Gueydan's Mark Hebert: Father, musician

GUEYDAN - Neighbors and friends may know Mark Hebert as husband, father, carpenter, but many also know him as a musician, a very successful fiddle player. Although he currently plays with a Cajun band, Mark has played different kinds of music, his passion for music is unmistakable.

Mark started playing the fiddle at 19 years old and quickly became proficient enough to join a band.

Of course, like many other people in our area, he learned to play the tonette, now called a recorder, in the school band Mr. Johnson, the band director, whom he fondly remembers. “I can still play Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star, but I was never

really good at reading music, I can feel it”, states Hebert. He later played the French horn in the school band. From these humble beginnings, his career as a musician evolved into an interesting life experience.

When his family moved to Texas, he was exposed to country, Hebert says, “In my home, there was only one station, KICC, from Houston”. He sang with his brother, Gordon Hebert and cousin, Hank Guidry, and his interest in music continued to grow.

His first band experience was with a band called Cactus Jack, where he met other musicians and began learning and growing musically.

His first major band was with the original River Road Band with Keeno Hebert and Jeff Dugan, which led to the band Hurricane. The band received tremendous exposure at that time while playing at the Yellow Rose in Lafayette. Major musicians were booked there. Jeff Dugan and Hurricane were the opening act.

Some of the famous entertainers Mark has met are Vince Gill, Travis Tritt, Mark Chestnut, Marty Stuart, David Allen Coe, Diamond Rio and Steve Warner.

This was great exposure, and Mark’s wife, Sherri, remembers Mark receiving a letter from Clint Black’s manager from Nashville, offering Mark an audition for Mr. Black’s band. According to Sherri, Mark’s two young daughters were his priority at that time, and he did not want to be away from them. He declined the audition.

But travel is inevitable when you play in a famous Cajun band in South Louisiana. Mark has played with Lee Benoit and the Bayou Stompers for 14 years. He has been a stable influence for this award winning band and has traveled the world playing music.

Travel has included gigs across the United States from West Virginia to California and also internationally including Switzerland and Germany. When they are not touring, they play at Mulate’s in Breaux Bridge every Thursday and Friday night, as they have done for the past 12 years.

When asked about these opportunities, the answer is clear. Mark’s enthusiasm makes it easy to see where his interests lie. It is in the master musicians he has met along the way. He speaks of meeting his idols, Vasser Clements and Bella Fleck. He also speaks of being influenced by people like Ricky Sonnier, a musician with muscular dystrophy, who, despite his disability, excelled as a musician in the 80s.

It is easy to see Mark is passionate, not only about music and the people who make it, but most importantly about his wife and family. His children, Rebecca, Erin, Amelia and Mark James are the center of his life, with his music providing the means and inspiration for a truly artistic and family centered life.

It appears that Mark has been able to balance the difficult task of earning a living playing music and maintaining a day job. This ability has allowed him to travel, meet famous people and remain centered in his family life. Most musicians strive for this balance yet few achieve it.