The inspiration for Joe
Beebee, Cecil Wilson, and Leo LeRoy in Martin's book includes Wilson A.
"Boozoo" Chavis who recorded the first zydeco hit. For more
about zydeco music and the players who made that genre popular
throughout Bayou country and in particular Louisiana, Texas, and
California.
Amédé Ardoin
Adam Fontenot
Dennis McGee
Canray Fontenot
Nathan Abshire
Alphones “Bois-Sec” Ardoin
Iry Lejeune
Balfa Brothers ( Will, Dewey and Rodney Balfa)
Clifton Chenier
Wilson A. “Boozoo” Chavez
Marc Savoy
Michael Doucette
Buckwheat Zydeco (born Stanley Dural, Jr.)
John Delafose
Christine Balfa and Dirk Powell
Queen Ida Guillory
"Boozoo" Chavis (1930-2001) -- Born Wilson
Anthony Chavis in Louisiana on October 23, 1930, Chavis grew up among
those who loved music. He became one of the first to play a genre of
music later called “zydeco.” Zydeco was a hybrid of Cajun and Blues
music. Chavis recorded the first zydeco hit but later thought the
industry was cheating him out of his royalties so he quit the business.
His mother had long been involved in raising and training champion
racehorses so he turned to horses. He soon became well known in the
racing circuit. One of Chavis's obituaries recounted the
legendary tale that one day, while traveling, Chavis spotted a poster
advertising “Boozoo Chavis’s” appearance at a nearby venue.
Realizing someone must be impersonating him, he decided there must
still be money in the music business so in 1984 he returned to the
stage—almost a twenty years after abandoning the commercial music scene.
