Jim Odom of Louisiana’s LeRoux is Making a Scene
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Making a Scene Presents an Interview with Jim Odom of Louisiana’s LeRoux
Their 1978 Capitol press release read, “LeRoux takes its name from the Cajun French term for the thick and hearty gravy base that’s used to make a gumbo.” LeRoux’s eponymous first album was a musical gumbo that blended various instruments and music arrangements into a spicy, mouth-watering southern rock sound. In fact, their Southern anthem ‘New Orleans Ladies’,voted Song of the Century by Gambit Magazine, simmered with the laid-back feel of the “Big Easy,” evoking images of Bourbon Street and the bayou.
Following the success of the first album, the group released Keep The Fire Burning in 1979 and UP in 1980. In 1981, LeRoux recorded Last Safe Place, which became the bands highest charting album. Hits spawned from this recording included ‘Addicted’ (#3 Mainstream Rock), ‘Nobody Said It Was Easy’ (#18 Hot 100), and ‘Last Safe Place’ (#77 Hot 100). The band completed their fifth album in 1983, So Fired Up.
This era marked the advent of MTV and LeRoux was in the forefront filming several videos that made their debut on that music channel. In addition, LeRoux performed on Solid Gold, The Midnight Special and Don Kirchner’s Rock Concert, the late night television music shows that were so popular at that time.
Over the years, LeRoux enjoyed performing with many of classic rocks’ greatest bands including The Allman Brothers, Wet Willie, Journey, Kansas, Heart, The Doobie Brothers, Charlie Daniels, Foreigner, Marshall Tucker, The Outlaws, ZZ Top and many, many more.
LeRoux joined Tab Benoit in 2007 to record his albums, Brother to The Blues and Power of The Pontchartrain. Brother to The Blues earned Benoit a Grammy nomination. The following year, the band joined Tab for a live album, Night Train to Nashville, recorded live in Nashville, TN.
The band, now with more energy and drive to perform than ever, completed a contemporary blues album entitled, One of Those Days in June 2020. While LeRoux enjoys performing the fan favorites, the music from the new album is fresh and original, but still maintains all the spice and flavor that made LeRoux a Southern Rock classic.
LeRoux was inducted into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame as their 50th inductee.
