The Lakeshore Club Hall of Fame was the brainchild of Joe Bonsall,
“T-Brud” Forestier, and Jerry Dugas. Inducted into the Lakeshore Club and Belizaire’s were a large group of the pioneers of Cajun music:
“Shorty” LeBlanc, Amadee Ardoin, Milford Simon, Walter Mouton, Robert Bertrand, Jerry Dugas, Austin Pitre, Joe Falcon, Belton Richard, Joe Bonsall, Iry LeJeune, Sidney Brown, Nathan Abshire, Lawrence Walker, Aldus Roger, Percy Fuselier, Atlas Fruge, and Amanda Breaux. By the late 1980s, the Lake Charles Chapter of the CFMA decided to create a Hall of Fame that would be housed in their chapter. The Hall of Fame at the Lakeshore Club had ceased operation and the members were moved to the Lake Charles Chapter and inducted on May 5, 1990. Also inducted at that time were the Charter members of the newly formed Lake Charles Chapter, Hall of Fame: Fernest “Man” Abshire, Hilrae Mott, Sr., Wallace Derouen, Lesa Cormier, Lionel Cormier, Wilson LeJeune, Darrell Higginbotham, John Loyd “Tee Bruce” Broussard, Alvin Myers, Larry L. Miller, Phil Menard, Floyd J. LeBlanc, and Austin “T-Brud” Forestier.
Excepting three years, numerous singers, fiddlers, accordionists, guitarists, bassists, drummers, disc jockeys, record producers, and steel guitarists have been inducted. The Hall of Fame is currently at the Lake Charles CFMA Chapter building on East Prien Lake Road in Lake Charles. Induction ceremonies are usually held each November at the chapter building.
