Fountain, Pete (1930-2016), was a clarinet player who gained fame playing traditional New Orleans jazz. Fountain was born and grew up in that city. Some critics accused Fountain of playing overly commercial and predictable music. But others praised his rich tone and strong blues feeling.
Peter Dewey Lafontaine, Jr., was born on July 3, 1930. He began playing clarinet in New Orleans by the age of 12. Fountain started performing professionally in the mid-1940’s and appeared with a number of New Orleans-style jazz groups before cofounding the Basin Street Six in 1950. He played with them for four years and formed Pete Fountain and His Three Coins in 1954.
Fountain got his big break when he was featured on the popular Lawrence Welk television show from 1957 to 1959. In addition to his TV appearances, Fountain recorded and made concert appearances with Welk, playing traditional New Orleans jazz. After leaving Welk’s show, Fountain returned to New Orleans and operated a nightclub until 1977. He also made guest appearances on national TV shows that spread his reputation. Fountain performed in his own popular jazz club in New Orleans from 1959 to 2003. He died on Aug. 6, 2016.
