Huey P. Meaux | |
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 Meaux's 1996mug shot | |
| Born | Huey Purvis Meaux March 10, 1929 Wright, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Died | April 23, 2011(2011-04-23) (aged 82) Winnie, Texas, U.S. |
| Occupation | Record producer |
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Huey Purvis Meaux (March 10, 1929 – April 23, 2011) was an Americanrecord producer and the owner of variousrecord labels andrecording studios, including Crazy Cajun Records, Tribe Records,Tear Drop Records,Capri Records, andSugarHill Recording Studios.[1][2] He later achieved notoriety after being convicted of child sex offenses committed at his recording studio.
Meaux was born inWright, Louisiana. At age 12, he moved toWinnie, Texas.[3] After serving briefly in the U.S. Army, he opened a barbershop in Winnie, where he produced theswamp pop classic "Breaking Up is Hard to Do" by "Jivin'" Gene Bourgeois. He also discoveredBarbara 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 theBritish Invasion, put together a band withDoug Sahm and the English-sounding name of theSir Douglas Quintet and scored a hit with "She's About a Mover". Meaux's other credits included such hits as "Treat Her Right" byRoy Head, "Are You Lonesome Tonight?" byB. J. Thomas; "Before the Next Teardrop Falls" and "Wasted Days and Wasted Nights" (1975) byFreddy Fender; "You'll Lose a Good Thing" byBarbara Lynn; "Talk To Me" bySunny & the Sunglows; and "Big Blue Diamonds" byGene Summers.[5] He worked withJerry 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, andJohnny Winter.[7]
In 2010, he formed the record label Freedom Express Records and released an album by Ramon Angel Solis entitledThe Mexican Side of Me. Meaux died on April 23, 2011, aged 82.[4]
In September 1966, Meaux and two other men were indicted by a federal grand jury for transporting a 16-year-old girl fromHouston, Texas, toNashville, Tennessee, in October 1965 for "purposes of prostitution" at a country music convention, a violation of theWhite-Slave Traffic Act.[8][9] Meaux was convicted in January 1967 and sentenced to three years in federal prison.[10]
Meaux's request for a pardon was approved by PresidentJimmy Carter on November 1, 1977.[11][12]
In 1996, a police raid of Meaux's office turned up thousands ofPolaroids and videos of underage girls in sexual situations, some being as young as eight.[4][13][14] He 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 toJuárez, 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.[15] Meaux was released in 2007.[4]
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