BENJAMIN LUKE ADAMS

Benjamin was born on June 23, 1980 in Thibodaux, to Terren Joseph & Kathryn Charron Adams. He has / sister Rebecca Adams Ginsburg. He graduated from Thibodaux Highn 1999 & attended

Nicholls State University.

Benjamin has been playing bass guitar professionally for the past 30

years.

He has performed with such bands as: Alice Sweet Alice, Fear Nada, Josh Garret & The Bottom Line, No Boundaries, Souled out, The Waylon Thibodaux Band, Velvet Sky, Mule Kick, Straight Country, Shorts in December and has had the opportunity to share the stage with numerous others as fill in with other local groups.

Some of the venues Benjamin as performed in are: in Thibodaux, Foundry on the Bayou, Last Call, Rick & Robins & Fireman's Fair, in Houma, The Balcony, Brick House & Piazza Bar, The Youth Fair in Cutt Off, French Food Festival in Larose, French Quarter Festival in New Orleans, Jazz & Heritage Festival in New Orleans, Preservation Jazz Hall in New Orleans, House of Blues in New Orleans & in Orlando Florida & The Western Club in Navasota, Texas & many others.

Benjamin is currently working in the Accounting & Financial

industry for the past 13 years.

He is married to the former Angel Lirette for the past 20 plus years & the couple has 1 son Jayce Alexander Adams. The couple currently resides in Thibodaux, Louisiana.

For more than 46 plus years, "Cypress" has been a cornerstone of the local & Gulf Coast music scene, delivering

unforgettable performances & keeping the spirit of live music alive. Formed in the late 70's, "Cypress" quickly earned

a reputation for their high energy shows, musical versatility & deep connection with audiences across generations.

Specializing in classic rock, pop, blues & R&B covers, "Cypress" brings timeless hits to life with authenticity &

passion. Whether playing at hometown festivals, private events, or local venues, "Cypress" has consistently drawn

crowds with their right musicianship & stage presence. Also, in all their performances, the music is always live never

using any backing tracks or recorded sounds.

When the band was formed in 1978 the original members were: Bobby Bono, Duffy Metregene, Eric Erdal, Benny

Fernandez & Rickey Tassin. Curt Wainwright (the sound engineer) & his Road crew were instrumental in keeping the

show running smoothly, ensuring every sound, lighting & pyrotechnics were tight. Billy Vedros joined the band in

1992 and provided lead vocals along with Duffy Metregene, who passed in 2014. Also in 1999, Curt Wainwright

passed away & the road crew was abolished.

Over the next 40 plus years, the band has had many musicians come & go which brings us to the current members of

"Cypress": Bobby Bono (drums), Billy Vedros (lead vocals & acoustic guitar), Ken Rish (lead guitar), Rod Schouest

(keyboard & lead vocals, Gary Chandler (trumpet), Herb Borne (saxophone) & Benny Fernandez (bass guitar &

sound tech). After the addition of the horns (Gary & Herb), the band blossomed into a more exceptional genre for all

ages. Then adding Rod with his keyboard's wizardry and his combined vocal & front man energy, now shares the

lead vocal position with Billy bringing the band to a new level. Also, after 46 plus years, both Bobby Bono & Benny

Fernandez remain as the 2 original members who started

"Cypress" in 1978.

In the early years, the band toured extensively from Lafayette, Louisiana to Birmingham, Alabama, working solely for

"Big "J" Productions Some of the major highlights were, opening for "Rare Earth", "Firefall",

"Lilian Axe" & "Melange".

"The Shieks", "Pot Liquor",

The band played several times on the Midway of

Ponchatrain Beach for WRNO radio concerts. They also played several Gov. Edward's rallies in Westwego. They

have performed at nearly every venue on the Old & New NOLA Lakefront, several locations in the French Quarter,

Rock-n-Bowl, the Fat City circuit at McAlisters, The Quarter Note & Zepplin's. For 5 years they played on Mardi Gras

Day at "The Place Across the Street". Performing at places on the Westbank including Ole Man Rivers, O'Charlie's,

Spanky's, Fireman's Hall, Gatsby's & The Fat

Cat,

the band also played many VW halls for weddings & private parties. They provided entertainment at bars down in

Plaquemine & St Bernard Parishes. They also entertained at many fairs & festivals like, Gretna Fest, Alligator Fest,

Amite Oyster Fest, Fort Pike Fest, Andouille Fest, and Lafitte Seafood Fest, Along with Casinos, such as Boomtown,

Silver Slipper, Beau Rivage & Treasure Chest. Then adding to the list of local venues are, Rivershack Gretna &

Kenner, Gretna Tavern, Sidney's, The Barn in Rivertown along with many, many others along the Mississippi Gulf

Coast.

Whether playing small town festivals, casinos, packed clubs or private events, the band brought energy, nostalgia, &

heart to every stage & still brings the same passion & authenticity now as they did over 4 decades ago. The band's

longevity is a testament

decade, "Cypress" remains a symbol of musical excellence & local pride especially for their Westhank fans bringing

joy, rhythm & Rock n Roll to every stage they grace.

LET'S ROCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Eugene Joseph Rodrigue, Sr., was born on October 21, 1926 in Cut Off to Abel Joseph & Louise Plaisance Rodrigue Sr. He has 3 brothers Abel Jr., Al & Dudley. He attended schools in Larose & Cut Off.

Gene was a musician for over 50 years, from the age of 7 till his death in 1988.

He played guitar, accordion, bass & fiddle & had his own band called, "Varsetiles"

Some of the places he performed are: Stagecoach & Hubba Habba in Galliano,

Welcome Inn & Tee Lee's in Raceland, Cypress Inn in Chackbay, Big John's in Dulac, Oyster Festival in Galliano, Thibodaux Fireman's fair, many fairs & festivals & senior citizens homes throughout LaFourche Parish. He also played at The Key Hole & The Junkyard on theWestbank. Gene also played lots of political rallies including the ones for the late Gov. John Mckeithen & Gov. Edwin Edwards. In the last years of his life he performed at many senior citizens homes for free. He loved sharing his music with the older folks & also played at many campgrounds.

He performed with many notable musicians as: Vin Bruce, Dudley Bernard,

Leroy Martin, L.J. Foret, Cliff Fonseca, Pott Folse, Les Domangue, D.J. Collins, Ricky Folse, Joe Barry, Johnny Allen, Floyd Soileau, Gary Thibodaux, on the Louisiana Hayride with Hank Williams, Jerry Lee Lewis & Elvis Presley, just to name a few of the many polished musicians he had the pleasure of playing with.

Gene worked for John W. Smith Offshore Drilling & then worked for American General Life Insurance until his passing. He married twice, first to Louise Savoie & had 3 children, Eugene Jr., Gary & Kathleen, then Rita Foret & had 3 children Lisa, Matt & Donna, along with Rita's 3 Ronell, Christine & Giovanni. Gene has 18 grandchildren.

Gene passed doing what he loved playing music at the Grand Isle Tarpon Rodeo.

It was there where he took his last breath, playing a Randy Travis song. At the age of 61, Gene left a lifetime of enjoyment to many people who heard him perform doing what he loved to do, play music.

Kernny was born on March 26, 1974 to Norris & Maureen Comardelle. He has 1 brother Allen & 1 sister Shelly. He was born in Larose & attended South Lafourche High.

Kernny has been a musician, playing all instruments in bands over the past 35 years plus. He's performed at many local fairs & venues such as Greenhouse, Howling Wolf, Golden Nugget Casino, Brick House, Foundry, Grand Isle Tarpon Rodeo, South Port Hall, all local bars & venues from Baton Rouge to New Orleans.

His musical journey began at age 5, playing drums with his musical family. With his brother he moved to guitar with his 1" band, "Risen Angel" in 1991. This started his song writing, producing & engineering skills when the band self-produced 2 albums in 1998. In 2000, he played bass for the bands 3 albums & the band started playing in bars, clubs & local venues. In 2008, he played guitar & sang back-up vocals with a local band called "DNA". His popularity with the band earned him the name of

"Kernny C". He began song writing, producing & recording music for local, national & famous acts. Over a 4 year period, he worked with national recording artists & cowrote songs that made their way on a few of their albums. At the age of 47, he co-founded & was featured as front man & singer for the local band "Clustafunk". After many years playing drums, guitar & bass, he found his spot. The band is one of the long list of successful bands to come out of Bayou Lafourche. At the age of 50, with the help of Al recording tools, he self-produced, recorded & nationally released 25 songs in multi genre formats as country, rock & pop, under the name of " Kernny C". His worldwide song release ensures his musical stamp will live on by being available on all social media & music downloading platforms. "Kernny C" did his best to reach the stars.

Kernny has been an avid crab fisherman for 35 plus years. He was married for

22 years & raised 3 children Brett, Kelsey & Riley. He also has 4 grandchildren.

Mike was born on Sept. 20, 1949 & died on Oct. 13, 2023. He was the son of the late Harland & Ocen McGee. He was the brother of Barbara & the late Malcom "Fuzzy" McGee. After completing high school at West Jefferson High School, he continued his education at Delgado Community College majoring in Master Woodworking.

He was raised on the Westhank area where he married Mary Lovejoy McGee (Taylor) & had 1 daughter, Melissa "Missy" McGee Tubbs. Mike has / grandson, Jameson Tubbs who also shares his grandfather's love of music. He lived on the Westbank area before relocating to Guam in 1988. While in Guam, he married Cynthia McGee & had 2 sons, Harland & Alec McGee. He returned to the Westbank before relocating, with his family, to Maryland in 2002.

Mike worked for Jefferson Door Co., Gilbert Engineering & F. I. Myers Construction in his early career. In the 1980's, he was recruited for a construction superintendent job in Guam, where he worked for a Hawaiian based firm with multiple resorts & projects. He was also involved in the first water park on the island of Guam.

After returning to the Westbank, he continued his construction career working on family projects in the Gentilly area, In 2002, after he & his family moved to Maryland, he worked as a project manager for Federal Government contractors. He had the honor & privilege of supervising major renovations for the U.S. Federal Government facilities, such as the U.S. Navy & U.S. Air Force. He retired from his construction career in 2012.

Mike's love of music & instruments came from his father, Harland, who was a talented saxophone player. As a young adult, he started a small business titled,

"Broken Wind Repair Shop". Working out of his mother's garage, he repaired clarinets, flutes & saxophones for local musicians. He played several instruments during his life including piano, saxophone, flute, clarinet, trumpet & piccolo.

Mike played with several bands including, Streetcar, Bobby Cure & The Summertime Blues, Mako Sharks with Jimmy Simon & Boozie Jackson & The Nifty Fifties alongside Jake Chimento & Mark Bergeron. He performed at several clubs including Tiny Bubbles in Luling with Jake Chimento & Glen "The Mule" LeBlanc & at Mel's Villa with Streetcar. After joining The Nifty Fifties, he performed at the Rose Room, Starlight & Keyhole. Mike shined his talent & skills as saxophonist for the house band, The Nifty Fifties, at the Fat Car Club in Greta for many years.

He would be honored by, not only the nomination of this award, but in being received into this richly talented group of musicians, who have all given so much joy to their families, friends & communities through the sharing of their musical talents.

Accepting the Certificate of Induction into The Westbank Musicians Hall of Fame is Mike's eldest child & only daughter, Melissa "Missy" McGee Tubbs.

Paul was born on October 29, 1967 in Houma to Milton Paul &

Ouida Boudreaux Breaux. He has 5 siblings, Bernadette, Kathleen, Dale, Nancy & Harris. Raised in Houma, Paul graduated from Terrebonne High School in 1985.

Paul started his music career at the age of 16. He was

self-taught from a "Roy Clark Guitar Songbook". He furthered his learning to a long time friend, Mark Cadiere, who showed him a few more necessities for playing guitar. His dad re-married into a musical family & was able to be in the practice room with local band Blackwater Country. As a young man, instead of following his friends to nightclubs, he would dance with his mom & her friends. His family always had music around the house which instilled his love of Country music.

Some of the hands Paul performed with are: Fusion (guitar)

with Richard Rivet, Willie Grave & Billy Gros; La Pride (bass) with Peanut Trahan, Milton Billiot & Barry Chauvin; Santa Fe (bass) with Billy Gros;

Bayou Express; Dakota (bass) with Ronnie Foret, Linda Landry & Hartley Dupre; Brother Whitney (acoustic guitar); CPR (bass) with Carl Fonseca & Ricky Samanie.

Standing by his love of Country music, he always quested for a

band to represent the ones he grew up dancing & watching like Southern Pride, Blackwater Country & Horizon. The task of putting musicians together in the new era of Country was a daunting task, so in 2013, he started experimenting with hacking tracks & found a solution to furthering his musical career.

Paul has been a one-man band since 2019, as Strait Hag

Music. In 2020, he opened for Tet Dur & The Aaron Foret Band at Hidden Oaks on New Year's Eve. Since then, he has gained a lot of fans who love Classic Country Music. He is also an avid Acoustic Guitar collector with 30 plus, so far.

Paul has been married for 35 plus years to the former Sherry

Gros & has built a family of 4 children & 5 grandchildren together. He is also mentoring his grandson, Kason, who started playing guitar at the age of 13.

Paul still strives to bring the best music ever made, Country.

Sid was born in 1938 to Sidney, Sr. & Pearl Dennis George. He has 2 brothers;

James (Jimmy) played sax, flute & guitar & Rogers who played drums. Both brothers are inductees in the Westbank Musicians Hall of Fame. He graduated from Thibodaux College (now E.D. White Catholic High School) & Nicholls State University. Sid has 5 daughters, Julie, Linda, Nell, Misty & April & 2 grandchildren, Gretchen & Luke.

Musical instruments Sid has played are flute, trumpet, harmonica, baritone, tenor & alto sax, guitar, bongo drums, bass, violin & piano. By the time he was 13, he was playing sax in a few local bands. At 15, he had his own band. In 1956, he played with Jimmy Clanton, Johnny Rivers & many other musicians. In the late 1950's, he met Mac Rebennack & did lots of studio work in New Orleans. In the early 1960's, he took over a band & renamed it Sid Holiday & The Blue Notes. They played all over South Louisiana & along the south coast as far as Fort Walton, Florida. In the late 1960's, he joined a reorganized band called The Basement Wall from Baton Rouge & they became the house band at The Rebel Club. With competition from other bands, the band left for Colorado Springs & then headed to Hollywood, CA.

In Hollywood, Sid became a highly sought after studio sax player, recording with top artists like Stephen Stills, Dr. John & Humble Pie. His talents enabled him to sign with major record labels & also took him on 3 European tours again with Stephen Stills, Dr. John & Humble Pie, solidifying his place among the industry's elite.

Besides playing music, Sid appeared in movies & television shows including The Vendors (written & directed by Bobby Darin), The Lucy Show, The Monkees, Paladin & others.

He shared stages & studios with Elvis Presley, Sly Stone, Janis Joplin, Stevie Wonder, Eric Clapton, George Clinton, Duane Allman, & Lou Rawis. In 1975, after completing a record album of all original songs, Sid returned to Louisiana to reconnect with his roots.

In 1986, Sid moved to Tucson, where he became a fixture in the local music

scene. He played sax with many local musicians, including Johnny Greenwood, George Howard, The Rowdies, The Cobras, Kings of Pleasure & Mitzi & The Valiants.

Evan decades later, Sid continues to bring his sound to stages, maintaining his deep connection to music.

In 2000, Sid was awarded a Certificate of Appreciation & Key to the City of

Thibodaux & was inducted into the Arizona Blues Hall of Fame in 2006.

Sid passed away on December 7, 2019

Tommy was a native of Houma, born on July 25, 1940 to Walter John & Nette

Ann Babin Domingue. He has two daughters, Kari & Tori and one son Darren. He attended Houma Elementary, Houma Jr. High & Terrebonne High.

He spent 28 years playing drums in bands like: Joe Carl & The Dominos, The Shadows, Vince Anthony & the Blue Notes, Sid George a/l/a Sid Holiday & The Blue Notes, Al Jacobs Duo & Vin Bruce & The Cajun Country Band just to name a few.

Tommy played many venues from Beaumont, Texas to Pensacola, Florida along with playing in clubs in Houma, Raceland, Thibodaux, Morgan City, Golden Meadow, Galliano, Port Allen & New Iberia. He played many FRAT parties at LSU, MISS.

STATE, OLE MISS & NICHOLLS STATE. He also played at the Louisiana State Fair & for Gov. Edwin Edwards's inauguration at a private party. Venturing down toward the Westbank, he performed in New Orleans area at, Ponchartrain Beach for WTIX concerts & clubs like Natal's, The Safari Room, The Dream Room, The Blue Room, Al Hirt's Club, The Monkey Bar, The Brass Rail & The Sands.

Venues on the Westbank included, The Scorpio, in Marrero, who was then owned & operated by his friend, Joe Carl (Nolan Duplantis) also born in Houma, The Fireman's Hall in Westwego & The Joy Lounge in Gretna.

His last job was a Pat's Atchafalya Club in Henderson, La. with Wayne Foret &

Nelton Rodrigue.

Tommy passed away on August 27, 2025. He is survived by his wife of 62 years,

Jacqueline Mire Domingue, three children, five grandchildren & seven great-grandchildren.

Tony was born on January 9, 1966 to Antoine & JoAnn Dalessandro. He was raised in Gretna along with his sister, Gina & brother Scott. He graduated from Archbishop Shaw High School in 1984 & attended LSU.

He has been a drummer for over 42 years & has played in numerous bands as:

"Summer Breeze, Alley Cats, Rare Grove, Tail Gators, the Profiles, Jake & the Nifty Fifties, Simon Says, LeBlanc Bros. Band, All Purpose Blues Band, Marshall Black Band", to name a few.

Tony has also been privileged to back up local celebrities as, Irma Thomas, Frankie Ford, Oliver Morgan, Janet Lynn, Big Al Carson, Lenny MeDaniel, Roland Stone, Walter "Wolfman" Washington & Eric Lindell.

Places on the Westbank where Tony has performed are: The Villa, Club Fontaine, Down the Hatch, Yvonne's Shooters Night Club, Impressions, Fat Cat, Celebrity Club, 1801 Cluh, O' Charlie's, Gretna C's, Micheli's, Rivershack, Gretna Tavern, Sidney's Saloon, Old Scorpio. Many venue's on the Eastbank have been entertained by Tony such as: Spot Light, Mo's Chalet, Blue Crab, along with many in the French Quarter like, B.B. Kings, 544 Club, Tropical Isle, Blues Club, Sing Sing, Famous Door, Kruzy Korner & House of Blues.

Tony has played on several CD'S with, All Purpose Blues Band, Rockie Charles, Chris Watts, Louie Vedros with Lee Bates, Andy Hymel, Ron Hacker, The Profiles & Rare Groove. He played for Gov, Edwin Edwards Inaugural Ball, International Fest in Lafayette, Mardi Gras Balls in the Cajun Dome, French Quarter Fest, & New Orleans Jazz Fest

Currently, he performs every Monday night since 2001 with The Monday Night Blues Jam at the Spotlight Bar & Grill, every Thursday night with the Tailgators at Gretna Tavern & most Sundays at the Blue Crab with Rare Groove. He also works with the Marshall Black Band, Tracey & Beast of Bourbon & Blue Rockers.

Tony has been married for 27 plus years to his wife Yvonne & has to step-daughters, Tiffany & Stephanie & one granddaughter Naomi. The couple resides in Terrytown, La.

Wendy was born on December 9, 1960 to Gentry Joseph & June Douglas Lowe

She 4 siblings: Debbie, Gentry, Ricky & Quentin. She attended the University of Alabama at Huntsville, Auburn University, Sonoma State University, University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa obtaining Bachelors of Corporate Finance & University of New Orleans obtaining a Masters & Doctorate of Special Education.

Wendy has been a vocalist & percussionist since 1985 to the present. She has performed with Burgundy, Nightshift, Kingsroe, Crescent City Soul, The Boogiemen, Dr. Rock, Triage, Sal Soleto Duo & many others.

Wendy has performed at many a Westhank clubs, festivals & casinos such as:

Gretna Fest, Boomtown Casino, The Lamplighter, The 4 Columns, St. Cletus Fair, English Turn, Timberlane Country Club, Stonebridge Country Club, Rivershack Tavern, Bridge City Gumbo Fest, My Father's Mustache & helped start the Lundi Gras celebration in Gretna. She also performed at countless of venues in New Orleans, Metairie, Kenner, River Ridge, Slidell, Mandeville, Covington, Baton Rouge, Paulina, Thibodaux & Morgan City.

She retired as an Associate Professor at Southeastern Louisiana University.

Wendy has been married 34 years to Richard Joseph Siegel & has 2 step children, Richard & Nicole & 1 step grandchild Julian. She currently resides in Metairie, Louisiana.