Folk Blues. Master Storyteller honoring The Spirit of New Orleans. Humorous & serious subjects. Each song a different view of life.
Introducing… Herb Metoyer
Songwriter, Folk Singer, Artist, Poet and Author
Herb Metoyer is a Louisiana Creole gentleman who graduated from Southern University, Baton Rouge, LA at the early age of nineteen (19). He is a retired military officer and helicopter pilot, and a recent retiree from General Motors where he served as a Test Engineer in GM's Testing Laboratories.
Herb's music is difficult to classify. Some folks say he is an Urban Blues Folk-singer. Nevertheless, he writes in many genres wholly dependent upon the subject matter he is addressing at the time. These include Blues, Country, Latin, Contemporary Folk, and Jazz.
He is also one of the few (maybe the only) African-American folksong writers to emerge during the 1960's era. You might also say that he is a musically enhanced "Storyteller" & "Poet." Much of his music concerns civil rights, unusual people & children, historical events, and other topical subjects such as war and personal observations he has encountered during his lifetime. His favorite subjects, however, concerns his memories and his love for his home state of Louisiana.
He performs utilizing both the guitar and synthesizer, sometimes playing a harmonica which hangs around his neck, and a drum with his foot. His vinyl album recorded in 1965 by MGM's VerveFolkways record label entitled "Something New," has become a classic folk album that has been selling on ebay as a collector's item. Even today, he still receives fan mail relative to this album.
When released, Herb's first album received a “Four Star” rating by Billboard magazine. He was a Helicopter pilot in the military at the time. But once he was promoted to the grade of Major, the military cut his budding music career short, claiming that his activities as a singer/songwriter were unbecoming of a Field Grade Officer. So…, Herb gave up performing in favor his military career.
One of Herb's most prized accomplishments, however, is the fact that one of his songs "Mother, Fools are A Long Line Coming" is on the “moon" in the Time Capsule. It was recorded by Fred Neil on his "Sessions” album by Capitol. This was the album selected by the astronauts to be encased in the time capsule that was placed on the moon.
During his youth, Herb performed on the same shows along side such great artists as Fred Neil, Joni Mitchell, Mike Taylor, Josh White (Senior & Junior), Odetta, Vince Martin, Judy Collins, Phil Ochs, Mayon Weeks, Danny Potter, and Steve Biggs.
Now, in his later years, Herb is again focusing on his music. His last CD, “Here I Am Again” was released in 2004.
Do yourself a favor and give his music a listen. Photos, bio information,
products and other interesting facts about Herb’s career can be found on his website: www.HerbMetoyer.com.
THIS IS THE TIMES CD SONG List
1. Who Those Flowers For (3:49) (For our fallen Military Heroes.)
2. First Sign of Snow (4:14) ( A love song.)
3. A Soldier’s Song (4:54) (Put Magnolias on my grave. Written for my mother while in Vietnam.)
4. Lord, Come Get Katrina (3:52) (A humorous song about a tragic event.)
5. Bad Wine (5:27) (Story about a fight in a bar on Rampart Street in New Orleans.)
6. I Know Why The Cajun Woman Cries (4:14) (Dedicated to Louisiana's shrimp & oyster fishermen.)
7. Get Me Cat Back (3:35) (An Ode for the Cane Field Workers of my childhood.)
8. The Sand Crab (3:19) ( A love poem for my wife.)
9. Time For A Revolution (4:24) (We must be careful. Hard economic times can creates a lot of stress.)
10. Bayou St. John History (1:23)
11. Bayou St. John (5:26) (Story of a lad trapped by his love for a Voodoo Queen.)
12. This Is The Time (3:40) (A song of hope for President Obama.)
13. Fred Neil’s Song (7:47) (In memory of a friend, Fred Neil.)
14. An Anniversary Song (5:10) (For my wife on our Fiftieth Anniversary.)
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