After recording the first hit song for zydeco in 1954 with “Paper In My Shoe,” Boozoo Chavis left his musical career in favor of horse training. That is, until the eighties when he picked up his accordion again and went on to have a lasting influence on the current generation of zydeco players.
American Routes‘ Nick Spitzer met Chavis in 1989 at the Zydeco Festival in Plaisance, LA before the musician’s death. In the interview below, you’ll hear Chavis talk about how he got his nickname, his progression in zydeco and the basic elements of a zydeco band.