Douglas James Kershaw (24 January 1936 -) was born in Tiel Ridge, Cameron Parish, Louisiana. He was born and raised on a houseboat, the seventh child of an alligator hunter. His family spoke only Cajun French, and by the time he learned English, at age eight, he’d already mastered the fiddle, and then went on to learn another two dozen instruments. He’s considered by many in Louisiana as the king of the Cajun fiddlers.

Kershaw has composed hundreds of songs, but his most famous is “Louisiana Man”, which was the first song broadcast from the moon by the astronauts of Apollo 12.

Kershaw’s reputation was built on high-energy performances of Cajun two-steps and traditional country. He was a regular on the Louisiana Hayride radio program and later became a regular at the Grand Ole Opry. Kershaw still performs on occasion today.