Obituary: Cajun Singer Octa Clark, 94, Lafayette Area Accordionist September 13, 1998 St Martin-Lafayette-Vermillion County Louisiana Archives News File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: N.O.V.A. N.O.V.A. OrleansArchives@hotmail.com July 13, 2005, 9:37 pm ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ************************************************ Octa Clark - Times Picayune September 13, 1998 Cajun singer and accordionist Octa Clark, a weekly fixture at Mulate's Restaurant in Breaux Bridge for more than a decade until he retired in 1991, died Friday at Our Lady of Lourdes Regional Medical Center in Lafayette. He was 94. A lifelong resident of Judice, "Mr. Octa," as he was known to friends and fans, passed up opportunities to play around the world as Cajun music gained broad appeal in the 1970s. He repeatedly turned down prestigious events such as the National Folklife Festival in Washington, D.C., and music festivals on the West Coast. He also declined chances to play in Europe and Japan. "I don't like to travel," Mr. Clark said in a 1993 interview. "Too much trouble. I've got everything I need right here." He was content to work in the Lafayette area most of his career, with occasional recording sessions in New Orleans. Mr. Clark was born in 1904 in Judice, about five miles south of Lafayette. His father was a farmer and accordion player. He learned to play the instrument when he was 9 and dropped out of school in the third grade. "I didn't like school," he said. "It was too far to walk - about threee miles. I used to forget everything I learned on the walk home." Mr. Clark started performing at 14. He released his third recording in 1993 at the age of 89. He could neither read nor write music. Instead, he would make up songs on the accordion and hope to remember them when he performed. "I just guess what I wanted to do and then play it," he said. In 1928, he hooked up with Hector Duhon, a fellow farmer and fiddler who became Mr. Clark's musical partner for most of nis career. The two formed the Dixie Ramblers and roamed Acadiana between planting and harvest seasons, playing at dance halls and house dances. In the 1980s, Mr. Clark took over the house band at Mulate's, a fledgling club that would soon anchor the Cajun revivals of food and music. Survivors include two sons, Murphy and Huey Clark, both of Lafayette; a daughter, Gladys Duhon of Port Arthur, Texas; nine grandchildren; and 11 great- grandchildren. A funeral will be held Monday at 2 p.m. at Delhomme Funeral Home, 1011 Bertrand Drive, Lafayette. Visitation will be today from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., with recitation of the rosary at 6 p.m., and Monday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Burial will be in St. Alphonse Catholic Church Cemetery in Maurice.