Honoring Legends on the Northeast Louisiana Music Trail
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Across 12 parishes in the Bayou State, the Northeast Louisiana Music Trail charts a powerful path through the region’s soundscape. It honors blues greats, country rebels, gospel pioneers, and unsung African American artists who helped shape American music.
Karen LeBlanc and Enoch Doyle Jeter at Enoch’s Pub, a celebrated stop on the NELA Music Trail.
Each marker along the NELA Music Trail is more than a historical signpost. It serves as a permanent tribute to cultural legacy, rooted in storytelling, memory, and place. I joined trail founder Enoch Doyle Jeter on a meaningful road trip through rhythm, resilience, and remarkable lives.
A Living Legacy: Doug Duffey’s Marker on the NELA Music Trail
Our journey began in West Monroe, where the trail’s 17th official marker now stands at a cemetery. The honoree is Doug Duffey, a blues musician, singer-songwriter, and one of Louisiana’s most decorated musical ambassadors.
Duffey requested the location himself, which is beside his mother’s grave and where he will also be buried one day.
“This is our most recent marker, actually. So it’s good that we’re here today. This is for Doug Duffey. As it says, this is our 17th marker on the trail.” — Enoch Doyle Jeter
Ivory Joe Hunter’s legacy is one of many preserved through the NELA Music Trail’s public storytelling.
Although very much alive and active, Doug Duffey has already earned his place in music history. He is a member of both the National Blues Hall of Fame and the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame. He has performed at Jazz Fest more than 30 times and has worked with legends like Parliament-Funkadelic, Keith Richards, and Marcia Ball.
His marker reflects not just past achievements but a living and ongoing legacy.
Webb Pierce: Outshining Elvis, Now Honored on the Trail
The trail’s third marker honors Webb Pierce in his hometown of West Monroe.
Further along the NELA Music Trail, a marker celebrates Webb Pierce, a country music superstar of the 1950s who once sold more records than Elvis Presley.
“Webb Pierce is kind of one of our claims to fame around here… At one time during the fifties, Webb Pierce was outselling Elvis Presley.” — Doyle Jeter
Webb Pierce’s marker in West Monroe honors his country music legacy.
Pierce recorded 13 number-one hits and had 42 songs land in the top ten. He rose to fame through The Louisiana Hayride, a live Saturday night radio show broadcast from Shreveport that launched many careers in country and gospel music. The Hayride was more than a stage; it helped transform local talent into national stars.
The Twin City Jamboree: Saturday Nights That Shaped Sound
Inside the West Monroe Convention Center, the NELA Music Trail honors the Twin City Jamboree, a homegrown Saturday night show that brought thousands of people together for country, rockabilly, and blues performances.
The Twin City Jamboree marker at the West Monroe Convention Center honors its lasting musical influence.
Although it operated during the same era as the Louisiana Hayride, it was not a competitor. Instead, it served as Northeast Louisiana’s own cultural stage and shared many of the same musicians.
“It was just our version, if you will, of the Louisiana Hayride… The same musicians were moving back and forth.” — Doyle Jeter
One of those musicians was Gene Stewart, known as the “Country Rebel,” who began performing at the Jamboree while still in high school. Now 86 years old, Gene still plays in the Twin City Legacy Jamboree Show, keeping the spirit of those early performances alive.
Enoch Doyle Jeter and Karen LeBlanc at the Twin City Jamboree marker in West Monroe.
“It really is a blessing… one of the better things to come out of northeast Louisiana.” — Gene Stewart
His 1972 hit song Rub It In became a regional favorite. After discovering it on a jukebox and performing it live to enthusiastic response, Gene went on to record the song in Memphis. He later sold his records personally and brought them to radio stations across the South.
Monroe’s Music Landmark: The Savoy Ballroom and Chitlin’ Circuit
The Miller-Roy Building once held the Savoy Ballroom, a key stop on the Chitlin’ Circuit.
In downtown Monroe, the Miller-Roy Building features another key marker on the NELA Music Trail. This historic building once housed the Savoy Ballroom, a major stop on the Chitlin’ Circuit. That network of African American-owned venues provided touring musicians with safe places to perform during the era of segregation.
“You can see the people that played there. It’s the greatest of all time—Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, Lena Horne, Billie Holiday, Sister Rosetta Tharpe…” — Doyle Jeter
Savoy Ballroom historical marker in Monroe, Louisiana.
These venues were not only about entertainment. They were also a lifeline. Many had places for musicians to sleep, especially since Black performers were not allowed to stay in white-owned hotels.
Ivory Joe Hunter’s marker stands outside the museum where his musical legacy continues to inspire new generations.
The marker also honors Ivory Joe Hunter, a prolific songwriter and pianist who called Monroe home for more than 30 years. Though not born in Louisiana, Hunter wrote many of his best-known songs here, including Since I Met You Baby and I Almost Lost My Mind.
“He is said to have written over 7,000 songs… He was really a musical genius.” — Brenda Roy, niece of Ivory Joe Hunter
Karen LeBlanc with Brenda Roy, niece of Ivory Joe Hunter.
Brenda also explained that her grandfather built the Miller-Roy Building. In addition to being a respected artist, Hunter owned the rights to his music, which was rare for a Black musician at the time.
“We have to really push this music… and hopefully keep it alive and well.” — Brenda Roy
Enoch’s Pub: The Jeter Family’s Musical Mission
Karen LeBlanc with musician Gene Stewart inside Enoch’s Irish Pub, sharing stories tied to the Northeast Louisiana Music Trail.
Our last stop was Enoch’s Irish Pub, which Doyle Jeter opened in 1980. This venue has earned its own place on the trail, with a marker that recognizes it as a musical landmark. Inside, the walls are filled with memorabilia from the many artists who have performed there over the years.
“We don’t look at ourselves as more important than the music. It’s all about our customers and the musicians.” — Doyle Jeter
Doyle’s son, John Jeter, now runs the pub, and his daughter, Molly Jeter McCullar, designs the trail’s markers. Each one costs approximately $4,500 to produce and install. The entire effort is a family project that depends on community donations and shared passion.
Enoch Doyle Jeter beside the official NELA Music Trail marker at Enoch’s Pub, honoring his family’s role in preserving local music history.
Doyle envisions an expansion that includes school outreach, music education, and a public exhibit to keep these stories alive. His goal is to teach students about genres like blues, punk, country, jazz, rockabilly, and delta blues—all of which have roots in Northeast Louisiana.
“The kids have got to be taught. The arts are lost without them.” — Doyle Jeter
Why the Northeast Louisiana Music Trail Matters
With 19 official markers and more on the way, the NELA Music Trail is not only a cultural asset. It is also a response to historical erasure. Many African American artists were never recognized during their lifetimes, and the trail works to change that by bringing their stories into public view.
The “Here We Go” sculpture at ULM reflects the trail’s mission to honor community voices through art and storytelling.
“A lot of Black history has been wiped away… The trail lets people know about these places.” — Doyle Jeter
From graveyards to ballrooms and from jukebox hits to modern jam sessions, the NELA Music Trail connects people with the sounds and stories that define the region. It honors the past, teaches the present, and preserves legacies for the future.
Each marker invites you not just to remember, but also to listen.
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