The station's owner called the local police chief. At his mothers request, the concert in Canton went on as planned. If a song can't be written in 20 minutes, it ain't worth writing. [57] On June 11, 1949, Williams made his debut at the Grand Ole Opry, where he became the first performer to receive six encores. He made his radio debut at age 13; formed his first band, Hank Williams and his Drifting Cowboys, at age 14; and early on began wearing the cowboy hats and western clothing that later were so associated with him. His life and music received a fresh look in 2019 with Ken Burns' 16-hour documentary, Country Music, which prominently featured the icon in an episode titled "The Hillbilly Shakespeare.". Regardless, Carr said he next drove to "a cut-rate gas station". She cried out, Hes gone gone over and over as firefighters helped her out. Williams was pronounced dead a short while later. Roy Acuff, along with a host of countrys biggest stars, performed I Saw The Light., MONTGOMERY, AL - JANUARY 4: Guitar themed flower arrangements adorn the gravesite of country singer Hank Williams as he is laid to rest at the Oakwood Cemetary Annex on January 4, 1953 in Montgomery, Alabama. 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 musics first superstar. On the weekend after the tour ended, Williams was photographed backstage at the Grand Ole Opry signing a motion picture deal with MGM. [16] The couple divorced on May 29, 1952. [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. Under the name of Dr. C. W. Lemon he prescribed Williams with amphetamines, Seconal, chloral hydrate, and morphine, which made his heart problems worse. [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. The album, named The Lost Notebooks of Hank Williams, was released on October 4, 2011. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Charles Carr told the AJC in 2002 he was the only witness when Hank Williams died. The investigating officer in Oak Hill declared later that Carr told him that he had pulled over at the Skyline Drive-In restaurant outside Oak Hill, and found Williams dead. [42] He continued to show up for his radio show intoxicated, so in August 1942 the WSFA radio station fired him for "habitual drunkenness". [8] Williams and Carr departed from Montgomery, Alabama at around 1:00p.m. Williams arrived at the Andrew Johnson Hotel in Knoxville, Tennessee, where Carr checked in at 7:08 p.m and ordered two steaks in the lobby to be delivered to their rooms from the hotel's restaurant. [64][65] Some of the compositions were accompanied by a pipe organ. His life and career were the subject of I Saw the Light, a 2015 biopic, starring Tom Hiddleston as Williams and Elizabeth Olsen as his first wife, Audrey. He was driving Hank Williams, 29, who died that night. [39] The band started playing in theaters before the start of the movies and later in honky-tonks. Having interviewed Carr, the best that Peter Cooper of The Tennessean could offer was that "somewhere between Mount Hope and Oak Hill", Carr noticed Williams' blanket had fallen off. His son, Hank Jr., was ranked on the same list. [83] After Williams' death, a judge ruled that the wedding was not legal because Jones' divorce had not become final until 11 days after she married Williams. Arthur Whiting was also a guitarist for the Drifting Cowboys. [105] Williams had 11 number one country hits in his career ("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", and "Take These Chains from My Heart"), as well as many other top 10 hits. In 1977, a national organization of CB truck drivers voted "Your Cheatin' Heart" as their favorite record of all time. Later, he started to consume painkillers, including morphine, and alcohol to ease the pain. [18], In the fall of 1934, the Williams family moved to Greenville, Alabama, where Lillie opened a boarding house next to the Butler County courthouse. Montgomery, Alabama Hank Williams was country music's first megastar. Many artists have covered his songs and he has influenced Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis, George Jones, George Strait, Charley Pride, the Beatles, and the Rolling Stones, among others. It provided the title for the 1964 biographical film of the same name, which starred George Hamilton as Williams. Chief Winfred Patterson who arrested Hank said to the Alabama Journal in 1971 that Hank was "more or less having DT's (delirium tremens). [1] His alcoholism worsened in 1952. It was at this time that Williams decided to change his name informally from Hiram to Hank. Updates? Williams' mother had claimed that he was dead. [71] During his recovery, he lived with his mother in Montgomery, and later moved to Nashville with Ray Price. A doctor injected Williams with two shots of vitamin B12 that contained morphine. Hank Williams Sr. was 29 Years, 3 Months, 15 Days old. The marriage was always turbulent and rapidly disintegrated, and Williams developed serious problems with alcohol, morphine, and other painkillers prescribed for him to ease the severe back pain caused by his spina bifida occulta. "I think he had a profound sadness in him," says Marc Abraham, writer and director of I Saw The Light. [109] When Downbeat magazine took a poll the year after Williams' death, he was voted the most popular country and Western performer of all timeahead of such giants as Jimmie Rodgers, Roy Acuff, Red Foley, and Ernest Tubb.[110]. When he tried to move his hands, they snapped back to the same position the hotel porters had arranged him in. On New Year's Day 1953, at the age of 29, Williams suffered from heart failure while being driven to his next scheduled concert in Charleston, West Virginia, and died suddenly in the back seat of the car in Oak Hill, West Virginia. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Williams began his music career in Montgomery in 1937, when producers at local radio station WSFA hired him to perform and host a 15-minute program. [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. Biography and associated logos are trademarks of A+E Networksprotected in the US and other countries around the globe. [132] Broadcast in 1949, the shows were recorded for the promotion of Hadacol. The world he seemed to identify most with was the musical sounds that poured out of the radio and emanated from church choirs. During World War II Williams commuted between Mobile, where he worked in a shipyard, and Montgomery, where he pursued a musical career. [29] In 1937, Williams got into a fight with his physical education teacher about exercises the coach wanted him to do. Hank Williams became one of America's first country music superstars, with hits like "Your Cheatin' Heart," before his early death at 29. [78] His final concert was held in Austin, Texas, at the Skyline Club on December 19. [11] Carr later drove on until he stopped for fuel at a gas station in Oak Hill, West Virginia, where he discovered Williams seemingly asleep in the back seat. In mid-June 2020, Katherine Williams-Dunning the daughter of country singer Hank Williams Jr. was killed in a car crash in Tennessee. ), He was racked by physical and emotional afflictions, and these coupled with his gift of song, made him kin to millions.. It is unimportant whether you liked his songs, whether in your opinion he created ugliness or beauty. During one of his concerts, Williams met his idol, Grand Ole Opry star Roy Acuff backstage,[43] who later warned him of the dangers of alcohol, saying, "You've got a million-dollar talent, son, but a ten-cent brain. [53], Williams signed with MGM Records in 1947 and released "Move It on Over"; considered an early example of rock and roll music, the song became a country hit. If this world should last a thousand years, Lyons said, Hank shall remain dear to millions of hearts.. One year later, he released a cover of "Lovesick Blues", a huge country hit, which propelled him to stardom on the Grand Ole Opry. It was all in Hanks heart. Malinin also found that, apparently unrelated to his death, Williams had also been severely kicked in the groin during a fight in a Montgomery bar a few days earlier[14] in which he had also injured his left arm, which had been subsequently bandaged. A year after first meeting with Rose, Williams had his first hit, "Move It On Over." He died of a heart attack at the age of 29 in 1953 in the backseat of his Cadillac. [16], The circumstances of Williams's death are still controversial. [25] His funeral was said to have been far larger than any ever held for any other citizen of Alabama,[27][21] and the largest event ever held in Montgomery,[28] surpassing Jefferson Davis' inauguration as President of the Confederacy. His performances were acclaimed when he was sober, but despite the efforts of his work associates to get him to shows sober, his abuse of alcohol resulted in occasions when he did not appear or his performances were poor. Over the next several years he churned out a number of other big hits, including "Cold, Cold Heart," "Your Cheatin' Heart," "Hey Good Lookin'," "Lost Highway," and I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive." Lyons recalled how Hank rose from being a shoeshine boy to star of the stage. After recording "Never Again" and "Honky Tonkin'" with Sterling Records, he signed a contract with MGM Records. As a girl, Jones had lived down the street from Williams when he was with the Louisiana Hayride, and now Williams began to visit her frequently in Shreveport, causing him to miss many Grand Ole Opry appearances. [33], As part of an investigation of illicit drug traffic conducted by the Oklahoma legislature, representative Robert Cunningham seized Marshall's files. Born and raised in Alabama, Williams was given guitar lessons by African-American blues musician Rufus Payne in exchange for meals or money. During an initial hearing, Marshall insisted that he was a doctor, refusing to answer further statements. An immensely talented songwriter and an impassioned vocalist, he also experienced great crossover success in the popular music market. There was desire, burden, fear, ambition, reverse after reverse, bitter disappointment, joy, success, sympathy, love for people. We strive for accuracy and fairness.If you see something that doesn't look right,contact us! 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. [90], At around midnight on January 1, 1953, when the two crossed the Tennessee state line and arrived in Bristol, Virginia, Carr stopped at a small all-night restaurant and asked Williams if he wanted to eat. [137], Williams was portrayed by English actor Tom Hiddleston in the 2016 biopic I Saw the Light, based on Colin Escott's 1994 book Hank Williams: The Biography. In 1951, Williams fell during a hunting trip in Tennessee, reactivating his old back pains and causing him to be dependent on alcohol and prescription drugs. "When I pulled it back up, I noticed that his hand was stiff and cold." At this stage Williams began abusing alcohol, a problem that haunted him the rest of his life but that came about partly as a result of his attempts to self-medicate agonizing back pain caused by a congenital spinal disorder. [69] On November 14, 1951, Williams flew to New York with his steel guitar player Don Helms where he appeared on television for the first time on The Perry Como Show. 4. In 1953, months after Hank Sr.'s death, Williams paid his second wife, Billie Jean Jones, $30,000 to relinquish the title of "Hank Williams's Widow". Defending his position, he claimed that Williams possibly committed suicide. 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. [131] In 1993, a double-disc set of recordings of Williams for the Health & Happiness Show was released. [35], Williams' successful radio show fueled his entry into a music career. A doctor was called to examine him. Died On: 1953: How old was Hank Williams Sr.? [46], In 1945, when he was back in Montgomery, Williams started to perform again for the WSFA radio station. Among other fake titles he claimed to be a Doctor of Science. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. If he came to this conclusion (of suicide), he still had enough prestige left as a star to make a first-class production of it whereas, six months from now, unless he pulled himself back up into some high-class bookings, he might have been playing for nickels and dimes on skid row. [3] In October 1952, he married Billie Jean Jones. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. [85], Williams was scheduled to perform at the Municipal Auditorium in Charleston, West Virginia, on December 31, 1952. On New Year's Day in 1953 the heart of country music was broken; the Shakespeare of Country Music died in the backseat of a powder blue Cadillac in Oak Hill, West Virginia on his way to a booking in Canton, Ohio. Less than 48 hours later, Hank Williams was dead. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. Site contains certain content that is owned A&E Television Networks, LLC. Rock Icon KISS Is Saying Goodbye (For Real), Your Privacy Choices: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads, Name: Hank Williams, Birth Year: 1923, Birth date: September 17, 1923, Birth State: Alabama, Birth City: Mount Olive, Birth Country: United States. The Opry eventually fired him, and in 1952, he and Sheppard divorced. His father was a Mason and his mother was a member of the. The authors of Hank Williams: The Biography pointed out that "Hank" sounded more "like a hillbilly and western star" than "Hiram". Meanwhile, "Weary Blues From Waitin'" reached No. The song resonated with music fans, as well as executives at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, who invited Williams to perform. He later started to consume painkillers, including morphine, and alcohol to help ease the pain. Why was Hank Williams an alcoholic? Hiram "Hank" Williams died on January 1, 1953, at the age of 29. Beside Hanks coffin were two large wreaths shaped like guitars, another set of flowers was shaped like a Bible, two lamps were shining purple lights, and in his hands there was a small Bible. His father was a railroad engineer who was also a victim of shell shock after a year of fighting in France in 1918 during World War I and spent many years in veterans hospitals. 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. [6] The family's first child, Ernest Huble Williams, was born on July 5, 1921; he died two days later. His father actually died January 1, 1953, and of course Jr was 3 years old. A line of thousands filled two-and-a-half city blocks as the funeral procession carried Hank to Oakwood Cemetery. His father worked as a logger before entering the Veterans Administration hospital when young Hank was just six. Years of back pain, alcoholism, and prescription drug abuse severely compromised Williams' health. Hank Williams decided he wanted to go ahead with the performances he had scheduled on . Advertisement. Roy Acuff leads a host of country stars singing at the funeral of Hank Williams. Williams said he did not, and those are thought to be his last words. Both women had been using the description professionally. I was a pretty good imitator of Roy Acuff, but then I found out they already had a Roy Acuff, so I started singin' like myself. His childhood was also shaped by his spinal condition, spina bifida, which set him apart from other kids his age and fostered a sense of separation from the world around him. This being the days of Jim Crow, the 200 Black mourners were in a segregated balcony. [10] Carr and Williams headed out of Knoxville from the Andrew Johnson Hotel via Gay Street to Magnolia Ave to 11w. There he sang "Hey Good Lookin'", and the next week Como opened the show singing the same song, with apologies to Williams. Carr was 17, a freshman on break from Auburn. His funeral took place on January 4 at the Montgomery Auditorium,[23] with his coffin placed on the flower-covered stage. He formed the Drifting Cowboys backup band, which was managed by his mother, and dropped out of school to devote his time to his career. Here are more vintage images and stories of Alabamas past. Astrological Sign: Virgo, Death Year: 1953, Death date: January 1, 1953, Death State: West Virginia, Death City: Oak Hill, Death Country: United States, Article Title: Hank Williams Biography, Author: Biography.com Editors, Website Name: The Biography.com website, Url: https://www.biography.com/musicians/hank-williams, Publisher: A&E; Television Networks, Last Updated: September 18, 2019, Original Published Date: April 2, 2014. Keillor, Garrison. Is Hank Williams Sr single? [141] The original acetates made their way to the possession of Jett Williams. Williams and Sheppard married in 1944. His body was initially transported to Montgomery and placed in a silver coffin shown at his mother's boarding house. He also wrote a number of religious songs under the pseudonym Luke the Drifter. [138], After Williams' death, Audrey Williams filed a suit in Nashville against MGM Records and Acuff-Rose. The result of the original autopsy indicated that Williams died of a heart attack. 7. He also requested a doctor for Williams, as Williams was feeling the combination of the chloral hydrate and alcohol he had drunk on the way from Montgomery to Knoxville. The Montgomery Auditorium, located at the intersection of Perry and Monroe Street, "Long forgotten Montgomery auditorium to see new life", "Convict Says Williams Depressed Singer Said Possible Suicide", "Name is Forged to Prescriptions, Expert Says", I Can't Help It (If I'm Still in Love with You), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Death_of_Hank_Williams&oldid=1137643276, Wikipedia articles needing clarification from December 2016, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Insufficiency of the right ventricle of the heart, January 4, 1953 at Oakwood Annex Cemetery in, January 1, 1953 in Oak Hill, West Virginia, This page was last edited on 5 February 2023, at 18:47. His son, Hank Williams, Jr., a successful country performer in his own right (like Williamss grandson, Hank Williams III), sang Williamss songs in the film biography Your Cheatin Heart (1964). [22] At a chance meeting in Georgiana, Williams met U.S. Representative J. Lister Hill while Hill was campaigning across Alabama. Discover Hank Williams' Death Car in Montgomery, Alabama: Cadillac where country's first big star was found dead. Carr talked to Williams for the last time when they stopped at a restaurant in Bristol, Virginia. Audrey Williams divorced him that year; the next day he recorded "You Win Again" and "I Won't be Home No More". Williamss music itself was not especially groundbreaking, though he was a deft synthesizer of blues, honky-tonk country, western swing, and other genres. [93] Dr. Ivan Malinin performed the autopsy at the Tyree Funeral House. He was unresponsive and rigor mortis had already begun to set in. [84], A man named Lewis Fitzgerald (born 1943) claimed to be Williams' illegitimate son; he was the son of Marie McNeil, Williams' cousin. [54] After a few more moderate hits, in 1949 he released his version of the 1922 Cliff Friend and Irving Mills song "Lovesick Blues",[55] made popular by Rex Griffin. [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. He was only 29. One characteristic of Williams' recordings as "Luke the Drifter" is the use of narration rather than singing. 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 recordings, which Legacy Entertainment acquired in 1997, include live versions of Williams' hits and his cover version of other songs. Instead of performing, Williams died 70 years ago today, on Jan. 1, 1953. They are in a bedroom in the home of Lillie (Hank Williams's mother) on North McDonough Street in Montgomery, Alabama. Around this time, he met Billie Jean Jones, a girlfriend of country singer Faron Young, at the Grand Ole Opry. He denied any responsibility in both deaths. Alternate titles: Hiram King Williams, the Hillbilly Shakespeare. Hank Williams had something that humanity universally needs -- a song with a heart-felt message.. [77] It was the second marriage for both (each being divorced with children). [37], In August 1938, Elonzo Williams was temporarily released from the hospital. "Ol' Hank" was just 29 years old when he died, the same age as English Romantic Poet Shelley when he drowned in the Gulf of . Meanwhile, between tour schedules, Williams returned to Montgomery to host his radio show.
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