The Robichaud Brothers

Gerry Robichaud (fiddle) and Bobby Robichaud (guitar) were born in Saint-Paul, New Brunswick, Canada, the sons of Premelite Robichaud, a farmer. Their musical interests seem to have been inherited from their mother, who was a decent fiddler. The Robichaud house was the scene for any number of "kitchen rackets" over the years, with the young brothers making an impression on those assembled. Eventually they began playing outside of the house, with Gerry learning a great deal from a retired fiddler, Oscar Melanson. Melanson was bedridden and unable to play, due to symptoms of infantile paralysis, but he was still able to teach Gerry Robichaud the tunes he knew. Another influence, later on, was Don Messer, popular across Canada for his innovative fiddling style; Messer is considered to have influenced the art of fiddling in country music. While the Robichauds have spent many years playing, they have recorded little (Gerry has two albums on his own label), with The Slippery Stick being the one extant example of the brothers together, demonstrating the unique Acadian style common to neighborhood performances. ~ Steven McDonald