On Sept. 6, 1952, Hank Williams earned a number one hit with his track, “Jambalaya (On the Bayou)”. The song was one of the last to be released by Williams before his untimely death and is still noted as one of his most popular songs to date.
Williams recorded the track in Castle Studio in Nashville, with Chet Atkins on lead guitar, Jerry Rivers playing fiddle, and Don Helms on steel guitar. The song follows a Louisiana-centric Cajun theme and takes its melody from a classic Cajun song named “Grand Texas”. He describes his woman, Yvonne, as his “ma chaz ami-o,” which translates to “my good girlfriend” in Cajun French. Williams later wrote “I’m Yvonne (Of the Bayou)”, which gives a female perspective on the song’s theme. It was recorded by country singer Goldie Hill in 1953, but was not as well-received as the original.