Celebrating 100 Years of the Zydeco King

'A Tribute to the King of Zydeco' gathers everyone from the Rolling Stones and Taj Mahal to Charley Crockett and Marcia Ball for a good cause and a damn good time.

Today, June 25th, marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of Clifton Chenier, the King of Zydeco. To honor his legacy, this Friday, Valcour Records is releasing A Tribute to the King of Zydeco, featuring several generations of artists offering their take on a genre that has been gaining traction in the public consciousness lately.

The biggest news surrounding the tribute is the involvement of The Rolling Stones, who place their swaggering stamp on Chenier’s “Zydeco Sont Pas Sales,”

The Stones’ version was produced by swamp rock and pop ambassador CC Adcock, whom I recently spoke to at length for my upcoming book on Swamp Rock. “I knew they were super hip to Zydeco,” Adcock says of the Stones. “I knew Mick’s little brother, Chris, had a Cajun Zydeco band in England; Keith had (Stanley) “Buckwheat” (Dural) and Michael Doucet on Talk Is Cheap; and Mick has name-checked Clifton over the years—so there were just tons of clues.”

The track features Mick (singing in “perfect Cajun French,” according to Adcock), Keith Richards, and Ronnie Wood, flanked by Chenier’s longtime drummer Robert St. Julien and Cajun accordionist Steve Riley. To commemorate the event, Smithsonian Folkways, in partnership with Valcour and Arhoolie Records (recently acquired by Folkways), is releasing the Stones track on a limited edition 45 backed with Chenier’s original version, recorded in 1965 by Arhoolie founder Chris Strachwitz (who passed away in 2023).

As for this Friday’s release of A Tribute to the King of Zydeco, The Stones’ cover kicks off an incredible trip down to the Louisiana bayou with an all-star assembly of Americana, blues, soul, and country artists paying tribute to the music of Clifton Chenier. Born in Opelousas, Louisiana, he helped popularize a genre that feeds off blues, African and Caribbean rhythms, R&B, and both creole and cajun cultures.

Chenier was also a fan of country music, as were many who hailed from the area. He had a hit with “Release Me,” which is most often associated with artists ranging fro Patti Page to Ray Price, yet it is another highlight from A Tribute to the King of Zydeco delivered by CC Adcock’s sometime running partner, swamp pop legend Tommy McLain, who appears alongside fellow Louisiana native Lucinda Williams. Their take is deep-fried and sanctified, and was the set’s first single.

The entire project is flawlessly sequenced and flows like a humid night deep down in bayou country at a small, sweaty nightspot where locals bump and grind on the slow ones (like Charley Crockett’s sex-soaked, incendiary take on the blues, “Easy Easy Baby”) and twirl and rejoice on the rockers, such as Taj Mahal and Keith Frank’s version of “Hey ‘Tite Fille.”

Steve Earle inhabits the well-worn “Just Like A Woman” with the wink, smirk, and frustration of someone who knows its subject all too well, with an assist from Anthony Dopsie of Rockin’ Dopsie, Jr & the Zydeco Twisters; Jimmie Vaughan, Johnny Nicholas, and Steve Riley shuffle through a tough, roadhouse version of “My Soul;” and long, tall Marcia Ball (who shared the stage with Clifton a few times over the years) brings her Gulf Coast badassery to “I May Be Wrong” with the help of Zydeco accordionist Geno Delafose.

Meanwhile, John Hiatt teams up with Lafayette native Roddie Romero for the country/swamp pop sway of “You Used to Call Me;” Shannon McNally, Keith Frank, and Molly Tuttle rock most ably through a take on “Tout Le Temps En Temps” (props to McNally’s flawless French and Tuttle’s even more flawless pickin’); and Clifton’s son, CJ Chenier, appears with Los Lobos legend David Hidalgo on the smokin’ instrumental, “Hot Rod” as well as with Beaux Bridge, La native Sonny Landreth on the soul-filled closer, “I’m Comin’ Home.”

A Tribute to the King of Zydeco was produced by Los Lobos’ Steve Berlin, along with Valcour Records founder and member of the “First Family of Cajun Music,” Joel Savoy. It’s quite simply one of the best, most joyful, and exciting releases of the year.

This Friday’s music release news will most likely be dominated by a certain Jersey guy’s previously unreleased material—and hey, I’m looking forward to Tracks II as much as the next fan—but be sure to make some time to slap on A Tribute to the King of Zydeco. In times like these, we all need to let loose a little, break a sweat on the dance floor, and dig into some sweet ass Zydeco. Clifton’s legacy is worth remembering and, most importantly, celebrating.

Proceeds from the project are also going toward a worthy cause. From the album’s press release:

In celebration of the 100th anniversary of the King of Zydeco in 2025, the Clifton Chenier Memorial Scholarship honors Clifton Chenier's legacy at the College of the Arts at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. The scholarship fund will offer annual financial assistance to students studying Traditional Music, specifically Zydeco accordion, at UL Lafayette. All proceeds from A Tribute to the King of Zydeco will go directly toward funding this new scholarship. To learn more about the scholarship or to donate, please visit this link.

It was also announced today that Smithsonian Folkways is planning a box set honoring Chenier’s centennial. Jump to those links to find out more and to pre-order.

Here’s the complete track list for A Tribute to the King of Zydeco:

Side A

1. Zydeco Sont Pas Salés- The Rolling Stones and Steve Riley (Clifton Chenier, Flat Town Music/Tradition Music)

2. Easy Easy Baby- Charley Crockett and Nathan Williams Sr. (Clifton Chenier/ Tradition Music)

3. Hey ‘Tite Fille- Taj Mahal and Keith Frank (Clifton Chenier/ Sony/ATV Songs LLC)

4. I’m On The Wonder- Jon Cleary and Curley Taylor (Clifton Chenier/ Tradition Music Co.)

5. Just Like A Woman- Steve Earle and Anthony Dopsie (Claude Demetrius and Fleecie Moore/ Cherio Corporation)

6. Release Me- Lucinda Williams, Tommy McLain, and Keith Frank (Eddie Miller, James William

   Pebworth, Robert Gene Yount/ Roschelle Publishing Co and Sony/ATV Acuff Rose Music)

Side B

1. Hot Rod- David Hidalgo and CJ Chenier (Clifton Chenier/ Flat Town/Tradition Music)

2. Tout Le Temps En Temps- Shannon McNally, Molly Tuttle, and Keith Frank (Clifton Chenier/Flat Town Music/Tradition Music)

3. My Soul- Jimmie Vaughan, Johnny Nicholas, and Steve Riley (Clifton Chenier/ Tradition Music Co.)

4. Ay Ai Ai- Ruben Ramos with Los Texmaniacs and Augie Meyers (Clifton Chenier/ Flat Town/Tradition Music)

5. I May Be Wrong- Marcia Ball and Geno Delafose (Clifton Chenier/ Tradition Music Co.)

6. I’m Comin’ Home- CJ Chenier and Sonny Landreth (Clifton Chenier/ Flat Town Music/Tradition Music)

Bonus Downloads

• You Used To Call Me- John Hiatt, Sonny Landreth, and Roddie Romero (Clifton Chenier/ Flat Town Music)

• Why Did You Go Last Night?- Kam Franklin, AJ Haynes, and Roddie Romero (Clifton Chenier/ Tradition Music)

Be sure to subscribe to, and keep an eye on, The Mixtape, as more music from the swamps will be heading your way…

Here’s a Mixtape of Clifton’s original versions of the songs covered on A Tribute to the King of Zydeco, out this Friday on Valcour Records.

Apple users can access this Mixtape here.