Russ Broussard was born in Opelousas, Louisiana, and came to professional music early — his first paid gig was at sixteen. He studied at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and the University of North Carolina School of the Arts before settling in New Orleans, where he has been one of the scene's most active and in-demand drummers for three decades.
His most visible association is with the Continental Drifters, the Americana collective that relocated to New Orleans in the mid-1990s. Broussard played on two of the band's most celebrated albums: Vermilion (1998) and Better Day (2001). His bandmates included Peter Holsapple of the dB's, Mark Walton of the Dream Syndicate, Vicki Peterson of the Bangles, and his future wife Susan Cowsill.
Broussard and Cowsill have performed and recorded together for years, and he serves as the backbone of her live band and the full Cowsills family group. He has been a core member of John "Papa" Gros's band and has worked extensively with Grayson Capps, Papa Mali, and Johnny Sansone. His broader session and live credits span Paul Simon, Jackson Browne, Lucinda Williams, Sonny Landreth, Alex McMurray, and dozens more.
