Milton J. Adams; Vermilion Parish Bios, Louisiana 
Submitted by Kathy LaCombe-Tell 
Source: NSU Folklife Database & LSUE
Submitted: August 2004

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 Milton J. Adams
Cajun Musician

Cajun accordion player Milton Adams was born October 26, 1918 in Kaplan 
where he lived with his wife Marie, a traditional ballad singer. He 
started playing music when he was only about 10 years old, learning 
from his father Elty Polite Adams and from the great Cajun accordionist 
Lawrence Walker. By the time he was 12, he was playing at house dances 
but he did not begin performing in dancehalls until he was about 25. 
Like almost all Cajun musicians from his era, he also had a regular 
job, working in the oilfields and as a carpenter.

He was generous in sharing his music skills with younger musicians such 
as Wayne Toups. When Wayne was very young, he would come by the Adams' 
home to play traditional Cajun music with Mr. Adams.  On the night 
Adams performed at the Liberty Theater in spring 2000, he was 
accompanied on stage by a young accordion player whom he had been 
helping.

Mr. Adams band was Milton Adams' Midnight Playboys. They played at 
festivals and other events in Washington, D.C., Wisconsin, Georgia, 
Florida, and Illinois. The band was named Best Band by the Wall of Fame 
Cajun Days.

As he grew older, Milton Adams and the Midnight Playboys no longer 
performed in dance halls, but in recent years up until his illness 
Adams on occasion played at festivals around the country.

The cassette Milton Adams Plays Traditional Cajun Music, was recorded 
live at the University of Chicago Folk Festival in 1992. It also 
features Hubert Matte on guitar and Leo Abshire on fiddle. The notes on 
the cassette 'Milton Adams Plays Traditional Cajun Music', released by 
Swallow Records, mentions that he had eight uncles who played music, 
including seven who played accordion.

An old time traditional Cajun singer and accordion player, Milton Adams 
continued to perform occasionally until suffering a stroke. He passed 
away in early July 2002.