On This Day in 1952, Hank Williams Dominated Multiple Country Charts with a Cajun-Flavored Classic

On this day (October 29) in 1952, Hank Williams was at No. 1 on all three of the Billboard country charts with “Jambalaya (On the Bayou)”. It spent 11 weeks atop the Most-Played Juke Box Country & Western Records chart, nine weeks at No. 1 on the Best-Selling Retail Folk Records chart, and 10 weeks atop the Country & Western Records Most Played by Folk Disk Jockeys chart. More than half a century later, the song remains popular with fans of various genres.

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Williams has sole writing credit on the enduring hit. However, many speculate that he co-wrote the song with Moon Mullican, who released his version just days after the original. He and Williams were on different labels. As a result, some believe that Fred Rose paid Mullican under the table to avoid splitting the song’s royalties with another corporate entity. In the end, though, Williams’ original became the definitive version and has been recorded by artists from a variety of genres and countries. Renditions of the song in Mandarin, Dutch, Spanish, Cajun French, and multiple other languages.

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“Jambalaya (On the Bayou)” contains many elements of Cajun music and mentions staples of the culture’s cuisine. Additionally, Williams based the song’s melody on “Big Texas,” a classic Cajun tune, and did his best to sound like someone who would pole a pirogue down the bayou. However, he recorded the song with traditional honky tonk instruments instead of those used in Cajun music. In doing so, he diluted the culture’s traditional music, making it more palatable for a broader audience.

Hank Williams Created an International Favorite

After the song became a hit, many Cajun bands worked it into their repertoires, adding traditional instruments and Cajun French patois, making the song more authentic. However, the song’s popularity wasn’t limited to Louisiana. Several other American artists recorded the song, including Brenda Lee, Fats Domino, The Carpenters, and John Fogerty.

The popularity of this Hank Williams classic doesn’t stop at the United States border. Versions have been recorded in multiple languages, including German, Mandarin, and Spanish, among others. Below is a version by the Hong Kong-based singer Zhang Lu. The lyrics, according to NolaChinese, are about a girl who is approached by a boy whose face is covered in pimples. However, the melody is unmistakable.

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