‘Clifton Chenier: King of Louisiana Blues and Zydeco’—Smithsonian Folkways Launches Landmark Box Set Celebrating Zydeco Pioneer

​In honor of Clifton Chenier’s centenary, Smithsonian Folkways and Arhoolie Records will release Clifton Chenier: King of Louisiana Blues and Zydeco this November—the first-ever box set devoted to the trailblazing artist who pioneered the genre of zydeco music. The collection celebrates a visionary performer who blended African American blues, R&B, Afro-Caribbean rhythms, and Louisiana Cajun and Creole traditions to forge an electrifying and enduring regional Black sound that traveled from the rural back roads of Louisiana to the global stage.
Born June 25, 1925, Clifton Chenier earned his title as the “King of Zydeco” through decades of innovative performance and genre-defining recordings before his passing in 1987. His influence continues to resonate deeply throughout American roots music.

To mark the announcement, Smithsonian Folkways has shared a previously unreleased 1971 recording of “Mr. Charlie,” written by Chenier’s cousin and blues icon Lightnin’ Hopkins. 
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​This historic box set also marks a milestone for Arhoolie Records: it is the label’s first new release since its acquisition by Smithsonian Folkways in 2016. Clifton Chenier: King of Louisiana Blues and Zydeco will be available in two formats: a 4-CD or 6-LP vinyl edition, both featuring 67 tracks—including 19 never-before-released performances—spanning the years 1954 to 1983.

Accompanying the music is a 160-page hardcover book packed with rare photographs, graphic ephemera, and detailed liner notes. The box includes:

• An in-depth biography by Grammy-winning producer and Arhoolie Foundation Executive Director Adam Machado
• A comprehensive essay by American Routes host and folklorist Nick Spitzer
• A reflection on Chenier’s legacy in Louisiana communities by journalist Herman Fuselier
• A personal remembrance by Chenier’s son and zydeco musician CJ Chenier

The box set features beloved classics such as “Bon Ton Roulet,” “Zydeco et Pas Sale,” “Jole Blonde,” and “Black Gal,” as well as never-before-heard material including “Shake Rattle & Roll,” “Calinda,” “That’s My Number / 634-5789,” and early live recordings. Notable highlights include a performance from the 1977 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and his appearance on one of the first episodes of Austin City Limits in 1976, alongside Townes Van Zandt.

The collection also showcases collaborations with Chenier’s brother Cleveland, his son CJ, boogie-woogie pianist Katie Webster, and others—highlighting zydeco’s expansion from South Louisiana to Houston, Austin, and the West Coast. Together, the recordings trace a musical migration as vital to American culture as the sounds themselves.

A Special Tribute from The Rolling Stones
In addition to the box set, a limited-edition 7” vinyl single will be released on June 27 via Smithsonian Folkways, Arhoolie Records, and Valcour Records. The single features a brand-new recording of Chenier’s signature anthem “Zydeco Sont Pas Salés” by none other than The Rolling Stones.

Produced by acclaimed Louisiana musician CC Adcock, the Stones’ version features Mick Jagger singing entirely in French, Keith Richards on rhythm guitar, and Ronnie Wood on lead. They are joined by Cajun accordionist Steve Riley and longtime Chenier drummer Robert St. Julien, blending rock swagger with zydeco soul. The B-side features Chenier’s original 1965 recording of the track, produced by Arhoolie founder Chris Strachwitz. The new recording will also appear on A Tribute to the King of Zydeco, an upcoming compilation from Valcour Records.

​Before earning the title “King of Zydeco,” Clifton Chenier was a young man determined to make his mark.
In his early years, Chenier worked as a sharecropper and later as a manual laborer in a Texas refinery. According to legend, after refusing to climb into a dangerous pit on the job, he was fired—only to return two days later wearing a white suit, driving a Cadillac, and holding his very first record contract, signaling the start of an extraordinary music career.
By the early 1950s, Chenier was gaining national attention for his unique blend of Cajun and R&B-inflected accordion playing. Early recordings like “Clifton’s Blues” and “Louisiana Stomp” (both featured in the upcoming box set) led to a deal with Art Rupe’s Specialty Records. His first hit, “Ay Tete Fee” (1955), helped him share stages with legends such as Etta James, Little Richard, and Ray Charles.

After a brief lull, Chenier’s career was revitalized in 1964 when he met Chris Strachwitz, founder of Arhoolie Records, through bluesman Lightnin’ Hopkins. Encouraged by Strachwitz to embrace a more traditional French Cajun sound, Chenier’s collaboration with the label began with the hit “Louisiana Blues.” This partnership would span decades, producing landmark albums including Bogalusa Boogie, Louisiana Blues and Zydeco, and King of the Bayous.

Chenier’s bold accordion style and charismatic performances earned him widespread acclaim, including a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, the National Heritage Fellowship, and induction into the Blues Hall of Fame. In 2011, his 1975 song “Je Suis en Racolteur (I’m a Farmer)” was honored by the Library of Congress with placement in the National Recording Registry.
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Clifton Chenier: King of Louisiana Blues and Zydeco joins a prestigious lineup of monumental box sets released by Smithsonian Folkways, continuing the label’s mission to preserve and contextualize the world’s diverse musical heritage. Other landmark releases include the Anthology of American Folk Music, the definitive Pete Seeger collection, and 2023’s Playing for the Man at the Door: Field Recordings from the Collection of Mack McCormick, 1958–1971, which explores American folk and blues history through McCormick’s legendary archives.