NEW ORLEANS — Mardi Gras is about tradition with family and friends. And there's one that's kicked off Carnival Day for 64 years. And one man has been the only one there every half fast step of the way.
It wasn't Carnival Day until the Prince of Mardi Gras warmed up St. Charles crowds before the King of Carnival rolled.
In 1960, legendary musician Pete Fountain just wanted to have fun, and play music with family, and the friends he ran the streets with in his youth, and oh yeah, with some refreshing, adult beverages. That unorganized group of about 25, Pete called the...“Half Ass Walking Club. Well as you can see, that's slightly inappropriate. So, the next year, because of complaints from various other areas, we changed the name of the club to Half Fast Walking Club,” laughed Judge Steven Plotkin.
He has a wall of memorabilia from his quarter century on the bench, and as a Tulane law professor, but just steps away is the closet of brightly colored tuxedos, with clarinet adorned ties, and dozens and dozens of Pete Fountain bobble heads.
Meg: “So, you are the only original member?
Plotkin: “Sadly I am the sole survivor at this point.”
Judge Plotkin was Pete’s attorney, and dear friend. Pete’s son-in-law Benny Harrell is captain of the Half Fast Walking Club.
“He was my good shepherd on Mardi Gras Day, because I was a young, awe-inspired person just learning the ropes, and Steve took me under his wing. Got me through my first Mardi Gras and pretty much through my life,” said Benny Harrell.
They have seen the traditions continue for 64 years, and seen the necessary, well, updates.
Plotkin: “As you know men drinking sometimes have a urinary problem. So, the club decided to convert a horse trailer into a mobile urinal.”
Meg: “And I would imagine as the club ages you have a lot of enlarged prostates. So, a little more frequency?”
Plotkin: “I can attest to that, personally.”
The front of that truck has a full bar service. Membership is now 250. Costumes of different countries, changed to the tuxedoes. This year red in honor of Valentines Day, and Pete’s catch phrase "Love ‘ya baby."
They start at Commander's Palace with milk punch and breakfast, they say to soak up some of the liquid spirits. And they stop at the statues of Pete, Ronnie Kole and Al Hirt.
“And we get off and we put beads around their neck and photograph that in of the three greatest musicians ever being part of the New Orleans music scene,” said Plotkin.
Just a couple of months away from the age of 88, the judge can walk the whole route. And like other members, generations of family will travel in to do it with him.
“Without Pete, there's a big vacuum. There's no question about that, but the experience of a marching club in his name, in his honor, with his attitude, with his love for the city, love for music, inspires us to continue as long as we can,” said Plotkin.
“Pete never wanted to be famous. All he did was want to play music. All he did on Mardi Gras Day was want to walk with a brass band with the people in the streets in New Orleans,” remembers Harrell.
Pete had big opportunities to play gigs all over the U.S., but if they interfered with Carnival Day, he turned them all down to be with people like his friend Steve, and thousands of his adoring fans.
The Half Fast Walking Club begins its route at Washington and Prytania, Carnival morning at 7 a.m., then goes to St. Charles, and then the French Quarter.
► Get breaking news from your neighborhood delivered directly to you by downloading the new FREE WWL-TV News app now in the IOS App Store or Google Play.