Jerod “Rody” Lewis of the Black Eagles Mardi Gras Indian tribe passed away on Monday, November 25, 2013. He was 49 years old.
Big Chief Rody led the fabled uptown gang since the passing of his father, Percy “Big Chief Pete” Lewis in 1981 (shown below in a photo from 1977 by Michael P. Smith). The Black Eagles, along with the White Eagles and the Golden Eagles, are among the oldest uptown tribes. The Creole Wild West are recognized as the oldest tribe in the city of New Orleans.
Rody had one of the most distinctive and powerful voices in the entire Mardi Gras Indian community.He was the current generation’s vocal equivalent of Bo Dollis, the legendary Big Chief of the Wild Magnolias. A strong, charismatic singer with a rich baritone, he could be heard chanting at Mardi Gras Indian practices, shouting the ancient songs behind various second line parades, and fronting his gang at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival.
Big Chief Rody’s Indian heritage, like that of his father, was rooted in the Calliope housing project (later renamed B.W. Cooper). The photos below were taken at a St. Joseph’s Day parade following Hurricane Katrina.
The shots capture Rody’s despair and mirror the feelings felt by all of the former residents of the tight-knit community, which was flooded in the aftermath of the storm and then razed by the city.
Big Chief Rody also was one of the few Mardi Gras Indian chiefs to have his vocals recorded for commercial release. The landmark album, United We Stand, Divided We Fall by the Indians of the Nation, featured Rody along with several other Indian chiefs from both uptown and downtown neighborhoods. It was released in 1998.
Rody sang lead on six of the recording’s ten songs, including his powerful tribute to his father, “Pete Came Early That Mornin’.” Observers noted that it was remarkable the album was ever recorded given the longstanding rivalries between tribes from the two separate areas of the city.
More recently, Big Chief Rody was one of the original lead vocalists in another groundbreaking group, The Mardi Gras Indian Orchestra (see video and photo above—Rody is front/center with Big Chief David Montana and Bruce “Sunpie” Barnes flanking him).
He is survived by his wife Veronica Lewis; children Shannon and Robert Walker, Jockia and Jerod Wilson; sisters Barbara Allen, Yolanda, Faye, and Deidra Lewis, Rhonda Gibson, Doris Jeff, Reed Watson, Jr., Daniel Francois, Wardell, Raymond, Charles, and Percy Lewis; grandchildren Bryce Charles and Iyana Williams; also survived by devoted friends, Shawanda Wilson and Kevin Cockerham, 3 uncles, 1 godchild, and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, other relatives, and friends.
Viewing is scheduled for Friday, December 6 from 6-8 PM and Saturday morning from 8-9 AM at the Rhodes Funeral Home, 3933 Washington Avenue. The funeral service follows at 9 AM. Burial will be private.
