In celebration of Clifton Chenier’s centenary year, Smithsonian Folkways will release Clifton Chenier: King of Louisiana Blues and Zydeco this November on Arhoolie Records. It will be the first ever box set devoted to the iconic musician who blended African American blues, R&B, Afro-Caribbean rhythms, and Louisiana Cajun and Creole music into the genre now recognized as zydeco.

Musical legends continue to show up and show out for the King of Zydeco’s 100th birthday celebration, but that’s no surprise for those who know the musical legacy of Clifton Chenier. For those who don’t, let’s start from the top. In 1955, Specialty Records released a single from a then-unknown accordion player from Opelousas, Louisiana, “Eh, 'tite Fille.” The song—“Hey, little girl” in Chenier’s Creole French dialect—was a smash hit throughout the Southeast, and Chenier took his band, the Zydeco Ramblers, on tour to promote his new record.

There is exactly one accordion player in the world whose legacy could inspire a group of fans like The Rolling Stones, Lucinda Williams, Taj Majal, Steve Earle, and more for a 100th birthday all-star tribute: The King of Zydeco, Clifton Chenier. Bursting onto the scene in 1955 with his first hit, “Eh, 'tite Fille,” Chenier blended blues and R&B, and Afro-Cuban rhythms with Louisiana Creole music setting dancefloors and AM receivers alight from the deep South, across the pond, and beyond until his passing in 1987.