Chavis’ 1955 single “Paper in My Shoe” is considered by many to be the first modern recording of zydeco, the rural south Louisiana music that is a close cousin of Cajun music.

After a long hiatus, he resumed his career in the mid-1980s as an inspiration to many of the younger artists who fueled zydeco’s latter-day upsurge.

“Boozoo Chavis launched a renaissance of zydeco that owes its existence to his genius,” said Michael Tisserand, author of The Kingdom of Zydeco. “Nobody on stage could touch him. He was so feisty and so fun and so honest.”

Chavis was the son of tenant farmers who lived near Lake Charles in an area known as Dog Hill because people buried their pets there. He was nicknamed “Boozoo” as a child.

He began his career entertaining at southwest Louisiana house parties, where his fluid accordion playing propelled dancers late into the night.

He recorded “Paper in My Shoe” in 1955 for the tiny Lake Charles label Goldband. Like other early zydeco songs, it translated hard times – in this case, having to substitute paper for socks – into a celebratory anthem that flew in the face of adversity.

The song was a regional hit, but Chavis quickly grew disillusioned with the music business, believing he did not receive his fair share of royalties.

He walked away from his career and spent the next two decades as a jockey and raising and training racehorses. He might never have performed again had he not learned of another player billing himself as Boozoo Chavis in 1984. Prodded by his wife, Leona, the real Boozoo Chavis decided to reclaim his name and reputation.

To kick off his comeback, he recorded “Dog Hill,” a chronicle of life on his small Lake Charles homestead.

Area radio stations played it, and the single quickly sold out its initial run. Soon, offers were coming in for Chavis to perform, and his career blossomed.

He soon found himself hailed as a living legend of zydeco, just as the music’s popularity surged beyond its southwest Louisiana/southeast Texas home. The Elektra Nonesuch label included Chavis in its recordings documenting icons of American roots music.

Chavis and his band, the Magic Sounds, were a popular attraction at dance halls throughout southwest Louisiana. Though reluctant to travel, he was in demand at festivals across the country.

Each Labor Day, he hosted a daylong zydeco festival at Dog Hill, with bands performing in an expanded carport.

Onstage, he would pump his button-key accordion for hours. His compact riffs rode atop the rhythm of the band, and he sang with a distinct, gravely voice.

“We play the old-style, natural zydeco,” Chavis once said. “It’s got a different accent to it, and it makes people pay attention. Makes ’em go wild.”

Chavis finished recording an album for Rounder Records, with Cajun blues guitarist Sonny Landreth and fiddler David Greely, in April. His final performance was in Austin April 28.

He suffered a heart attack late that night in a hotel room. After being admitted to an Austin hospital, he suffered a stroke that left him partially paralyzed.

Besides his wife, survivors include three sons and three daughters. Johnson’s Funeral Home in Lake Charles is in charge of arrangements.