Alton Rubin, known to the Zydeco Nation as Rockin' Dopsie "the Prince of Zydeco", was born on February 10, 1932 in Carencro, Louisiana.
Alton Rubin, known to the Zydeco Nation as Rockin' Dopsie "the Prince of Zydeco", was born on February 10, 1932 in Carencro, Louisiana. As a child he worked in the sugarcane and cotton fields. His father was an accordion player who often took young Dopsie to the weekend house parties that were an integral part of rural society. Dopsie played left-handed, thus turning the accordion upside down. The great Clifton Chenier encouraged him to pursue music full-time, but Dopsie continued to work at day jobs, eventually becoming an electrical contractor, occasionally making a few recordings. However, it was Sam Charters, of Sweden's Sonet record label, with whom he would record his first LP as well as five more over the following ten years. These European recordings were the beginning of international success for Dopsie. Like many traditional musicians, his popularity in Europe preceded his recognition in the United States. In the 1980s Dopsie began to receive widespread recognition in the U.S. from fans as well as musicians outside the Louisiana community. In 1985, pop singer and songwriter Paul Simon went to bayou country to record "That Was Your Mother" with Dopsie; the song later appeared on Simon's Grammy Award-winning album Graceland. In 1989, he received his first Grammy Award nomination, for Saturday Night Zydeco.