In June, he divorced Audrey Williams,[2] and on August 11, Williams was dismissed from the Grand Ole Opry for habitual drunkenness. The Untold Truth Of Hank Williams Jr. - NickiSwift.com [85], Williams was scheduled to perform at the Municipal Auditorium in Charleston, West Virginia, on December 31, 1952. In 1952, he divorced Sheppard and married singer Billie Jean Horton. It was at this time that Williams decided to change his name informally from Hiram to Hank. After Hawkshaw Hawkins and other performers started singing "I Saw the Light" as a tribute to Williams, the crowd, now realizing that he was indeed dead, followed them. The important thing is that he made millions of people happy, an editorial in The Advertiser stated on Jan. 3, 1953. It could be argued, in fact, that his early death only enhanced his legend. A rookie Tennessee highway patrol officer, Swann Kitts, told reporters he had stopped the Cadillac and fined Carr $25 for speeding, The United Press reported on Jan. 2, 1952. But along with this early success came increased erratic behavior from Williams, who often showed up at live performances drunk. Williams and Sheppard lived and worked together in Mobile. [97], Williams' final single, released in November 1952 while he was still alive, was titled "I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive". Picking up the guitar for the first time at the age of eight, Williams was just 13 when he made his radio debut. [36] So many listeners contacted the radio station asking for more of "the singing kid", possibly influenced by his mother, that the producers hired him to host his own 15-minute show twice a week for a weekly salary of US$15 (equivalent to $300 in 2021). [35] On March 12, 1953, Billie Jean Jones appeared before the Oklahoma committee. At around midnight on New Year's Day, Thursday, January 1, 1953, they crossed the Tennessee state line and arrived in Bristol, Virginia. Instead of performing, Williams died 70 years ago today, on Jan. 1, 1953. Carr stopped at a small all-night restaurant and asked Williams if he wanted to eat. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). The funeral took place on January 4 at the Montgomery Auditorium, where an estimated 15,000 to 25,000 attended while the auditorium was filled with 2,750 mourners. [88] The two arrived at the Andrew Johnson Hotel in Knoxville, Tennessee, and Carr requested a doctor for Williams, who was affected by the combination of the chloral hydrate and alcohol he had consumed on the way to Knoxville. Keillor, Garrison. Williams eventually started to host a show on KWKH and started touring across western Louisiana and eastern Texas, always returning on Saturdays for the weekly broadcast of the Hayride. His son, Hank Jr., was ranked on the same list. When he played on his guitar, he played on the heart-strings of millions, pastor Henry Lyons of Highland Avenue Baptist Church told the crowd gathered on Perry Street. Hiram "Hank" Williams died on January 1, 1953, at the age of 29. [3] In October 1952, he married Billie Jean Jones. The song resonated with music fans, as well as executives at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, who invited Williams to perform. [23] Despite his medical condition, the family managed fairly well financially throughout the Great Depression. As his success deepened, so did Williams' dependence on alcohol and morphine. [27] Payne taught Williams chords, chord progressions, bass turns, and the musical style of accompaniment that he would use in most of his future songwriting. Shortly thereafter he became a regular on the newly created Louisiana Hayride radio program based in Shreveport, Louisiana. Williams said he did not, and those are thought to be his last words. In 1977, a national organization of CB truck drivers voted "Your Cheatin' Heart" as their favorite record of all time. Williams was an American singer-songwriter and musician regarded as one of the most significant country music artists of all time. While he was medically disqualified from military service after suffering a back injury caused by falling from a bull during a rodeo in Texas, his band members were all drafted to serve. The marriage was technically invalid, since Sheppard's divorce from her previous husband did not comply with the legally required 60-day trial reconciliation. Roy Acuff leads a host of country stars singing at the funeral of Hank Williams. [68] In October, Williams recorded a demo, "There's a Tear in My Beer" for a friend, "Big Bill Lister", who recorded it in the studio. Around this time Williams released more hit songs, such as "My Son Calls Another Man Daddy", "They'll Never Take Her Love from Me", "Why Should We Try Anymore", "Nobody's Lonesome for Me", "Long Gone Lonesome Blues", "Why Don't You Love Me", "Moanin' the Blues", and "I Just Don't Like This Kind of Living". Hank Williams' Daughter Didn't Know That He Was Her Father - Biography [30] Williams's remains are interred at the Oakwood Annex in Montgomery. [45] Sheppard later told Williams that she wanted to move to Montgomery with him and start a band together and help him regain his radio show. Among other fake titles he claimed to be a Doctor of Science. Despite his relatively brief career, he is one of the most celebrated and influential musicians of the 20th century, especially in country music. When new wife Billie. "Long Gone Daddy: A Biography of Hank Williams, Country Music's Tragic Hero". Hank Williams Sr. Meanwhile, "Weary Blues From Waitin'" reached No. Williams, who wrote most of his songs himself, crafted direct, emotionally honest lyrics that had a poetic simplicity that spoke not only to fans of country and western music but to a much broader audience, as evidenced by the pop hit crooner Tony Bennett had with his cover of Cold, Cold Heart in 1951. [59] During 1949, he joined the first European tour of the Grand Ole Opry, performing in military bases in England, Germany and the Azores. [58] He brought together Bob McNett (guitar), Hillous Butrum (bass), Jerry Rivers (fiddle) and Don Helms (steel guitar) to form the most famous version of the Drifting Cowboys, earning an estimated $1,000 per show (equivalent to $11,400 in 2021) That year Audrey Williams gave birth to Randall Hank Williams (Hank Williams Jr.). The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Instead of performing, Williams died 70 years ago today, on Jan. 1, 1953. Because a corpse was involved, Stamey called in radio officer Howard Janney. Williams' personal life took a major turn in 1943 when he met Audrey Mae Sheppard, who was the mother of a young daughter and had only recently left a messy marriage. Cut from rural stock, Williams, the third child of Lon and Lillie Williams, grew up in a household that never had much money. [15] That evening, when the announcer at Canton announced Williams's death to the gathered crowd, they started laughing, thinking that it was just another excuse. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. Country music legends June Carter and Bill Monroe were among those who filed past his open casket as Hanks band, The Drifting Cowboys, backed up those singing tributes to the fallen star. [31], In July 1937, the Williams and McNeils opened a boarding house on South Perry Street in downtown Montgomery. Williams dropped out of school in October 1939 so that he and the Drifting Cowboys could work full-time. Carr told Cooper this happened at the side of the road six miles from Oak Hill, but investigating officer Howard Janney placed it in the Skyline Drive-In restaurant's parking lot, noting that Carr sought help from a Skyline employee. [38] The band traveled throughout central and southern Alabama performing in clubs and at private gatherings. "I think he had a profound sadness in him," says Marc Abraham, writer and director of I Saw The Light. [112] He was ranked second in CMT's 40 Greatest Men of Country Music in 2003, behind only Johnny Cash who recorded the song "The Night Hank Williams Came To Town". The Garden Spot Programs, 1950, a series of publicity segments for plant nursery Naughton Farms originally aired in 1950. They hit it off, and Williams asked Sheppard to marry him almost immediately. [111] In 1987, he was inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame under the category "Early Influence". "[34], On March 10, Marshall was called again to testify. [10] Carr and Williams headed out of Knoxville from the Andrew Johnson Hotel via Gay Street to Magnolia Ave to 11w. Hank Williams Death Car, Montgomery, Alabama Corrections? In the years since his death, Williams' impact has only grown, with artists as varied as Perry Como, Dinah Washington, Norah Jones and Bob Dylan all covering his work. Hank Williams, byname of Hiram Williams, also called the Hillbilly Shakespeare, (born September 17, 1923, Georgiana, Alabama, U.S.died January 1, 1953, Oak Hill, West Virginia), American singer, songwriter, and guitarist who in the 1950s arguably became country music 's first superstar. That night, the singers body was taken back to Montgomery. Williams had an agreement giving his first wife half of the royalties, but allegedly there was no clarification that the deal was valid after his death. The performances greatly increased Williams' name recognition, but he still lacked a number one hit. Widely considered country music's first superstar, Hiram "Hank" Williams was born September 17, 1923, in Mount Olive, Alabama. Hank Williams was an aspiring country music singer when he first met Audrey Williams. That all changed in 1949 with the release of "Lovesick Blues," a throwaway rendition of an old show tune he'd pushed to tape at the end of a recording session. Despite his physical failings, Williams was cleared for more travel. Under the name of Dr. C. W. Lemon he prescribed Williams with amphetamines, Seconal, chloral hydrate, and morphine.[6]. It was something he apparently saw coming. "I saw that the overcoat and blanket that had been covering Hank had slipped off," Carr told yet another reporter. As his driver, college student Charles Carr, barreled toward a concert venue in Canton, Ohio, Williams' health took a turn for the worse. We strive for accuracy and fairness.If you see something that doesn't look right,contact us!