Rocky McKeon is a musician and a fluent speaker of Louisiana French. He is regularly sought after for his knowledge of French as it is spoken in Terrebonne and Lafourche Parishes. He is an ardent defender and promoter of Louisiana French, stressing the importance of its use in today's modern times so that it will not die out.[1][2] With regards to his work for the preservation of French in Louisiana, he was featured in the video for the State of Louisiana's bid for the 2014 Acadian World Congress.[citation needed] Then he was recently acknowledged in the newest Dictionary of Louisiana French as being a "keen word detective" for his aid in the creation of the dictionary.[3] He also provided the translation for the book heartoffact by Karin Eberhardt, into French.[citation needed] In addition, he has assisted in many research projects at Tulane University,[4][5] and has been featured in several francophone magazines.[citation needed]
In April 2009 he was awarded Le Prix de la Création of 2008 for his poem entry "L'argent a peur" on MondesFrancophones.com.[6]
For the French 421 course at Centenary College in Louisiana for the Spring 2010 semester, he was studied as one of several Louisiana musicians[citation needed]
A music video and a "Making of" video was also produced for "Le grand gosier," featuring the artists performing the song at MIXart Studios in Montréal, Canada, interspersed with footage of pelicans covered in oil along the Louisiana coast. The "Making of" video includes notable artists offering their opinions about the Deepwater Horizon oil spill and about their desire to help.[11][12]
In 2011, Rocky McKeon's band, Isle Dernière, released a cover of Black Sabbath's "Iron Man" entitled "L'homme en fer" with lyrics sung in Louisiana French on the compilation album En Français: Cajun 'n' Creole Rock 'n' Roll produced by Bayou Teche Brewing and Louis Michot of the Lost Bayou Ramblers.[13] According to Todd Ortego, sales executive and on-air personality at KBON 101.1 FM, "L'homme en fer" is the most-requested song from the album.[citation needed] In 2012, Isle Dernière released "Quand la levée casse," a Louisiana French cover of Led Zeppelin's "When the Levee Breaks" on Bayou Teche Brewing's En Français: Cajun 'n' Creole Rock 'n' Roll Vol. 2, making Isle Dernière the only band to be featured on both CDs.[14]
^Dictionary of Louisiana French: as spoken in Cajun, Creole, and American Indian communities by Albert Valdman, senior editor; Kevin J. Rottet, associate editor ISBN978-1-60473-403-4. The University Press of Mississippi. Acknowledgements, page x
^ETHNIC AND GEOGRAPHIC VARIATION IN THE FRENCH OF THE LAFOURCHE BASIN by Nathalie Dajko, March 30, 2009.
^LANGUAGE DEATH AND STYLISTIC VARIATION : AN INTERGENERATIONAL STUDY OF THE SUBSTITUTION OF /h/ FOR /ʒ/ IN THE FRENCH OF THE POINTE-AU-CHIEN INDIANS by Katie Carmichael, March 28, 2008.