Steelshot will be closing out the 2024 Louisiana Fur & Wildlife Festival on Saturday, Jan. 13, from 7:30-10 p.m.

Band members are:

Wes Haynie grew up in Little Chenier. He started playing music at age 7 and was influenced by his grandfather, Willie Conner. At age 13, Wes started playing in a band with his brother Dwayne Haynie on drums and his cousin Casey Powell on guitar. Throughout the years he joined together with some local friends to form Lil’ Chenier Playboyz. He also started a band called Midnight Special. In 2005 Steel Shot was formed and is now performing all over Southwest Louisiana.

Dwayne Haynie grew up in Little Chenier. He started playing music at a young age. He and his brother Wes Haynie would often play music together and would later form different side bands. Music has always been an important part of Dwayne’s life. He would later join his brother Wes Haynie, Travis Furs, Rusty Welch, and Chris Louviere to play in the band that everyone knows today as Steel Shot.

Travis Furs was born and raised in Cameron. Since the day he was born he has been around music and was influenced by his father, Jerry Furs. After spending his childhood watching and learning from his father’s band, The Teardrops, he began playing several instruments and made the stage at age 13. He loves many genres of music but has been most influenced by Cajun, Swamp Pop, Country, and Rock n’ Roll. His fondest memories are with The Teardrops, Lil’ Chenier Playboyz, and now Steel Shot which he joined in 2009 with his friends and Cameron Parish natives.

Taylor “Moon” Manuel hails from Little Chenier, with some roots in Tennessee. As the oldest son of Lil’ Abe Manuel Jr. (Moe-D, Merle Haggard, others), Moon picked up on instruments as a child, but it was not until age 13 that he truly began his journey on the guitar. He would then get experience performing at various events with his dad. he joined Steel Shot in 2011 at the age of 19 and held his title as the “baby of the band.” He stepped down at the end of 2014 and became a gun-for-hire for several years before officially returning early 2022, and he continues to perform with various local acts.

Rusty Welch is a native of Oak Grove in Cameron Parish. At a young age Rusty learned to play piano from his father Benny Welch. They spent many nights playing Swamp Pop and Country music to the “audience” which was his mother Linda Welch. In 2003 he started playing music with Wes Haynie and eventually helped to form Steel Shot in 2005.