Nathan Williams grew up in a Creole-speaking family in St. Martinville, Louisiana, and as a young boy sought out the music of zydeco pioneers like Clifton Chenier, sneaking to the window-sized fan at the back of a dance hall to hear his idol play when he was too young to attend. While recovering from a serious illness, Williams decided to dedicate himself to learning the accordion, and began his professional career at age 21, recording 45 rpm singles for his brother Sid's El Sid-O's label. When Sid later opened his historic El Sido's Zydeco & Blues Club in Lafayette, the Cha Chas became the venue's Friday-night resident act.
Williams formed Nathan and the Zydeco Cha Chas in 1985, and early in his career, The New York Times described the then-25-year-old as "poised to become important," later calling him "rightly considered one of the best young zydeco musicians in Louisiana." The band is a genuine family affair: brother Dennis Paul Williams brings jazz-influenced guitar work and doubles as a respected painter, contributing cover art for the album Hang It High, Hang It Low; cousin Allen Williamson plays bass; cousin and godson Djuan Francis and cousin Mark Williams round out the rhythm section; and Nathan Williams Jr. plays keyboards while leading his own band in the Lafayette area. Rubboard player Clifford Alexander spent 23 years with Clifton Chenier himself before joining the Cha Chas.
Nathan and the Zydeco Cha Chas were inducted into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame in 2005, and Williams later received the Zydeco Music Association's Lifetime Achievement Award. The band has earned a Grammy Award nomination for the recording Lucky Man, released their live album I'm a Zydeco Hog: Live at the Rock 'N' Bowl, New Orleans in 1997, and have performed at Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall's Citywide Concert Series, the Kennedy Center, the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, and the Grand Ole Opry, in addition to Europe's top blues festivals. They've been featured in the New York Times, Essence, and People magazines, and on the cover of USA Today.
