The name “Enoch” likely conjures up memories for several generations in the Monroe-West Monroe area. Whether it’s 2 for 1 burgers on Tuesdays, the memorable marquee signs out front, or the endless list of names who have played live music at “The Pub,” you’ve all heard the name. Enoch Doyle Jeter is the man behind the name. His passion for music and the arts have crashed together at just the right time for him to play a starring role in some pretty amazing scenes coming soon to the streets near you.
Born in Jena, Louisiana, Enoch Doyle Jeter received his Bachelor's of Fine Arts degree from the former Northeast Louisiana University in 1975 and his master’s degree two years later in 1977 from Highland University in New Mexico. And just a few years after that in 1980, the legend now known as Enoch’s Pub was born. In his days of owning a local pub, Jeter has booked more musical acts than he can recall. When asked what his favorite musical memory was, he said he could not simply nail one down. There were just so many good ones. During those nearly 40 years as “janitor” of Enoch’s, Jeter also helped out with the Louisiana Folklife Festival serving on the advisory panel, running the main stage, and introducing the acts all on a volunteer basis. He also served as an adjunct professor of art at his alma mater for some 15 years where he still serves as a faculty advisor and gets to utilize the studio from time to time. With that deep-rooted love for music and art, he could not simply step away from the arts when he turned the pub over to his children. Enoch Doyle Jeter began a new project.
Doyle Jeter’s art that he is most known for is Stone Lithography. Nothing has changed in that regard. He has worked on several collaborative pieces with artists the world over. He is working on 3 collab pieces right now and has an exhibit on display in Lafayette. But the project he is most passionate about is what will soon be known as “The Northeast Louisiana Music Trail.” Starting during his years running the pub, the project is set to encompass the 11 parishes of Northeast Louisiana and highlight the many musical acts that have come from the region. “It will be similar to the Mississippi Blues Trail,” Jeter says. People and their families will be able to travel to the different areas of the region to see the signs commemorating names like Ivory Joe Hunter, Po Henry and Tookie, Tony Joe White, and Hoss Logan of the Louisiana Hayride known most for his phrase “Elvis has left the building.” The first sign on the trail is being revealed Saturday, January 29th in Winnsboro honoring Fred Carter, Jr.
This brings us to the present. Enoch Doyle Jeter’s love for music and art is coming together as he is being tasked with painting the all-new “Louisiana Saturday Night” float for the Krewe de Riviere Mardi Gras parade. He has been working on it for a few weeks now and says it will be a treat. It will feature cartoonish portraits of the region’s famous musicians and feature the live music of Joel Jordan. When asked why he is working on this float, Jeter simply said, “It represents the Northeast Louisiana Music Trail, and coincides with the unveiling of the first sign.” Surely a proud moment for a man who has put so much of his life into art, music, and Northeast Louisiana. What an amazing way to bring all three together for one man and all his passions.
