A Cajun music pioneer, Pitre claimed to be the first musician to play the accordion standing up, rather than sitting down.

Along with his band, the Evangeline Playboys, Pitre recorded Cajun dancehall hits such as the "Opelousas Waltz.

His older brother, Jean Baptiste "Curley" Pitre (June 14, 1906 - December 29, 1978) was a farmer who lived in the Prairie Ronde area.

Besides being a talented musician, Pitre was also a highly regarded mechanic and had his own automotive repair shop near Ville Platte, Louisiana.

She was a disc jockey for KEUN for many years, hosted the weekly Rendezvous des Cajuns at the Liberty Theater in Eunice, Louisiana, and also worked at the Cajun Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Eunice where Austin Pitre's Monarch accordion can be seen.