For Immediate Release

November 26, 2008

TERRANCE SIMIEN TO SERVE AS OPELOUSAS CHILDREN"S CHRISTMAS PARADE GRAND MARSHALL

Opelousas, LA — The committee for the 2008 Opelousas Children's Christmas Parade is pleased to announce that this year's Grand Marshall will be 2008 Grammy winner and St. Landry Parish native, Terrance Simien.

The parade, which is scheduled for Thursday, December 4, 2008, will begin at 6 p.m. at St. Landry Catholic Church on Union & Main Street, rolls through downtown Opelousas and ends on Creswell Lane.

Terrance Simien grew up in the community of Mallet, Louisiana. As a teenager, he learned to play the accordion and formed his own band in 1982. In 1984, he gained the attention of Paul Simon during a performance at the New Orleans World's Fair. Two years later, he collaborated with Simon on the release of a single based on Clifton Chenier's hit song You Used to Call Me. Terrance and his band, the Mallet Playboys, reached the silver screen in 1987 when they appeared as a Zydeco band in the movie The Big Easy.
For more than 25 years Simien has toured the globe helping to raise the awareness about Louisiana Zydeco music and his Creole culture.  His tours include Africa, Cuba and Paraguay. He's toured with the Dave Matthews Band, Los Lobos and the late Robert Palmer to name a few.  On February 10, 2008, his band was recognized by The Recording Academy in the new category for Zydeco and Cajun Music and was honored with a Grammy.  
Currently, United Way of Acadiana is featuring Simien on billboards and print ads for their "Live United" campaign. The State of Louisiana Office of Tourism is also featuring Simien as one of Louisiana's internationally recognized artists in their "My Louisiana" national television and print media ad campaign.
"It's an honor for us to have Terrance as our parade grand marshal," said Opelousas Mayor Donald Cravins.  "He is a treasure to us locally, statewide and internationally."

The Opelousas Children's Christmas Parade will feature colorfully lit Christmas themed floats, brilliant high school marching bands, loveable characters and of course everyone's favorite, Santa Claus.  The parade is organized by the City of Opelousas through its parade committee, co-chaired by Florence Freeman and Patricia Richard.

Applications are available for those businesses and organizations wishing to participate in the annual event. For more information, contact Opelousas Museum & Interpretive Center at (337) 948-2589 or Opelousas Tourism at (337) 948-5227 or (337) 948-6263.

 

Melanie Lee
Tourism Director