Boozoo Chavis
Wilson Anthony "Boozoo" Chavis was an American accordion player, singer, songwriter and bandleader. He was one of the pioneers of zydeco, the fusion of Cajun and blues music developed in southwest Louisiana.
Early life
Chavis was born near Lake Charles, Louisiana to parents Arthur and Marceline Chavis in a Cajun Creole settlement called Pied des Chiens, and was the son of tenant farmers. He acquired the nickname "Boozoo" in his childhood, although the origin of the nickname is unknown. When asked by a reporter about his nickname, Chavis replied "Man, I hate that question".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. 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. Accounts do not disagree that he was exposed to music within in his family, because his father, some uncles and cousins all played accordion. 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".
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. As well as developing the playing style that came to be known as zydeco, Chavis worked as a farmer, jockey, and horse trainer.
Career
Chavis made his first recording in 1954, "Paper in My Shoe," based on a song he heard performed by Creole accordionist Ambrose "Potato" Sam. Chavis's version was an uptempo tune with a dance beat about being too poor to afford new shoes or socks, so he placed paper in his shoes to keep his feet warm when the holes in the sole got too large. The song, sung in both French and English, was originally released on the Folk-Star label, a subsidiary of Goldband, before being reissued by Imperial Records. This recording was the first commercially released zydeco song and the first zydeco hit, and was subsequently acknowledged as a zydeco standard. 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.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." As a result, Chavis lost trust in the music business, and over the next thirty years only released three more singles: "Forty-One Days", "Hamburgers & Popcorn", and "Mama! Can I Come Home".
He performed rarely during the 1960s and 1970s, devoting most of his time to farming and raising racehorses 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. 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.
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. 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. He signed a five-year contract with the Maison de Soul label, and released a locally successful single, "Dog Hill" and four albums: Louisiana Zydeco Music, Boozoo Zydeco!, Zydeco Homebrew, and Zydeco Trail Ride. 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. 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. 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. 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. Chavis also routinely wore an apron while on stage, to keep his sweat from damaging his accordion.
Chavis was a prolific writer of zydeco songs, some including references to his friends and acquaintances and others too raunchy to be sold openly. 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. 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!"
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.
During the 1990s, Chavis performed widely with his band, the Magic Sounds, and was crowned "The King of Zydeco" in New Orleans in 1993, after Clifton Chenier's death. His style, using a button rather than piano accordion, was more traditional than that of Chenier. 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". He appeared at the New York Jazzfest for ten consecutive years 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. Chavis was featured in a 1994 documentary film titled The Kingdom of Zydeco.
Awards and honors
Chavis was inducted into the Zydeco Hall of Fame in 1998. 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.Personal life
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. Leona died in 2009.Boozoo and Leona had six children, Margaret, 21 grandchildren, and many great grandchildren. Two of his sons were full-time band members, and a third son and a grandson occasionally performed with the Magic Sounds.
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.
Death and legacy
Chavis died on May 5, 2001, from complications resulting from a heart attack after a performance a week earlier in Austin, Texas. He was buried in Lake Charles, Louisiana.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' 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…. is a worthy legacy for a sorely missed star of Louisiana music."
After his father's death, 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.
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, 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. Poncho Chavis and the Magic Sounds continued to perform at festivals until at least 2008.
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. As of 2017, the Dog Hill Stompers continue to play clubs and festivals in Louisiana as well as around the United States.
Chavis founded the "Labor Day Dog Hill Festival" in 1989 as a fan appreciation party, but also to showcase zydeco musicians and to keep the zydeco tradition alive. 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.
After Boozoo's death, the festival was renamed as Boozoo's Labor Day Festival to celebrate his legacy and love of zydeco music. 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. In 2015 the Southeast Tourism Society, which has 12 states as members, named Boozoo's Labor Day Festival a "Top 20 Event". The festival celebrated its thirty-second anniversary in 2016.
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". Younger zydeco musician Jo Jo Reed released a song he wrote titled "Got It From Boo" 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
Studio and live albums
Singles
Various artist compilation albums
| Album title | Record label | Stock number | Release year | Song title |
| Rural Blues, Vol 2: Saturday Night Function | Imperial | LM-94001 | 1968 | "Paper In My Shoe" |
| Rural Blues, Vol 2: Saturday Night Function | Imperial | LM-94001 | 1968 | "Boozoo Stomp" |
| Nothing But The Blues | CBS | 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 | "Forty One Days" |
| Zydeco Birth | Folk-Star | GFCL 103 | 1987 | "Calcasieu Zydeco Blues" |
| Zydeco Birth | Folk-Star | GFCL 103 | 1987 | "Paper In My Shoe" |
| Zydeco Birth | Folk-Star | GFCL 103 | 1987 | "Gonna Boogie" |
| Zydeco Birth | Folk-Star | GFCL 103 | 1987 | "Forty One Days" |
| Zydeco Birth | Folk-Star | GFCL 103 | 1987 | "Long Black Curly Hair" |
| Zydeco Birth | Folk-Star | GFCL 103 | 1987 | "Oh! Babe" |
| Zydeco Birth | Folk-Star | GFCL 103 | 1987 | "Bye Bye Catin" |
| Zydeco Festival | Maison de Soul | MdS CD-101; MdS LP 1024 | 1988 | "You Act Sick When Your Man Is Home" |
| Zydeco Festival | Maison de Soul | MdS CD-101; MdS LP 1024 | 1988 | "Deacon Jones" |
| Kings of Zydeco: Black Creole Music from the Deep South | Trikont | CD-0158-2 | 1989 | "Paper In My Shoe" |
| Kings of Zydeco: Black Creole Music from the Deep South | Trikont | CD-0158-2 | 1989 | "Jealous Two Man Step" |
| Kings of Zydeco: Black Creole Music from the Deep South | Trikont | CD-0158-2 | 1989 | "My Toot Toot" |
| Zydeco Live!: Direct from Richard's Club, Lawtell Louisiana | Rounder | CD 2069 | 1989 | "Dog Hill" |
| Zydeco Live!: Direct from Richard's Club, Lawtell Louisiana | Rounder | CD 2069 | 1989 | "Jolie Catin" |
| Zydeco Live!: Direct from Richard's Club, Lawtell Louisiana | Rounder | CD 2069 | 1989 | "I'm Driftin' " |
| Zydeco Live!: Direct from Richard's Club, Lawtell Louisiana | Rounder | CD 2069 | 1989 | "Make It To Me" |
| Zydeco Live!: Direct from Richard's Club, Lawtell Louisiana | Rounder | CD 2069 | 1989 | "Boozoo on Boozoo" |
| Zydeco Live!: Direct from Richard's Club, Lawtell Louisiana | Rounder | CD 2069 | 1989 | "Gone a la Maison" |
| Zydeco Live!: Direct from Richard's Club, Lawtell Louisiana | Rounder | CD 2069 | 1989 | "Deacon John" |
| Alligator Stomp: Cajun & Zydeco Classics | Rhino | R2 70946 | 1990 | "Uncle Bud" |
| Alligator Stomp: Cajun & Zydeco Classics | Rhino | R2 70946 | 1990 | "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" |
| Best of Louisiana Cajun Classics, Vol. II: Cajun & Zydeco's Greatest Artists | Mardi Gras Records | MG 1010 | 1990 | "Zydeco Homebrew" |
| J'ai Eté au Bal, Vol. 2 | Arhoolie | CD-332 | 1990 | "Johnny Ain't No Goat" |
| 101 Proof Zydeco | Maison de Soul | MdS 1030 | 1990 | "Zydeco Hee Haw" |
| 101 Proof Zydeco | Maison de Soul | MdS 1030 | 1990 | "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" |
| American Explorer Series: Selections From Debut Releases | Elektra Nonesuch | PR8379 | 1991 | "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 " |
| Highway 61: The Soundtrack | Intrepid | N21S 0009 | 1992 | "Zydeco Heehaw" |
| Kings of Cajun: 22 Stomps from the Swamps | Music Club | MCTC 066 | 1992 | "Zydeco Hee-Haw" |
| Kings of Cajun: 22 Stomps from the Swamps | Music Club | MCTC 066 | 1992 | "Jolie Catan" |
| Stomp Down Zydeco | Rounder | CD 11566 | 1992 | "Sugar Bee" |
| Zydeco Party | Ace | CDCHD 430 | 1992 | "Zydeco Hee Haw" |
| Zydeco Party | Ace | CDCHD 430 | 1992 | "Do It All Night Long" |
| Zydeco Party | Ace | CDCHD 430 | 1992 | "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 | MCCD 116 | 1993 | "Uncle Bud" |
| Kings of Cajun Vol II: 21 More Stomps From The Swamp | Music Club | MCCD 116 | 1993 | "Deacon Jones" |
| Kings of Cajun, Vol III: 25 More Stomps from the Swamps | Music Club | 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 | US-0203 | 1995 | "Boozoo That's Who" |
| Legends of Zydeco: The Old School Strikes Back | Trikont | US-0203 | 1995 | "Deacon Jones" |
| Legends of Zydeco: The Old School Strikes Back | Trikont | US-0203 | 1995 | "Blues All Around My Bed" |
| Legends of Zydeco: The Old School Strikes Back | Trikont | US-0203 | 1995 | "Leona Had A Party" |
| Legends of Zydeco: The Old School Strikes Back | Trikont | US-0203 | 1995 | "Dog Hill" |
| Legends of Zydeco: The Old School Strikes Back | Trikont | US-0203 | 1995 | "Big Leg Woman" |
| Legends of Zydeco: The Old School Strikes Back | Trikont | US-0203 | 1995 | "Grand Mary's Two Step" |
| Legends of Zydeco: The Old School Strikes Back | Trikont | US-0203 | 1995 | "Tell Me What's The Matter" |
| Legends of Zydeco: The Old School Strikes Back | Trikont | US-0203 | 1995 | "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 | 7243 8 52046 2 3 | 1997 | "Boozoo Stomp" |
| Louisiana Swamp Blues | Capitol | 7243 8 52046 2 3 | 1997 | "Paper In My Shoe" |
| Zydeco Dance Hall | EasyDisc | ED CD 7035 | 1997 | "Motor Dude Special" |
| Zydeco Barnyard | EasyDisc | 367070 | 1998 | "Johnnie Billy Goat" |
| Zydeco Barnyard | EasyDisc | 367070 | 1998 | "Sugar Bee" |
| Zydeco Barnyard | EasyDisc | 367070 | 1998 | "Billy Goat Number Three" |
| Zydeco Barnyard | EasyDisc | 367070 | 1998 | "Dog Hill" |
| Zydeco Fever!: A Sizzling Hot Louisiana Combo of Cajun and R&B | Nascente | NSCD 029 | 1998 | "Paper In My Shoe" |
| Zydeco Fever!: A Sizzling Hot Louisiana Combo of Cajun and R&B | Nascente | NSCD 029 | 1998 | "I'm Going To The Country To Get Me A Mojo Hand" |
| Zydeco Fever!: A Sizzling Hot Louisiana Combo of Cajun and R&B | Nascente | NSCD 029 | 1998 | "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 | 50105 | 1999 | "Paper In My Shoe" |
| Zydeco Essentials | Hip-O Records | 40161 | 1999 | "Paper In My Shoe" |
| Zydeco Essentials | Hip-O Records | 40161 | 1999 | "Dance All Night " |
| 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 | ZCD 2009 | 2000 | "Deacon Jones" |
| If It Ain't A Hit, I'll Eat My... Baby!: The Dirtiest Of Them Dirty Blues | Zu-Zazz | ZCD 2009 | 2000 | "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 | CR 6602 | 2000 | "Paper In My Shoe" |
| Cajun & Zydeco: Alligator Walk | ARC Music | 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" |
| The Blues Foundation Presents Blues Greats: Featuring Nominees from the W.C. Handy Awards, 2002 | Tornado | 1313 | 2002 | "Keep Your Dress Tail Down" |
| Dat's Zydeco: The Best Old-Skool Zydeco | Maison de Soul | MdS 1079 | 2002 | "Dog Hill" |
| Dat's Zydeco: The Best Old-Skool Zydeco | Maison de Soul | MdS 1079 | 2002 | "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" |
| The Louisiana Party Collection: 30 Cajun & Zydeco Classics | Time-Life Music | R154-36 | 2002 | "Paper In My Shoe" |
| Southern Style: Zydeco | Southern Style | 641920 | 2002 | "Make It To Me" |
| Southern Style: Zydeco | Southern Style | 641920 | 2002 | "Uncle Bud" |
| Southern Style: Zydeco | Southern Style | 641920 | 2002 | "Sugar Bee" |
| Southern Style: Zydeco | Southern Style | 641920 | 2002 | "Zydeco Homebrew" |
| Zydeco: The Essential Collection | Rounder | 1166-11605-2 | 2002 | "Lula Lula Don't You Go to Bingo" |
| Zydeco: The Essential Collection | Rounder | 1166-11605-2 | 2002 | "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 | 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 | RGNET 1145 CD | 2005 | "Johnnie Billy Goat" |
| Eat To The Beat: The Dirtiest Of Them Dirty Blues | Bear Family Records | 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 | CDCD 5021 | 2008 | "Paper In My Shoes" |
| Zydeco: The Essential Pulse Series | Mirana | 8502 | 2008 | "Zydeco Mardi Gras" |
| Zydeco: The Essential Pulse Series | Mirana | 8502 | 2008 | "Zydeco Hee Haw" |
| Good Music, Good Times: Spicy Bon Temps Cajun and Zydeco Music from Opelousas, Louisiana | Swallow; City of Opelousas Tourism | 2009 | "Motor Dude Special" | |
| Radio Radio: Theme Time Radio Hour: Volume 2 | Mischief Music | MMLTDBOX2 | 2009 | "Paper In My Shoes" |
| The Best Of Cajun & Zydeco | Not Now Music | NOT2CD358 | 2010 | "Paper In My Shoe" |
| Hypnotic Cajun & Obscure Zydeco | Moi J'Connais Records | 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 | 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 | CDCHD 1403 | 2014 | "Paper In My Shoe" |
| Bluesin' By The Bayou: Rough 'n' Tough | Ace | CDCHD 1403 | 2014 | "Got Me A Brand New Mojo Hand" |
| Louisiana Swamp Blues | JSP Records | JSP77180 | 2014 | "Paper In My Shoe" |
| Louisiana Swamp Blues | JSP Records | JSP77180 | 2014 | "Gonna Boogie" |
| Louisiana Swamp Blues | JSP Records | JSP77180 | 2014 | "Bye Bye Catin" |
| Louisiana Swamp Blues | JSP Records | JSP77180 | 2014 | "Calcasieu Zydeco Blues" |
| Louisiana Swamp Blues | JSP Records | JSP77180 | 2014 | "Boozoo Stomp" |
| Louisiana Swamp Blues | JSP Records | JSP77180 | 2014 | "Forty One Days" |
| Louisiana Swamp Blues | JSP Records | JSP77180 | 2014 | "Long Black Curly Hair" |
| Louisiana Swamp Blues | JSP Records | JSP77180 | 2014 | "Oh! Babe" |
| Zydeco: Black Creole, French Music & Blues, 1929-1972 | Frémeaux & Associés | FA 5616 | 2015 | "Paper In My Shoe" |
| Zydeco: Black Creole, French Music & Blues, 1929-1972 | Frémeaux & Associés | FA 5616 | 2015 | "Forty One Days" |
| Zydeco: Black Creole, French Music & Blues, 1929-1972 | Frémeaux & Associés | FA 5616 | 2015 | "Bye Bye Catin" |
| Bluesin' By The Bayou: I'm Not Jiving | Ace | CDCHD 1471 | 2016 | "Oh Yeah She's Gone" |
| Bluesin' By The Bayou: I'm Not Jiving | Ace | CDCHD 1471 | 2016 | "Bye Bye Catin" |
| Shake 'Em On Down: Vol. 2 | Flat Top | FTB-069 | "Deacon Jones" | |
| Shake 'Em On Down: Vol. 3 | Flat Top | FTB 070 | "Jolie Catan" | |
| Shake 'Em On Down: Vol. 4 | Flat Top | FTB 1932 | "Zydeco Hee-Haw" | |
| Shake 'Em On Down: Vol. 4 | Flat Top | FTB 1932 | "Uncle Bud" |
Guest appearance credits
| Album title | Artist | 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 | Aly Bain | Whirlie | DVDWHIRLIE 201 | 2012 | Rubboard, vocals |