ɚɹˈaʊnd ˈeɪdʒ ˈeɪt, bɜːnˈɑːɹd əbtˈeɪnd hɪz fˈɜːst ɡɪtˈɑːɹ ɐn ɐkˈuːstɪk dʒˈiːn ˈɔːtɹi mˈɑːdəl ænd, ɚɹˈaʊnd nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd fˈɪfti, hiː bɪɡˈæn tə pɚfˈɔːɹm wɪððə blˈuː ɹˈuːm ɡˈæŋ, ɐ kˈeɪdʒəŋkˈʌntɹi ɔːɹ "kˈeɪdʒən swˈɪŋ" ɪnðə vˈeɪn ʌv wˈɛstɚnswˈɪŋ mjˈuːzɪk tɹˈuːp, spˈɑːnsɚd baɪ lˈoʊkəl ɹˈɛd bˈɜːd bɹˈænd swˈiːt pətˈeɪɾoʊz.
Around age eight, Bernard obtained his first guitar (an acoustic Gene Autry model) and, around 1950, he began to perform with the Blue Room Gang, a Cajun-country (or "Cajun swing" in the vein of western-swing music) troupe, sponsored by local Red Bird brand sweet potatoes.