Huey P. Meaux

Huey P. Meaux
Meaux's 1996 mug shot
Born
Huey Purvis Meaux

March 10, 1929
Wright, Louisiana, U.S.
DiedApril 23, 2011(2011-04-23) (aged 82)
Winnie, Texas, U.S.
OccupationRecord producer
Signature

Huey Purvis Meaux (March 10, 1929 – April 23, 2011) was an American record producer and the owner of various record labels and recording studios, including Crazy Cajun Records, Tribe Records, Tear Drop Records, Capri Records, and SugarHill Recording Studios.[1][2] He later achieved notoriety after being convicted of child sex offenses committed at his recording studio.

Biography

Meaux's business card, c. early 1960s

Meaux was born in Wright, Louisiana. At age 12, he moved to Winnie, Texas.[3] After serving briefly in the U.S. Army, he opened a barbershop in Winnie, where he produced the swamp pop classic "Breaking Up is Hard to Do" by "Jivin'" Gene Bourgeois. He also discovered Barbara Lynn and produced her 1962 hit "You'll Lose a Good Thing".[4]

Nicknamed "The Crazy Cajun", Meaux, hoping to capitalize on the popularity of the British Invasion, put together a band with Doug Sahm and the English-sounding name of the Sir Douglas Quintet and scored a hit with "She's About a Mover". Meaux's other credits included such hits as "Treat Her Right" by Roy Head, "Are You Lonesome Tonight?" by B. J. Thomas; "Before the Next Teardrop Falls" and "Wasted Days and Wasted Nights" (1975) by Freddy Fender; "You'll Lose a Good Thing" by Barbara Lynn; "Talk To Me" by Sunny & the Sunglows; and "Big Blue Diamonds" by Gene Summers.[5] He worked with Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Copeland, T-Bone Walker, Rockin' Sidney, Lowell Fulson, Chuck Jackson, Doug Kershaw, Doug Sahm,[6] Rod Bernard, Sonny Landreth, Clifton Chenier, Little Royal, Ronnie Milsap, Mickey Gilley, Delbert McClinton, Dr. John, Clarence "Frogman" Henry, Bob Wills, Lightnin' Hopkins, Tommy McLain, Joe Barry, and Johnny Winter.[7]

In 2010, he formed the record label Freedom Express Records and released an album by Ramon Angel Solis entitled The Mexican Side of Me. Meaux died on April 23, 2011, aged 82.[4]

1966 conviction and pardon

Meaux was convicted in 1966 for violating the White-Slave Traffic Act. His request for a pardon was approved by President Jimmy Carter on November 1, 1977.[8][9]

1996 raid of record studio, trial, and lawsuit

In 1996, a police raid of his office turned up thousands of Polaroids and videos of girls, mostly underage, in sexual situations.[4][10] Meaux pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual assault of a child, a drug possession charge, a child pornography charge, and another for jumping bail and briefly fleeing to Juárez, Mexico. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison[5] and would be released to a halfway house in 2002 but was returned to prison months later after receiving sexually explicit photographs from adult women.[11] Meaux was released in 2007.[4]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Producer Huey P. Meaux dies". Chron.com. April 23, 2011. Archived from the original on April 19, 2015.
  2. ^ "A Guide to the Huey Meaux Papers, 1940–1994". Texas Archival Resources Online. Archived from the original on June 7, 2010. Retrieved November 2, 2009.
  3. ^ "Huey P. Meaux interviewed by Joe Nick Patoski - Part 1 (1987)". YouTube. Austin History Center. May 27, 2016. Event occurs at 15:03. Retrieved July 11, 2025.
  4. ^ a b c d Corcoran, Michael (April 24, 2011). "'Crazy Cajun,' a pioneering music producer, dies; career tarnished by child sex crimes". Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved August 19, 2024.
  5. ^ a b Colin Larkin, ed. (1997). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Sixties Music (First ed.). Virgin Books. p. 302. ISBN 0-7535-0149-X.
  6. ^ Huey Moe Papers Retrieved November 16, 2021
  7. ^ "A Guide to the Huey P. Meaux Interview, 1987". Archived from the original on June 18, 2021. Retrieved October 29, 2021.
  8. ^ "Office of the Pardon Attorney | Pardons Granted by President Jimmy Carter (1977 - 1981)". www.justice.gov. December 8, 2017. Archived from the original on November 5, 2024. Retrieved November 20, 2024.
  9. ^ Bardwell, S. K. (March 8, 1996). "Accused child molester back in Houston to face charges". Houston Chronicle. p. 42 – via newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "Music producer had several hits". Los Angeles Times. April 27, 2011. p. AA7 – via newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "CAUSE NO. 713946-A, 714007-A, 714147-A, 714148-A, & 717652-A". Harris County Clerk's Office. pp. 2–3. Retrieved June 26, 2025 – via archive.org.
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