Rufus Thibodeaux, nicknamed "King of the Cajun Fiddlers", was a US Cajun and country fiddler, guitarist, string instrumentalist, and songwriter, born January 5, 1934 in Ridge, Louisiana, and died August 12, 2005 in Nashville, Tennessee. While he is mainly known as a fiddler, he could play a variety of string instruments. He wrote a dozen songs, including "Forever in Your Eyes", and "Teala's Waltz."
When Thibodeaux was three, his family moved to Hayes, Louisiana. At age six, he began playing the guitar his father Ellis Thibodeaux bought him. He started playing the violin at age twelve, and began his professional career playing with his father at the Bucket of Blood dance hall in Lake Arthur, Louisiana. As a teenager he was playing regularly in the local dance halls, and played at least with the bands of artist and Happy Fats, and filled in for other fiddlers when they needed a break.
Thibodeaux worked extensively with Jimmy C. Newman, starting with his breakthrough hit, "Cry, Cry, Darling" in 1954. Thibodeaux also played and recorded with a great variety of other artists, including Neil Young, Doc Guidry, Slim Harpo, Jo-El Sonnier, Bob Wills, Porter Wagoner, Rod Bernard, and Johnnie Allan. When not on the road, he worked in clubs and studios at home in Louisiana, including Jay Miller's studio in the sixties, and many south Louisiana records feature him playing various string instruments, everything from bass guitar to fiddle.
In 1970, Thibodeaux recorded with Newman "Lache pas la patate", the first song in Cajun French to become a Gold record. He also received numerous awards, including induction into the Louisiana Hall of Fame and label Hall of Fame.