A version of this obituary appeared earlier in the New Orleans Advocate. The top two photos are from the Jazz Fest in 2014. The others are from 2010. —Ed.
Big Chief Larry Bannock of the Golden Star Hunters Mardi Gras Indian tribe passed away on April 30, 2014. He was 66. The cause of death was a heart attack after surgery related to kidney dialysis.
Bannock was born on February 16, 1948 in Charity Hospital. He was a native of the Gert Town neighborhood, an acknowledged master of the craft of creating an Indian suit and an outspoken supporter and fierce defender of the century-old New Orleans cultural tradition.
Bannock was known for his skills as an improvising vocalist in the call and response tradition as well as a virtuoso with the needle and thread. He was a registered master craftsman in beading and was one of the first Indians to earn grant funds to teach the skills.
In the 1980s, one of his Indian suits was selected by the Smithsonian Institution to represent New Orleans Carnival in an exhibit that toured the world. He also traveled worldwide demonstrating the art of Indian beading and performance.
The always-quotable Big Chief was a past president of the Mardi Gras Indian Council. His well-articulated thoughts on the depth and breadth of the tradition were broadcast on news shows including 48 Hours and the MacNeil-Lehrer Newshour and printed in numerous local and national publications.
In 1984, a story featuring Bannock aired on PBS. He explained some of the cultural traditions and practices, ”We form a percussion circle and sing songs about heroes in our community, people who have passed; we’re remembering them. This (tradition) is what keeps Mardi Gras going.”
Bannock, chief of his tribe since 1979, was outspoken about the other Carnival traditions as well. He told The New York Times in 1995, “They say Rex is ruler (on Mardi Gras), but not in the 17th Ward ‘cause I’m the king here.”
Bannock could be politically outspoken as well. In a 2012 piece entitled, “Outsiders prey on Gert Town,” Bannock told the Louisiana Weekly, “This community has fattened more frogs to feed snakes over the years. We pay taxes but we don’t seem to get much in return.”
The hand sewn, beaded patches adorning his Indian suits told the stories of his people and their history. One particular patch called, “The Flight of the Eagles” pictures a Native American brave grasping the feathers of a bird on a mountaintop while three other birds fly overhead. He explained the story behind the patch, “Indians had to get eagle feathers…he had to fight the eagle and not kill him because eagles are sacred.” The three circling birds represented “the old uptown Indian gangs”—the White Eagles, the Black Eagles and the Golden Eagles.
Bannock and the Golden Star Hunters were regular performers at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival dating back to 1971, the second year of the annual event when his tribe debuted.
He could always be counted on to make one provocative comment after another dedicating a song to, “those boys who graduated from the Louisiana State Penitentiary” or scoring points on another chief, “He and I don’t see eye to eye, but I still say I’m a legend.”
Bannock’s last appearance at the Jazz Fest was just three days before he passed away. He displayed his playful, irreverent side with his introduction to the hymn, “Down By the Riverside.” ”You know the saying about God looking after babies and damn fools? Mardi Gras Indians are damn fools,” he said with a sardonic chuckle.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Warren Bannock and Marcella Williams Bannock of Thibodeaux, LA; his stepmother Sarah Bannock; and his aunt and godmother, Mabel “Bay” Creecy; his cousin AnnaMarie Williams-Gibbs who raised him; sisters Lilian and Irma Bannock; and a nephew Frank Bannock. He is survived by his uncles Louis “Knockie” Williams and Clarence “Butts” Williams; goddaughters Dimittriean Piper-Gaines, Cymande Ford and Niya Cooper; godsons Alanzo Piper and Milton Jones; his lifelong friends Rhonda Ford and Jim Scheurich; and a host of cousins, nieces and nephews.
Funeral services are scheduled for noon on Saturday, May 10 at the City of Love Church, 8601 Palmetto St. Visitation begins at 11 AM. Burial will be in the Musicians’ Tomb in St. Louis #1 Cemetery at a date to be announced. Donations in Larry Bannock’s honor can be sent to the New Orleans Musicians’ Clinic and Foundation to preserve and support the culture of New Orleans.
PHOTOS AND VIDEO: “BATON ROUGE” BILL BOELENS
