Wade Benson Landry and Teresa Bowe Landry

Wade Benson Landry was born under the name Benson Wade Landry in Abbeville, LA on Nov. 14, 1961 to Duliss Paul Landry of Delcambre, LA and Ella (Jane) LeBlanc of Wright, LA.

Wade’s interest in music was inspired by his dad, who was a popular local musician for 35 years, playing lead guitar, drums, bass, piano, and fiddle. Wade’s dad was also a songwriter who—along with Jimmy Choates—wrote the French classic “Tout Les Soir” which has become a standard in Cajun French Music.

The first band Wade worked with was playing drums with Happy Fats on his Sunday morning KLFY television program in 1970, when Wade was only nine years old. Later that year, Wade began playing drums in a band with his dad known as The Western Strings.

In 1974, at 13 years old, Wade joined the first band where he was a fiddle player and singer, Jody Smith and Young Country. Also at this time, Wade started learning a variety of music including big band standards and swing music.

At his dad’s suggestion, Wade started using the stage name “Wade Benson” instead of his real name “Benson Wade Landry. “It was the thing to do back then in case of stardom and not to be sought after by fans,” Wade says. “Also, with a Cajun French last name, this may have tagged me as being just a Cajun fiddler and not given credit as an all-around fiddle player.”

In 1975, at 13 years old, Wade won the Louisiana Junior State Fiddle Championship playing Cajun Fiddle and the Bayou Teche Waltz. He received a trophy, a blue ribbon, and $100. “That title opened a lot of doors for me,” Wade says. In 1976 and 1978, through Wade’s friendship with the King of Cajun Fiddlers, Rufus Thibodeaux, Wade went to Nashville to perform in Jimmy C. Newman’s Fan Fair Shows. Through association with Thibodeaux and trips to Nashville, Wade gained knowledge and experience as to what the Nashville music industry was really like.

In 1977, at 15 years old, Wade won the Louisiana Junior State Fiddle Championship again and began performing as a solo artist. With his dad’s help, Wade went to Nashville and recorded his first studio project, “Wade Benson, For the First Time” in LP and 45-single formats.

In 1980, after graduating from Abbeville High School, Wade was offered a job on the Grand Ole Opry with Jimmy C. Newman and Cajun Country, following in the footsteps of Rufus Thibodeaux. Friday, March 17, 1980 marked Wade’s first appearance on the Grand Ole Opry, which continued off and on for seven years. During this period, Wade recorded “Cotton-Eyed Joe” with Danny Davis and the Nashville Brass for RCA Records, a recording that was nominated for a Grammy Award for “Best Country Instrumental of the Year” and began touring the U.S. as well as two tours of Europe with Jimmy C. Newman and Cajun Country.

In 1987 Wade recorded a number one hit with the Oakridge Boys, “It Takes a Lot of River” and performed in the video which gained a 1989 Grammy nomination for “Best Country Performance by a Duo or Vocal Group”.

The next year, Wade was hired to work for George Jones and the Jones Boys. This was the beginning of the “No-Show Jones” days. Out of 15 dates, Jones only showed up for three of them. After six weeks with Jones, Wade was offered to go to work with Tammy Wynette which featured his talents to broader audiences and nationwide broadcasts. Again, Wade toured Europe twice with Wynette.

In 1983, Wade left Wynette to start a band with friends called Sidemen, Inc. The band did not work out, “but, we all remain friends today,” Wade says. In 1984, Wade went back to work with Tammy Wynette and then from 1986-1990, Wade went back to work with Jimmy C. Newman working the Grand Ole Opry and touring with Jimmy C.’s band, while backing other artists including Hank Thompson, Lynn Anderson, and Ed Bruce. Performances with Jimmy C. Newman took Wade on five more tours of Europe.

In 1990, Wade went to work for Dottie West which involved more touring and appearances on Grand Ole Opry and nationwide television shows.

In 1992, Wade moved to Branson, MO as a solo artist performing at Branson’s popular theme park, Silver Dollar City, along with day shows in the park, and night shows at Silver Dollar City’s Echo Hollow, a 4,000-seat amphitheater. At this time, Wade recorded his first CD “Swingin’ Cajun Style, Vol. I.”

In 1995, Wade joined the Down Home Country Show, an afternoon show, with Splinter Middleton and the Straight Shooters that Wade’s brother Chuck was playing drums for. While still performing at Silver Dollar City;s evening shows, Wade recorded his second CD “Swingin’ Cajun Style, Vol. II” and at that time, Wade was hired for one show with Ray Price and later offered a full-time position, but turned it down. “At this point, I wanted to be an artist of my own,” he says.

In 1996, Wade was hired on the Buck Trent Morning Show, while still performing at the Down Home Country afternoon show, and the Silver Dollar City evening show.

In 2004, Wade toured for a week with the Bob Wills’ Texas Playboys, which he calls, “A dream come true.” In 2006, Wade was offered his own show at God and Country Theaters, a matinee show called “The Swingin’ Cajun Style Show.” He also recorded more CDs, including “Cajun Comedy” and “Swingin’ Cajun Style, Vol. III.”

In 2008, through his brother Chuck, Wade was offered a fiddle-player position with the Mel Tillis Show, which included Branson evening appearances, Grand Ole Opry performances, and touring. He also joined the Grand Ladies of Country Music Show–an afternoon show with Jean Shepard, Wanda Jackson, Jody Miller, Norma Jean, Leona Williams, and Ava Barber. At this time, Wade’s “Swingin’ Cajun Style Show” moved to a morning slot.

In 2009, Wade married Teresa Bowe in Laughlin, NV while performing with Mel Tillis in Las Vegas. As of the Living Legend induction, they had been married for 17 years.

In 2011, Wade left the Mel Tillis Show, worked his “Swingin’ Cajun Style Morning Show,” and began booking weekend shows for himself and Teresa as featured performers. In 2018, Wade moved back to Nashville, working the clubs on Broadway for four years. In 2022, Wade returned to his hometown of Abbeville, LA and in 2025, began a trio with Teresa and his sister Denise Landry Argeneaux, called “The Landry Trio.”

In 2026, Wade and Teresa signed a recording contract with Neon Star Records out of California through a new marketing manager, Mae McCoy.

Overall, Wade’s career included performances at the Grand Ole Opry and top Las Vegas casinos at the time such as the Frontier and the MGM Grand. He also performed at the Hollywood Bowl, Carnegie Hall, the New Orleans’ World Fair. London’s Wembley Arena, the New Orleans’ Jazz Festival and the London Palladium including a performance for President Ronald Reagan at the Indianapolis 500. His international tours took Wade to Canada, England. Ireland, Scotland, Austria, France, Switzerland, and (Wade adds jokingly), “Mamou, LA.”

Career TV performances included Nashville Now, The Nashville Network (TNN). Live from the Grand Ole Opry (TNN), Good Morning America, the Johnny Carson Show, and the Budweiser Bob Hope Show. As mentioned before, he also appeared in the Oak Ridge Boys Video, “It’s Gonna Take a Lot of River,” which won a Grammy Nomination for Video of the Year.

On being inducted into the Acadian Museum Order of Living Legends, Wade told KATC-TV that there were still “plenty of opportunities ahead” for him and Teresa.

* Asterisk after a person’s name indicates that the person is deceased.