email: bgodchaux AT aol.com

Brian Godchaux was born in Seattle , Washington in 1951, into a family where music was always in the house. His dad was a pianist and cellist and his mom a singer. His brother, Keith, had taken up the piano, and after striking out on the drums; Brian began playing the violin when he was eight. Classical music was the foundation of musical training for both boys, so the heavies on the play list in those days were Bach, Mozart, and Chopin.

The musical landscape around the Godchaux house began to change when Keith began listening to jazz and rock-and-roll. The result was jam sessions in the garage and Brian adding an electric pick-up to his violin. Feeling the apprehension that it was a “fork in the road,” he nevertheless went out to the garage and plugged into one of the amplifiers.

Brian continued his musical studies, and concurrently began to develop a taste for different styles of music. In the mid‘70's, he was the lyricist for two songs on the “Keith & Donna” album, and played violin on the “Cats Under the Stars” album by the “Jerry Garcia Band.”

Through the years, Brian has pursued his growing interest in traditional American and Celtic music, and in 1994 received the Rising Star award from the West Coast Cajun and Zydeco Music Association. For the better part of seventeen years, he has played violin with Dan Hicks in his bands, “The Acoustic Warriors,” and the “Hot Licks.” Occasionally, Brian plays in a bluegrass band with David Nelson and Sandy Rothman, and still likes to play some Bach when he gets the opportunity.