We continue our series on the most famous people from each diocese of Acadiana. So far we have looked at notable people from Acadia and Evangeline parishes.
This week we head a little south to the beautiful and historic Parish of Iberia.
The parish was founded in 1868 during the Restoration era and was named after the Iberian Peninsula. Historically, it has a large French-speaking population, as many Cajuns settled there after being expelled by the British from Acadia, in what is now Canada.
Of course, we know that the Iberian parish is a center of sugarcane cultivation. In fact, it produces more sugar than any other parish in the state.
At the 2020 census, the population of Iberia Parish was 69,929.
When it comes to notable alumni from the parish, the list is vast and represents a wide range of professions, with those who have made great achievements in fields such as professional sports, acting, and politics.
Again, keep in mind that this is just an arbitrary list compiled by one radio disc jockey. There's no real science behind it, just 10 people I thought deserved this “honor”.
But before we get to the list, I wanted to mention a few people who didn't make the cut outright, but definitely could.
Honorable mention:
Mark Roman (New Iberia) – Former NFL safety who played 10 seasons in the NFL with the Cincinnati Bengals, Green Bay Packers and San Francisco 49ers.
Corey Raymond (New Iberia) – Former NFL cornerback who played six seasons in the NFL with the New York Giants and Detroit Lions.
Paul Seal (Janerette) – Dentist, banker, geologist, and lieutenant governor of Louisiana from 1928 to 1931.
Patrick Thomas (New Iberia) – Executive producer of the nationally broadcast Big D & Bubba radio show. He is a CMA and ACM winner for show time.
Steve Grisaffe (New Iberia) – Lead singer and bassist of the country band River Road.
Heath Lansonette (New Iberia) – Long-time lead singer and guitarist of the rock band Spank the Monkey.
Jeff Landry (New Iberia) – Former U.S. Congressman and current Louisiana Attorney General.
Yvonne Kushner (New Iberia) – American actress and socialite from New York and Washington, DC.
Louis Lautier (New Iberia) – First African American journalist admitted to the White House Correspondents' Association in 1955.
William Eckart (New Iberia) – Film, stage, and television set designer. He and his wife Jean were nominated for three Tony Awards.
Uris Richardson (New Iberia) – Drummer with a career spanning almost 50 years. He is most famous for his work with the Ike and Tina Turner Revue, and is best known for his arrangement of their version of “Proud Mary.”
The 10 most famous figures of the Iberian diocese
As of the 2020 census, the population of Iberia Parish is just under 70,000. There is so much great history in this region that it was very difficult for him to choose just 10 notable figures from this culturally rich region. Nevertheless, here are the people who are considered the most famous in the diocese.
