The Short Life of Hank Williams
He is the dividing line between traditional and modern country music, he laid the foundations for many other country music performers who would come along after him.. His music has endured, and unlike his contemporaries, Hank Williams reaches generations that neither knew him nor saw him. He gave to Country Music much of its standard repertoire, a new definition of stardom and an enduring legend.
Hank was found dead in the back seat of his Cadillac on New Year's Day 1953.
He was just 29 years old.
For Hank, the constant pain was deadened with alcohol and morphine - all of which contributed to his early death.
The young Hank Willaims
After school and on weekends, Williams sang and played his Silvertone guitar on the pavement outside the WSFA radio studios. He quickly caught the attention of WSFA producers, who occasionally invited him to come inside and perform on air. So many listeners contacted the radio station asking for more of the "Singing Kid" that the producers hired him to host his own fifteen-minute show, twice a week for a weekly salary of fifteen dollars.
At 14 he changed his name to Hank Williams, believing the change to be better for a career in music and, at 16, he formed the first version of his legendary Drifting Cowboys.
Hank Williams And His Drifting Cowboys
Hank's radio programme proved to be very popular and it sky rocketed his career in country music. He used the money he earned from the radio show to put together his own group which he named the Drifting Cowboys. The original line up for the Drifting Cowboys were Braxton Schuffert, Freddie Beach, Smith Adair and Arthor Whiting.By 1939 The Drifting Cowboys were doing so well that Hank decided to drop out of school and play music full time. Now that he wasn't "tied down" to a class schedule he and his band could travel farther away for shows.
In 1941 all Drifting Cowboys band members, except for Hank, were drafted to serve in World War II. Hank had a difficult time finding musicians to play for him because of his excessive drinking. Hank was still showing up in Montgomery, Alabama for his radio shows, but in August of 1942 he lost his radio show when he was fired from WSFA Radio for "habitual drunkenness."
The Drifting Cowboys ~ 1939
Drifting Cowboys Photos
BELOW The Drifting Cowboys when they were more successful.
Photo Credit : Pee Wee Moultrie.
Hank With The Drifting Cowboys
Learn to play like Hank
A guitar owned by the late Hank Williams is featured as part of the exhibit "Family Tradition: The Williams Family Legacy" at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, Tennessee.
Want to play (almost) like Hank? The Hank Williams Songbook is a collection of 26 classics with easy-to-intermediate fingerpicking and flatpicking arrangements in notes and tab.
Includes: Cold, Cold Heart * Hey, Good Lookin' * Honky Tonkin' * I Saw the Light * I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry * Jambalaya (On the Bayou) * Long Gone Lonesome Blues * Mansion on the Hill * There's a Tear in My Beer * You Win Again * Your Cheatin' Heart * and more.
MP3 downloads
Hank Williams Number One Records
Hank Williams had 11 #1 hit records:Lovesick Blues
Long Gone Lonesome Blues
Why Don't You Love Me?
Moanin' the Blues
Cold, Cold Heart
Hey Good Lookin'
Jambalaya On the Bayou
I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive
Kaw-Liga
Your Cheatin' Heart
Take These Chains From My Heart
In addition to these chart toppers Hank also had many songs to reach the top 10 list.
Hank Williams - 40 Greatest Hits
40 Greatest Hits
Amazon Price: (as of 01/07/2010)
Hank Williams most well known and loved songs in one collection.
For anyone who is interested in the roots of country music and the great Hank Williams it is essential listening.
This compilation was originally released on vinyl and now it is available on CD. With 40 great songs this is the ultimate double CD collection of Hank William's music.
Hank Williams At The Midnight Jamboree
The Life and Loves of Hank Williams
In 1943, Williams met Audrey Shepard, and married her a year later. Their son, Hank Junior, was born in 1949.In 1948 Hank became part of The Louisiana Hayride in Shreveport, Louisiana. This show allowed the biggest audience ever to hear Hank's music and further boosted his career.
In 1949 Hank performed Lovesick Blues on the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee. He was the first person ever to get 6 encores! In that same year Hank put together the most well known line up of the Drifting Cowboys with Bob McNett on guitar, Hillous Butrum on bass, Jerry Rivers playing fiddle and Don Helms doing the steel guitar.
In 1950 Hank wanted to sing songs with a religious feeling, but he was concerned that these recordings might interfere with his main career. He decided to record these songs using a pseudonym, Luke The Drifter.
The Unreleased Recordings : Gospel Keepsakes
They're all gathered together in this very special Hank Williams treasure.
The Unreleased Recordings: Gospel Keepsakes
Amazon Price: $13.99 (as of 01/07/2010)
The Unreleased Recordings: Gospel Keepsakes includes a never-before-released version of one of the most popular hymns of the twentieth century, Williams classic I Saw the Light, as well as a previously unreleased version of the southern gospel standard Thirty Pieces of Silver.
In 1952 Hank and his wife Audrey were divorced. His problems with alcohol, morphine and other drugs continue to worsen over the years and these habits did little to nurture their marriage. While he and his wife were having problems Hank had an affair with Bobbie Jett who gave birth to his daughter, Jett Williams, just 5 days after his death.
Also, in 1952, Hank married again, this time to Billie Jean Jones Eshlimar.
What's Your Favorite Hank Williams Song?
If your favorite song isn't listed fell free to add it - dont forget to vote it up.
Like This Lens?
- Rate this lens:
- Email it
- Favorite it
- Lensroll it
Visitor Comments
What do you think of Hank Williams?
-
Reply
- mulberry mulberry Jan 2, 2010 @ 6:57 pm
- I've never been a big country music fan (and I lived in Nashville, TN for 6 years!) but I must admit that at least a little bit of this music is fun to listen to sometimes. I can certainly appreciate this man's talent.
-
Reply
- kEN kEN Jun 21, 2009 @ 5:38 pm
- i REMEMBER THE DAY gREAT hANK DIED. wE HEARD IT ON OUR BATTERY RADIO AND WE CRIED. WE KNEW THEN HE WAS THE GREATEST LEGEND THAT EVER LIVED.
-
Reply
- ElizabethJeanAllen ElizabethJeanAllen Jun 2, 2009 @ 4:04 pm
- I grew up listening to country music, but I didn't realize Hank Williams died that long ago.
Thanks for sharing
Lizzy
-
Reply
- AppalachianCountry AppalachianCountry May 13, 2009 @ 9:24 am
- Wonderful lens. We enjoy his music alot. Thank-you for such a detailed lens.
-
Reply
- OhMe OhMe Apr 21, 2009 @ 8:12 pm
- This is wonderful. I love his music. Such a short,sad life to be still providing entertainment for others.
-
Reply
- Tiddledeewinks Tiddledeewinks Apr 2, 2009 @ 7:41 pm
- I love Hanks' music and sing it on karaoke.
-
Reply
- Sami4u Sami4u Feb 21, 2009 @ 1:46 am
- Nice looking lens 5 stars. I think Kaw-Liga is one of my favorite Hank Songs.
-
Reply
- OldGrampa OldGrampa Jan 6, 2009 @ 7:30 pm
- I do love Hank Williams and his style of music. One of Country Musics greatest!
- Load More
The Official Hank Williams Website
Visit the Official Hank Williams Website HankWilliams.com
Get Yourself Some Hank Williams Music
20 of Hank Williams' Greatest Hits
Amazon Price: $12.99 (as of 01/07/2010)
Gold
Amazon Price: $14.97 (as of 01/07/2010)
Hank Williams: Honky Tonk Blues
Amazon Price: $19.98 (as of 01/07/2010)
by susannaduffy
Join my Fan Club
(more)
