Boozoo Chavis

Wilson Anthony Chavis
Boozoo Chavis at the 2000 Original Southwest Zydeco Festival. Boozoo Chavis at the 2000 Original Southwest Zydeco Festival.
Background information
Birth name	Wilson Chavis
Also known as	Boozoo Chavis
Born	(1930-10-23)October 23, 1930
Origin	Louisiana
Died
Genres	Zydeco
Occupation(s)	Musician, accordionist, singer
Instruments	Cajun accordion
Years active	1954–2001

Wilson Anthony "Boozoo" Chavis (born October 23, 1930 in Lake Charles, LA and died May 5, 2001 in Austin, Texas) was a zydeco musician – music created by French speaking Creoles of South-West Louisiana. He was active from 1954 until his death during which time he largely sang and played the accordion. Chavis was also a prolific writer of zydeco songs. 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!" His wife's name was Leona and they had six children, Wilson Jr., Margret, Louanna, Charles, Licia, and Rellis Chavis and had over 20 grandchildren. Boozoo was crowned "The King of Zydeco" in New Orleans in the 1990s. His son Charles was a member of his band at the time.

External links

• Remembering Boozoo Chavis http://www.bluesworld.com/BooZoo.html
• Comprehensive Boozoo discography on WangDangDula! http://koti.mbnet.fi/wdd/boozoochavis.htm
• All Music profile
• Boozoo Chavis at Find a Grave