NEWS

The tenth annual John Simoneaux Memorial Jam rocked Ruston in March, with area musicians helping bring in nearly $16,000 in scholarship funds.

That money goes to the John Simoneaux Scholarship fund at Louisiana Tech, which provides $500 quarterly scholarships for two Louisiana Tech music majors – an upper-level junior or senior and an incoming freshman or transfer student.

Seven hours of rock and blues performances at the Sundown Tavern and Ponchatoulas with groups like The Ruston Road Kings, Monty Russell and the Hardcore Troubadours, Johnny O’Neal, Hands-on Band, Dan Sanchez and the Kings of Pleasure, Terminal Degree, Scott Tisdsale, Seth Hightower, Mike’O, The Reactors, Little Stevie, Sara Sullivan, Amber Grafton, Lazer with a Z, Militia, Rusty White, The Zillionaires and The Roadhouse Disciples paid tribute to Simoneaux, a Ruston musician who went on to play with Steppenwolf, members of Parliament and Monroe’s own Doug Duffey.

Simoneaux died in a 2000 car accident and the annual Johnny Jam was started at the Sundown, where Simoneaux often played, as a tribute.

Graduating senior Josh Carver was one of the students who were benefited by the Simoneaux scholarship and plans to attend grad school at the University of Louisiana-Lafayette to study guitar.

Written by T. Scott Boatright