From the wetlands and prairie fields of Vermillion Parish comes one of Lafayette’s favorite singer-songwriters, Dustin Dale Gaspard. He started late in the game, relatively speaking. But once he picked up the guitar at age 17 and started performing in Lafayette’s saturated market of entertainers, he became a favorite.
DG and the Freetown Sound was one of the first major collaborations that Gaspard put together. But the packed venues and sold-out shows were not enough to keep the members of the band together for long.
Gaspard explains, “Everyone in the band excelled in what they did, so of course they had their own dreams and I don’t blame them, but they went for what was calling them.”
Then COVID hit the music industry probably harder than most industries. So like a great songwriter, Gaspard took that down time to create music that was dedicated to the folks who raised him, his grandparents.
His “Hoping Heaven Got A Kitchen” album was the end result of pouring his heart and passion into the musical endeavors that his grandparents supported him in all along.
He says, “The success of that first full-length record proved my aim was on target, and it spoke to the very heart of the culture, the legacy, and the land where I was raised and what makes up who I am today.”
The success of that album was validated by his nod from the Grammys. After the record was submitted to the Recording Academy, Gaspard, only surprising to him, was up for consideration as Best Americana Roots Performance, Americana Roots Song, and Best Americana Album.
“I thought it was going to be a long shot,” Gaspard says. “But at the end of the day, all I really wanted to do was honor and pay homage to my grandparents who had since passed away. I know I did that, and I felt blessed just to be considered for anything more.”
Now with a fan base around the country that has come to know his music, Gaspard has been able to put together both a national solo and duo tour. In a short span of several months, he has traveled the country and made his mark in at least 30 major music markets. And that’s just the start. He plans more dates throughout the year.
“Though I have played for thousands at a time, I think the high point of this past year beyond the Grammy consideration was a sold-out record launch and performance at the Acadiana Center for the Arts,” said Gaspard. “Though ACA can only hold a few hundred, I know that those who came know me, knew my music, and they were there to support me and show me some love. It was one of the most memorable nights I’ve had since becoming a performer.”