sessions. None of Gaspard's original recordings are believed to have sold over 100 copies within his lifetime. Many of Gaspard's rare recordings were re-released on Cajun compilations into the millennium. He has since recently retained a small cult-following. One of Gaspard's select songs "
Sur Le Borde De L'eau" was recently featured on the 2014 soundtrack of the
HBO television series
True Detective, bringing Gaspard's musical endeavors into the mainstream public for the first time. Music journalist
Amanda Petrusich discusses the song in her book about collecting
78 rpm records,
Do Not Sell At Any Price. The song was among those featured in a 2015 interview with Petrusich on the
NPR program,
Fresh Air. Interest in Gaspard and his unsung music career have grown in significant popularity since the recent rediscovery of his music. :
La Danseuse Listen (MP3) :
Marksville Blues Listen (MP3) == Later life and death ==