By: NANCY DUPLECHAIN
Associate Editor
A book signing was held on Friday, October 18, at the Louisiana Swamp Pop Museum to promote a new book by musician Yvette Landry. The book is called Taking the World by Storm and was written about Swamp Pop legend Warren Storm.
Landry said it was her husband, Luke Bourque’s, idea. She had only met Storm 18 months ago and decided to take him to lunch because she covered one of his signature songs, “I Need Somebody Bad.”
“When I came home from visiting him that night, I was so excited and talking a thousand miles an hour,” said Landry. “My husband didn’t slow me down. He just let me talk. When I finally finished saying everything he looked at me and said, ‘I think you have your next project. Obviously you love visiting with Warren and listening to his stories and he loves talking about it and showing you his pictures. You’re going to visit with him and you’re going to write his story and we’re going to call it Taking the World by Storm.’”
It took nearly a year to write the book. “I started interviewing Warren last June, and May 31st I turned it into U.L. Press,” said Landry, who calls it a conversation with Warren Storm. “I wanted it to come out like a conversation,” she said. The book has almost 300 pictures from Storm’s illustrious career. When asked if he feels even more famous now, Storm, who has been in the music business since the 1950s, said, “I’m feeling more fortunate. To have Yvette and Luke, they’re incredible people. I love them both.”
There is an album accompanying the book. Creedence Clearwater Revival lead singer John Fogerty is a guest on the album. “I’ve been a John Fogerty fan all my life, as long as CCR existed,” said Storm, who met Fogerty back in 1985 when Fogerty had covered Rockin’ Sidney’s “My Toot Toot.” Storm played drums on the song and was in the video with Fogerty. Yvette asked Fogerty to sing on Storm’s new album. He responded, saying he would be honored to be part of the project.
The album is all cover songs, including Creedence’s “Long as I Can See the Light.” Landry comes in on the track “Mama Mama.” She said she did not want to sing on the album but Warren “made” her. It took three days to record the live album, recording four hours a day.
Storm is originally from Abbeville. He has been inducted into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame and is a Swamp Pop pioneer. Landry is a Grammy-nominated artist from Breaux Bridge.
“We are having a wonderful ride right now,” said Storm. Landry’s husband created a Storm Tracker Chart. They made landfall in Austin, Texas. The tracker has all the dates and places for the book tour. Landry has been making music for 15 years. The book can be purchased through U.L. Press, or the book and record on Landry’s website, YvetteLandry.com. The official release of the record is not until December 13, but you can buy the pre-released album on the website.