Boozoo Chavis

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Boozoo Chavis
Boozoo Chavis at the 2000 Original Southwest Zydeco Festival
Chavis at the 2000 Original Southwest Zydeco Festival
Background information
Birth nameWilson Anthony Chavis
Born(1930-10-23)October 23, 1930
Lake Charles, Louisiana, U.S.
DiedMay 5, 2001(2001-05-05) (aged 70)
Austin, Texas, U.S.
GenresZydeco
Occupation(s)Musician, accordionist, singer, songwriter
Instrument(s)Cajun accordion, vocals
Years active1954–2001
LabelsGoldband, Maison de Soul, Elektra, Rounder, Sonet

Wilson Anthony "Boozoo" Chavis (pronounced CHAY-viss)[1] (October 23, 1930 – May 5, 2001)[2][3] was an American accordion player, singer, songwriter and bandleader. He was one of the pioneers of zydeco, the fusion of Louisiana Creole and blues music developed in southwest Louisiana.[4]

Early life[edit]

Chavis was born to parents Arthur and Marceline Chavis in Church Point, Louisiana.[5] When he was young, his parents moved to a Cajun Creole settlement called Pied des Chiens (Dog Hill), in Lake Charles, Louisiana.[5][6] He was the son of tenant farmers, and acquired the nickname "Boozoo" in his childhood,[7] although the origin of the nickname is unknown.[8] When asked by a reporter about his nickname, Chavis replied "Man, I hate that question".[9]

Accounts vary as to when and how Chavis obtained his first accordion. A Living Blues magazine story says that at age 9, he traded a small riding horse for his first accordion, a little single-row model, and taught himself to play.[10] An article in OffBeat Magazine claims that Chavis bought his first accordion with money earned from riding in a horse race when he was a teenager; similarly, Sing Out! claims that he bought the accordion at 13 with horse race bet winnings.[7][5] He was exposed to music within his family; his father, some uncles and cousins all played accordion. His great uncle was Sidney Babineaux, a popular accordionist from Rayne who played in the "La La" style.[5] Boozoo played washboard and harmonica prior to obtaining his first accordion, and his father taught him early accordion lessons.[5] Chavis credits his mother as being especially enterprising, as she took on cleaning jobs and selling barbeque at informal horse races to raise extra money, with which she bought three acres of land. When he was 14, the Chavis family moved "across the highway".[7]

Later, Chavis bought a button accordion and began performing regularly at a dance club that his mother opened, often sitting in on performances with Clifton Chenier, his father, Morris Chenier, and brother, Cleveland Chenier. Chavis also played music as a side job at house dances on weekends and evenings.[7] As well as developing the playing style that came to be known as zydeco, Chavis worked as a farmer, jockey, and horse trainer.[4][11]

Career[edit]

First era: 1950's[edit]

Chavis made his first recording in 1955, "Paper in My Shoe", based on a song he heard performed by Creole accordionist Ambrose "Potato" Sam.[6] Chavis's version was an uptempo tune with a dance beat about being too poor to afford new shoes or socks, so he placed a paper in his shoes to keep his feet warm when the holes in the sole got too large.[12] The song, sung in both French and English,[13] was originally released on the Folk-Star label, a subsidiary of Goldband, before being reissued by Imperial Records. This recording was among the first commercially released zydeco songs and a regional hit, and was subsequently acknowledged as a zydeco standard.[11] The song was recorded at the instigation of local entrepreneur Eddie Shuler, who teamed Chavis up with a rhythm and blues band named Classie Ballou's Tempo Kings. The first recording session was not successful, so Shuler brought whiskey in for subsequent takes, and the band lost their inhibitions. An inebriated Chavis fell off of his chair at the end of the released version of "Paper in My Shoe", so the song fades out, which was one of the first records to use that technique.[14] Chavis denied this widely shared anecdote.[15]

Chavis was convinced that the recording was more successful than the record companies claimed, later saying: "I got gypped out of my record. I get frustrated, sometimes. I love to play, but, when I get to thinking about 1955... They stole my record. They said that it only sold 150,000 copies. But, my cousin, who used to live in Boston, checked it out. It sold over a million copies. I was supposed to have a gold record."[4] As a result, Chavis lost trust in the music business,[11] and over the next thirty years only released three more singles: "Forty-One Days" (Folk-Star, 1955), "Hamburgers & Popcorn" (Goldband, 1965), and "Mama! Can I Come Home" (credited to the Dog Hill Playhouse Band, Crazy Cajun, 1974).[16] He found difficulty booking gigs without steady record releases.[5]

He performed rarely during the 1960s and 1970s, except for friends and family events,[17] devoting most of his time to farming and raising racehorses[4] on his property in Dog Hill, on the outskirts of Lake Charles, Louisiana. The area derived its name because it is where people traditionally went to dump unwanted pets.[7][15] During those years, zydeco's popularity was limited mainly to Louisiana. By the early 1980s however, zydeco was gaining recognition outside of Louisiana in the United States, as well developing as a strong following in Europe, thanks largely to the popularity of artists such as Clifton Chenier, Buckwheat Zydeco, and Rockin' Dopsie. Those artists were performing as main attractions at music festivals, were included in magazine stories, and were getting the attention of major record labels.[10]

Second era: 1984–2001[edit]

In the early 1980s, Chavis was making a meager living with his race horses, and earned only a small amount of money performing at occasional house parties or dances. Chavis's family, and in particular his wife Leona, encouraged him to resume his music career.[10] Chavis returned to performing music regularly in 1984 after discovering that another musician was impersonating him. He and his wife were driving to a horse race and heard an advertisement on the radio for a dance featuring Boozoo Chavis, after which he realized that there was enough name recognition for him to return to performing.[11]

He signed a five-year contract[10] with the Maison de Soul label,[4] and released a locally successful single, "Dog Hill"[11] (on the ZBC label) and four albums: Louisiana Zydeco Music (1986), Boozoo Zydeco! (1987), Zydeco Homebrew (1989), and Zydeco Trail Ride (1990). Louisiana Zydeco Music included a re-recording of "Paper In My Shoe" that was included on many jukeboxes in Louisiana and became a regional hit for a second time.[12] These four albums were frequently played on local zydeco radio shows.[15] In addition, Rounder Records released a live album Zydeco Live! in 1989, and a compilation of his 1950s recordings, The Lake Charles Atomic Bomb, in 1990. He also recorded two albums for Sonet Records in the early 1990s.[16] During this time period, many of his songs also appeared on compilation albums issued by labels in both the US and Europe that featured many of the most well-known zydeco performers.

Chavis earned the nickname "The Creole Cowboy" because of his background raising horses, as well as his habit of wearing a white Stetson hat during performances.[8][12] In addition, the subject matter of some of his songs was explicitly rural, such as "Zydeco Hee Haw", "Johnnie Billy Goat", and "Motor Dude Special" named for his prized thoroughbred horse.[1] Chavis also routinely wore an apron while on stage, to keep his sweat from damaging his accordion.[10] Stylistically, Chavis provided a rural contrast, with fewer instruments and more repetitive (yet unpredictable and energetic) compositions, with la la roots, compared to the urban zydeco developed and popularized by Clifton Chenier, which featured a broad instrumental lineup, standardized compositions, and electric influences from soul and rock.[17]

Chavis was a prolific writer of zydeco songs, some including references to his friends and acquaintances and others too raunchy to be sold openly.[11] The release of X-rated versions of his songs "Uncle Bud" and "Deacon Jones" on his 1999 album Who Stole My Monkey? resulted in a parental advisory sticker, the first for a zydeco recording.[14][18][19] Many of his songs have become standards of the zydeco repertoire, in spite of, or perhaps because of, their generally idiosyncratic and quirky construction and subject matter. "If it's wrong, do it wrong, with me," he would tell his band. "If I'm wrong, you wrong, too!"[13]

Until 1990, Chavis was notoriously afraid of flying. He told record producer Floyd Soileau that if Soileau wanted him to fly to performances, he'd have to get him drunk to get on an airplane. Over a prior five-year period, Chavis made just one trip to California, and he drove there from Louisiana. But after Chavis's mother died in May 1990, he decided he had to overcome his flying phobia in order to advance his music career. His first flight was to New York City to perform at a club called Tramps, and he claimed to have enjoyed the experience.[10]

During the 1990s, having overcome his fear of flying,[15] Chavis performed widely with his band, the Magic Sounds (also credited as the Majic Sounds), and was crowned "The King of Zydeco" in New Orleans in 1993, after Clifton Chenier's death.[11] His style, using a button rather than piano accordion, was more traditional than that of Chenier. He switched between single-, double-, and triple-row accordions and played in "cross position" and in relative minor keys to make a bluesy sound on the diatonic instruments.[17] Around this time, he would stage battles with Beau Jocque, who was a young rival, but the two were in fact friends.[15]

According to The New York Times, "with his rough-hewn voice and hefty accordion riffs, his band's one-chord grooves had a mesmerizing intensity that kept dance floors packed".[11] He appeared at the New York Jazzfest for ten consecutive years[12] as well as appearances at the Newport Folk Festival and the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, and in 2000 he was a featured act at the San Francisco Jazz Festival.[12] Chavis was featured in a 1994 documentary film titled The Kingdom of Zydeco.

Death[edit]

Chavis died on May 5, 2001, from complications resulting from a heart attack after a performance a week earlier in Austin, Texas.[11][12] He was funeralized at Our Lady Queen of Heaven Catholic Church and interred at Highland Memorial Gardens, both in Lake Charles, Louisiana.[3][20]

Awards and honors[edit]

Chavis was inducted into the Zydeco Hall of Fame in 1998.[4] In 2001, he was awarded a National Heritage Fellowship by the National Endowment for the Arts, which is the highest honor in the folk and traditional arts in the United States.[21][12]

Personal life[edit]

Chavis married Leona Predium who often accompanied Chavis on tour, and on breaks between sets would sell records, T-shirts, and panties with his photo printed on them.[12][10] Leona died in 2009.[22]

Boozoo and Leona had six children, Wilson Jr. ("Poncho"), Margaret ("Do-Right"), Louann, Charles, Licia, and Rellis Chavis, as well as 21 grandchildren, and many great-grandchildren.[11] Two of his sons (Charles on washboard and Rellis on drums) were full-time band members, and a grandson occasionally performed with the Magic Sounds.[8]

In 1995, Chavis had the tips of two fingers on his left hand amputated after an accident involving a barbeque pit. With his hand wrapped up in bandage tape, he played a gig the following night.[8][14]

Legacy[edit]

Chavis had completed the recording of what would be his final album only a few weeks before his death. Tentatively titled I'm Still Blinkin' [11] the album was released on Rounder Records later in 2001 under the title Down Home On Dog Hill. AllMusic wrote of the album: "Chavis may have been at the peak of his musical form when this album was recorded….[It] is a worthy legacy for a sorely missed star of Louisiana music."[23]

After his father's death, his son Charles took on the role of bandleader for the Magic Sounds. However, Charles died of a heart attack at age 45, only eight months after his father's death. Charles is buried in the same Lake Charles cemetery as his father.[24]

Following Charles' death, Poncho Chavis kept the Magic Sounds band going, including a tribute performance to his father at the 2002 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival,[25] just four months after his brother's death and less than a year after his father's passing. Photos of both Boozoo and Charles graced the stage at the Jazz Fest show.[26] Poncho Chavis and the Magic Sounds continued to perform at festivals until at least 2008.[27]

In 2005, five of Boozoo Chavis' grandsons started a band named The Dog Hill Stompers, partly to keep their grandfather's legacy alive. They released their debut album Keeping the Tradition in 2007, and also performed for the first time at Boozoo's Labor Day Festival in 2007.[28] As of 2017,[29] the Dog Hill Stompers continue to play clubs and festivals in Louisiana as well as around the United States.[30]

Chavis founded the "Labor Day Dog Hill Festival" in 1989[31] as a fan appreciation party,[32] but also to showcase zydeco musicians and to keep the zydeco tradition alive.[22] Originally held in a field near the Chavis family home, the popularity and growth of the festival required a move to larger venues, with the festival location varying between the Knights of Columbus Hall in Iowa, Louisiana and the Lake Charles Civic Center. The event was always a family-friendly affair, with Leona cooking Creole dishes for the crowds, ranging from red beans and rice to crawfish étouffée.[32]

After Boozoo's death, the festival was renamed as Boozoo's Labor Day Festival to celebrate his legacy and love of zydeco music.[33] His widow Leona managed the festival until her death in 2009, after which their children have been determined to continue the tradition in honor of their father, with daughter Margaret acting as festival promoter.[22][27] In 2015 the Southeast Tourism Society, which has 12 states as members, named Boozoo's Labor Day Festival a "Top 20 Event".[33] The festival celebrated its thirty-second anniversary in 2016.[32]

Other musicians have acknowledged Chavis's influence and legacy by writing songs about him. Rock band NRBQ included a tribute song titled "Boozoo, That's Who" on their 1989 album Wild Weekend, on which both Boozoo and Charles Chavis also performed. In the song, Chavis is described as "the king of zydeco".[10] Younger zydeco musician Jo Jo Reed released a song he wrote titled "Got It From Boo"[11] on his 1995 album Funky Zydeco.

Several zydeco, Cajun, and musicians from other genres appeared on a tribute album titled Boozoo Hoodoo!: The Songs of Boozoo Chavis released in 2003 on the Fuel 2000 record label.

Discography[edit]

Studio and live albums[edit]

Album title Record label Stock number Release year
Louisiana Zydeco Music Maison de Soul MdS-1017 1986
Boozoo Zydeco Maison de Soul LP-1021 1987
Paper In My Shoe Ace (U.K.) CHD 214 1987
Zydeco Homebrew Maison de Soul LP-1028 1989
The Lake Charles Atomic Bomb (Original Goldband Recordings) Rounder CD 2097 1990
Zydeco Trail Ride Maison de Soul MdS 1034-2 1990
Boozoo Chavis Elektra Nonesuch 9 61146-2 1991
Boozoo's Breakdown Sonet SNTCD 1042 1991
Zydeco Hee Haw Sonet SNTCD 1043 1991
Boozoo, That's Who Rounder Select ROUCD 2126 1993
Live! At the Habibi Temple, Lake Charles, Louisiana Rounder Select ROUCD 2130 1994
Hey Do Right! Antone's 74707 1996
Who Stole My Monkey? Rounder 11661 2156-2 1999
Johnnie Billy Goat Rounder RRCD 11594 2000
Down Home on Dog Hill Rounder 11661-2166-2 2001
Festival Stage 1989: Festival Acadiens et Créoles Valcour VAL-CD-0022 2013

Singles[edit]

Song title(s) Album title Record label Stock number Release year Note(s)
"Boozoo Stomp" / "Paper In My Shoe" <not applicable> Folk-Star GF-1197 1955 10", 78 RPM
"Deacon Jones" / "La. Women Love Uncle Bud" <unknown> Kom-A-Day 45-304 1987 7", 45 RPM
"Hamburger's & Popcorn" / "Tee Black" <unknown> Goldband G-1161 <unknown> 7", 45 RPM
"Make Up Your Mind" / "Dancin' The Sassy One-Step" Boozoo Zydeco Maison de Soul 45-1044 1987? 7", 45 RPM
"Monkey And The Baboon" / "Boozoo's Blue Balls Rap" <unknown> Kom-A-Day 45-306 <unknown> 7", 45 RPM
"Paper In My Shoe" / "Boozoo Stomp" <not applicable> Imperial 5374 1955 10", 78 RPM
"Paper In My Shoe" / "Leona Had A Party" Louisiana Zydeco Music Maison de Soul 45-1036 1986 7", 45 RPM

Various artist compilation albums[edit]

Album title Record label Stock number Release year Song title(s)
Rural Blues, Vol 2: Saturday Night Function Imperial LM-94001 1968 "Paper In My Shoe"
"Boozoo Stomp"
Nothing But The Blues CBS (U.K.) 66278 1970 "Forty One Days"
Bluesville Goldband GLP 7774 1976 "Paper In My Shoe"
American French Music From The Bayous of Louisiana, vol. 2 Goldband LP 7777 1978 (re-released on CD in 1995) "Forty One Days"
Zydeco Birth Folk-Star GFCL 103 1987 "Calcasieu Zydeco Blues"
"Paper In My Shoe"
"Gonna Boogie"
"Forty One Days"
"Long Black Curly Hair"
"Oh! Babe"
"Bye Bye Catin"
Zydeco Festival Maison de Soul MdS CD-101; MdS LP 1024 1988 "You Act Sick When Your Man Is Home"
"Deacon Jones"
Kings of Zydeco: Black Creole Music from the Deep South Trikont (Germany) CD-0158-2 1989 "Paper In My Shoe"
"Jealous Two Man Step"
"My Toot Toot"
Zydeco Live!: Direct from Richard's Club, Lawtell Louisiana Rounder CD 2069 1989 "Dog Hill"
"Jolie Catin"
"I'm Driftin' "
"Make It To Me"
"Boozoo on Boozoo"
"Gone a la Maison"
"Deacon John"
Alligator Stomp: Cajun & Zydeco Classics Rhino R2 70946 1990 "Uncle Bud"
"Paper In My Shoe"
Best of Louisiana Cajun Classics, Vol. II: Cajun & Zydeco's Greatest Artists Mardi Gras Records MG 1010 1990 "Zydeco He Haw"
"Zydeco Homebrew"
J'ai Eté au Bal (I Went to the Dance), Vol. 2 Arhoolie CD-332 1990 "Johnny Ain't No Goat"
101 Proof Zydeco Maison de Soul MdS 1030 1990 "Zydeco Hee Haw"
"Do It All Night Long"
Alligator Stomp, Vol. 2: Cajun & Zydeco Classics Rhino R2 70740 1991 "Deacon Jones"
American Explorer Series: Selections From Debut Releases Elektra Nonesuch PR8379 1991 "Boozoo's Theme Song"
"Dog Hill"
Swampland Jewels Goldband GRLP 7763 1991 "Paper In My Shoe"
Cajun & Zydeco Mardi Gras Maison de Soul MdS-CD-1044 1992 "Zydeco Mardi Gras"
Cajun Music and Zydeco Rounder CD 11572 1992 "Paper In My Shoe (Papier Dans Mon Soulier)"
Highway 61: The Soundtrack Intrepid (Canada) N21S 0009 1992 "Zydeco Heehaw"
Kings of Cajun: 22 Stomps from the Swamps Music Club (U.K.) MCTC 066 1992 "Zydeco Hee-Haw"
"Jolie Catan"
Stomp Down Zydeco Rounder CD 11566 1992 "Sugar Bee"
Zydeco Party Ace (U.K.) CDCHD 430 1992 "Zydeco Hee Haw"
"Do It All Night Long"
"Deacon Jones"
Zydeco Party K-Tel International 60592 1992 "Dog Hill"
Folk Masters: Great Performances Recorded Live... Smithsonian Folkways SF 40047 1993 "Jolie Catin"
Kings of Cajun Vol II: 21 More Stomps From The Swamp Music Club (U.K.) MCCD 116 1993 "Uncle Bud"
"Deacon Jones"
Kings of Cajun, Vol III: 25 More Stomps from the Swamps Music Club (U.K.) MCCD 171 1994 "Paper In My Shoe"
Rockin' Zydeco Party! Maison de Soul MdS 1049-2 1994 "Boozoo's Trail Ride Breakdown"
Best of Louisiana Music: Sampler Mardi Gras Records MG 5015 1995 "Zydeco Hee Haw"
Legends of Zydeco: The Old School Strikes Back Trikont (Germany) US-0203 1995 "Boozoo That's Who"
"Deacon Jones"
"Blues All Around My Bed"
"Leona Had A Party"
"Dog Hill"
"Big Leg Woman"
"Grand Mary's Two Step"
"Tell Me What's The Matter"
"Johnny Billy Goat"
Louisiana Spice: 25 Years of Louisiana Music on Rounder Records Rounder AN 18/19 1995 "Lula Lula Don't You Go To Bingo"
More Cajun Music and Zydeco Rounder CD 11573 1995 "Johnny Billy Goat"
The Real Music Box: 25 Years of Rounder Records Rounder CD AN 25 1995 "Lula Lula Don't You Go To Bingo"
Cajun & Zydeco Classics Flashback R2 72887 1996 "Uncle Bud"
Zydeco's Greatest Hits EasyDisc ED CD 7025 1996 "Uncle Bud"
Louisiana Swamp Blues Capitol (Europe) 7243 8 52046 2 3 1997 "Boozoo Stomp"
"Paper In My Shoe"
Zydeco Dance Hall EasyDisc ED CD 7035 1997 "Motor Dude Special"
Zydeco Barnyard EasyDisc 367070 1998 "Johnnie Billy Goat"
"Sugar Bee"
"Billy Goat Number Three"
"Dog Hill"
Zydeco Fever!: A Sizzling Hot Louisiana Combo of Cajun and R&B Nascente (U.K.) NSCD 029 1998 "Paper In My Shoe"
"I'm Going To The Country To Get Me A Mojo Hand"
"Lula Lula Don't You Go To Bingo"
Zydeco Party EasyDisc ED CD 7045 1998 "I'm Going to the Country to Get Me a Mojo Hand"
Zydeco Stomp: All Instrumental EasyDisc ED CD 7065 1998 "Boozoo's Shuffle"
Absolutely The Best Cajun & Zydeco Fuel 2000 ; Varèse Sarabande FLD1041 1999 "Paper In My Shoe"
Allons en Louisiane: The Rounder Records Guide to Cajun Music, Zydeco and South Louisiana Rounder 11661-6093-2 1999 "Who Stole My Monkey?"
Blues Routes: Heroes & Tricksters Smithsonian Folkways SFW CD 40118 1999 "Uncle Bud"
Hot Cajun & Zydeco Music From Tabasco Flat Town Music Company 11201-0346-2 1999 "Motor Dude Special"
Kings of Cajun: 15 Stomps from the Swamps Music Collection International (U.K.) 50105 1999 "Paper In My Shoe"
Zydeco Essentials Hip-O Records 40161 1999 "Paper In My Shoe"
"Dance All Night (Stay a Little Longer)"
Absolutely The Best Of Cajun & Zydeco, Vol. 2 Fuel 2000 ; Varèse Sarabande 061114 2000 "Uncle Bud"
If It Ain't A Hit, I'll Eat My ... Baby!: The Dirtiest Of Them Dirty Blues Zu-Zazz (Germany) ZCD 2009 2000 "Deacon Jones"
"L.A. Women Love Uncle Bud"
Music from the Zydeco Kingdom Rounder Select CD 11579 2000 "Grand Mary's Two Step"
Putumayo Presents Zydeco Putumayo World Music PUT 160-2 2000 "Lula Lula Don't You Go To Bingo"
The Ultimate Anthology of Blues & Jazz: Volume Three, Louisiana/New Orleans Weltbild Edition (Germany) CR 6602 2000 "Paper In My Shoe"
Cajun & Zydeco: Alligator Walk ARC Music (U.K.) EUCD 1657 2001 "Zydeco Hee Haw"
Roots Music: An American Journey Rounder 11661-0501-2 2001 "Oh Bye Mon Neg"
The Blues Foundation Presents Blues Greats: Featuring Nominees from the W.C. Handy Awards, 2002 BRG Records BRG0100 2002 "Keep Your Dress Tail Down"
Tornado 1313 2002 "Keep Your Dress Tail Down"
Dat's Zydeco: The Best Old-Skool Zydeco Maison de Soul MdS 1079 2002 "Dog Hill"
"Johnnie Ma Cabri"
Deep Blues Story EMI Music Distribution 5396012 2002 "Paper In My Shoe"
The Louisiana Party Collection: Cajun & Zydeco Classics Time-Life Music M18851 2002 "Paper In My Shoe"
The Louisiana Party Collection: 30 Cajun & Zydeco Classics Time-Life Music R154-36 2002 "Uncle Bud"
"Paper In My Shoe"
Southern Style: Zydeco Southern Style (Netherlands) 641920 2002 "Make It To Me"
"Uncle Bud"
"Sugar Bee"
"Zydeco Homebrew"
Zydeco: The Essential Collection Rounder 1166-11605-2 2002 "Lula Lula Don't You Go to Bingo"
"Keep Your Dress Tail Down"
Zydeco Hot Tracks: Volume One Maison de Soul/ValueDisc VMS-7006 2002 "Make It To Me"
The Best In Cajun & Zydeco Homebrew ARC Music (U.K.) EUCD1814 2003 "Zydeco Homebrew"
Doctors, Professors, Kings, & Queens: The Big Ol' Box Of New Orleans Shout! Factory D4K 37441 2004 "Dog Hill"
Gulf Coast Beach Blast Texas Music Group/Antone's TMG-ANT 0062 2004 "Hey Do Right"
The Greatest Mardi Gras Concert Ever! Fuel 2000 302 061 521 2 2005 "Uncle Bud"
Rough Guide to Zydeco World Music Network (U.K.) RGNET 1145 CD 2005 "Johnnie Billy Goat"
Eat To The Beat: The Dirtiest Of Them Dirty Blues Bear Family Records (Germany) BCD 16816AS 2006 "L.A. Women Love Uncle Bud"
Down Home Saturday Night Smithsonian Folkways SFW CD 40182 2006 "Uncle Bud"
American Routes with Nick Spitzer: Hugh Masekela & Joshua Allen Public Radio International AR 06-42 2008 "Uncle Bud"
The Best of Bob Dylan's Theme Time Radio Hour: Volume 2 Chrome Dreams (U.K.) CDCD 5021 2008 "Paper In My Shoes"
Zydeco: The Essential Pulse Series Mirana 8502 2008 "Zydeco Mardi Gras"
"Zydeco Hee Haw"
Good Music, Good Times: Spicy Bon Temps Cajun and Zydeco Music from Opelousas, Louisiana Swallow; City of Opelousas Tourism <unknown> 2009 "Motor Dude Special"
Radio Radio: Theme Time Radio Hour: Volume 2 Mischief Music (Europe) MMLTDBOX2 2009 "Paper In My Shoes"
The Best Of Cajun & Zydeco Not Now Music (U.K.) NOT2CD358 2010 "Paper In My Shoe"
Hypnotic Cajun & Obscure Zydeco Moi J'Connais Records (Switzerland) MJCR 002 2010 "Oh Oh She's Gone"
Simply America Simply SIMPLYCD 094 2011 "Paper In My Shoe"
50 Classics of Louisiana Sounds, 1953-1960 Jasmine JASCD 170 2012 "Paper In My Shoe"
Bluesin' By The Bayou Ace (U.K.) CDCHD 1368 2013 "Forty One Days"
The History of New Orleans Rhythm & Blues, Vol. 3, 1953-1955 Rhythm & Blues RANDB 029 2013 "Forty One Days"
Bluesin' By The Bayou: Rough 'n' Tough Ace (U.K.) CDCHD 1403 2014 "Paper In My Shoe"
"Got Me A Brand New Mojo Hand"
Louisiana Swamp Blues (Remastered) JSP Records (U.K.) JSP77180 2014 "Paper In My Shoe"
"Gonna Boogie"
"Bye Bye Catin"
"Calcasieu Zydeco Blues"
"Boozoo Stomp"
"Forty One Days"
"Long Black Curly Hair"
"Oh! Babe"
Zydeco: Black Creole, French Music & Blues, 1929-1972 Frémeaux & Associés (France) FA 5616 2015 "Paper In My Shoe"
"Forty One Days"
"Bye Bye Catin"
Bluesin' By The Bayou: I'm Not Jiving Ace (U.K.) CDCHD 1471 2016 "Oh Yeah She's Gone"
"Bye Bye Catin"
Shake 'Em On Down: Vol. 2 Flat Top (U.K.) FTB-069 <unknown> "Deacon Jones"
Shake 'Em On Down: Vol. 3 Flat Top (U.K.) FTB 070 <unknown> "Jolie Catan"
Shake 'Em On Down: Vol. 4 Flat Top (U.K.) FTB 1932 <unknown> "Zydeco Hee-Haw"
"Uncle Bud"

Guest appearance credits[edit]

Album title Artist(s) Record label Stock number Release year Role
Wild Weekend NRBQ Virgin Records 91291-2 1989 Accordion
Zydeco Louisiana Stomp Clifton Chenier with Clarence Garlow JSP JSP4212 2009 Accordion, vocals
Aly Meets the Cajuns: Aly Bain [DVD and CD] Aly Bain Whirlie (U.K.) DVDWHIRLIE 201 2012 Rubboard (frottoir), vocals

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Hoekstra, Dave (November 1, 1991). "Fame Late for 61-Year-Old Cajun Singer Boozoo Chavis". Chicago Sun-Times (Five Star Sports Final ed.). Chicago, Illinois. p. Weekend Plus section, 12.
  2. ^ "Wilson Anthony Chavis". www.britannica.com. Encyclopaedia Britannica. Retrieved September 29, 2017.
  3. ^ a b Eagle, Bob; LeBlanc, Eric S. (2013). Blues: A Regional Experience. Santa Barbara, California: Praeger. p. 382. ISBN 978-0313344237. OCLC 820450820.
  4. ^ a b c d e f Harris, Craig. "Boozoo Chavis: Artist Biography". www.allmusic.com. Retrieved November 25, 2016.
  5. ^ a b c d e f Snyder, Jared (1999). "Boozoo Chavis: His Own Kind of Zydeco Man". Sing Out!. 44 (1): 34–41 – via ProQuest Music Periodicals Database.
  6. ^ a b Tomko, Gene (2020). Encyclopedia of Louisiana Musicians: Jazz, Blues, Cajun, Creole, Zydeco, Swamp Pop, and Gospel. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press. p. 221. ISBN 9780807169322.
  7. ^ a b c d e Tisserand, Michael (January 1, 1993). "Boozoo Chavis: Dog Hill Afternoon". www.offbeat.com. OffBeat Magazine. Retrieved September 29, 2017.
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  9. ^ Rose, Christopher (April 25, 1996). "Moniker Mania: How They Got Those Nicknames". The Times-Picayune. New Orleans, Louisiana. p. Living Section, E1.
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