A Cajun from Lafayette, Louisiana, Shane K. Bernard holds a Ph.D. in History from Texas A&M University, as well as degrees in History and English from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Bernard is often consulted by the media as an expert on south Louisiana history and culture. He has appeared on The History Channel, The Food Network, NPR's "Morning Edition," CNN, CNBC, the CBC, and the BBC, as well as in the pages of National Geographic. He serves as official historian and curator to McIlhenny Company, maker of Tabasco brand products since 1868, and to its sister company, Avery Island, Inc., which traces its origin to 1818. He is the son of 1950s rock 'n' roll (or swamp pop) musician Rod Bernard, whose hit songs include "This Should Go On Forever" and "Colinda."Bernard lives in New Iberia, Louisiana, a short distance from the historic Bayou Teche.