There are times when reality is harder to believe than fiction... and more inspirational.  If you were to hear a tale of a Dominican priest in Hammond, Louisiana who receives royalties for one of the biggest international hits of the early '60s, you might assume that tale was a tall one. But it isn't!

Around early 1957, 22-year-old New Orleans native Cayet Mangiaracina walked away from a promising music career to follow a calling he'd had since childhood -- to join the priesthood.  

Cayet played piano with The Sparks, a tight rock & roll outfit in New Orleans.  The group stood out from the pack when it came to young white rock & rollers in New Orleans in the mid '50s.  They were heavily R&B influenced and even ventured into jazz territory with an occasional rendering of "Tenderly" during their live shows.  One day, out of the blue, a simple song idea came to the young pianist.  Within minutes, the piece was finished and was immediately added to the band's repertoire.  

A shot at the big time came when a tri-state battle-of-the-bands contest was held in New Orleans.  First prize was a contract with Decca Records, recording home of music giants Louis Armstrong, Sammy Davis Jr., The Four Aces, Bill Haley & his Comets, Patsy Cline, Ella Fitzgerald, The Mills Brothers and soon-to-be Rock 'n' Roll star Buddy Holly.  When the votes were tallied, The Sparks came out on top -- the Decca recording contract was theirs!  Though happy for his bandmates, Cayet didn't personally enjoy the spoils of musical victory, having left the group just prior to the contest to begin his seminary studies.  

Decca wanted an original song for The Sparks debut release, rather than a cover from the group's predominently R&B repertoire.  The natural choice was the song that had been written by their piano player -- a catchy bounce titled "Merry, Merry Lou."  Their debut recording, sans Mangiaracina, made some noise in various regions of the United States in mid to late 1957, but was never a major seller.  The group's two follow-ups failed to make traction and The Sparks were dropped from the label.  

The story takes its most unexpected and interesting turn in 1961 when a renowned recording artist and TV star had an international smash with a song "inspired" by "Merry, Merry Lou."  A lawsuit ensued.  When the dust settled, songwriting credits (and future royalty payments) were split, giving Father Cayet 50%.  And that's how it's been for the past 65 years!  

You can hear this fascinating tale in its entirety FROM THE MAN HIMSELF -- THIS TUESDAY NIGHT!

Earlier this year, I had the great pleasure of meeting with Father Cayet Mangiaracina at The Holy Ghost Catholic Church in Hammond, where he graciously shared his story with me.  Now 91, his memory of events that happened 70+ years ago are vivid.  He recalls his music idols Fats Domino, Smiley Lewis, Joe Turner, and particularly Sugar Boy Crawford, with gleeful enthusiasm.  I'll be airing my chat with Father Cayet on this week's edition of The '50s R&B Show.  This is one of my proudest interviews and a truly compelling story.  Don't miss it!

Hear it on WWOZ 90.7 FM or wwoz.org!  Tuesday, June 16th at 7:00 p.m. central!