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As if straight out of a country song, it was revealed decades later that Williams had fathered a daughter, Jett, who was born shortly after his death. [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. He told Hill that his mother was interested in talking to him about his problems and her need to collect Elonzo's disability pension. He died of a heart attack in a drug- and alcohol-induced stupor in the backseat of a car, probably in West Virginia, while being driven from Knoxville, Tennessee, to a concert in Canton, Ohio. One characteristic of Williams' recordings as "Luke the Drifter" is the use of narration rather than singing. The couple were married in 1944 at a Texaco Station in Andalusia, Alabama, by a justice of the peace. [107] He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame[108] in 1961 and into the Alabama Music Hall of Fame in 1985. And he looked so satisfied I can't help it if I'm still in love with you. [78] His final concert was held in Austin, Texas, at the Skyline Club on December 19. Is Hank Williams Sr single? Williams' mother had claimed that he was dead. Encyclopedia of Alabama - Biography of Hank Williams Sr. Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum - Biography of Hank Williams, Alabama Music Hall of Fame - Biography of Hank Williams, Hank Williams - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up), Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum (1987). Many of their replacements refused to play in the band due to Williams' worsening alcoholism. The pain and anguish that led him to drink could be heard in his songs. 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. 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. [38] The same day, the District Attorney's office declared that after a new review of the autopsy report of Faye Marshall, toxicological and microscopic tests confirmed that her death on March 3 was not related to the medication prescribed by her husband. He remained hospitalized for eight years, rendering him mostly absent throughout Williams' childhood. A quick study, Williams learned how to play folk, country and, thanks to an African-American street musician named Rufus Payne, the blues. [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 was unresponsive and rigor mortis had already begun to set in. [98][99] Williams' remains are interred at the Oakwood Annex in Montgomery. He was dismissed by the Grand Ole Opry because of his unreliability and alcoholism. He won the first prize of $15, singing his first original song "WPA Blues". Representative Cunningham presented the committee a telegram from Marshall's seized files, directed to the estate of Hank Williams for $736.39, and stated that the committee was evaluating the revocation of Marshall's parole. He returned to perform in KWKH and WBAM shows and in the Louisiana Hayride, for which he toured again. Hanks first and second wives watched from the front pew. Little did he know that the woman he would fall in love with would be the key to his success. Meanwhile, Lewis Fitzgerald's son Ricky billed himself as Hank Williams IV following his father's claim of being Williams' son. [33] In 1943, Williams met Audrey Sheppard at a medicine show in Banks, Alabama. It was something he apparently saw coming. [39] The band started playing in theaters before the start of the movies and later in honky-tonks. [96] An estimated 15,000 to 25,000 people passed by the silver casket, and the auditorium was filled with 2,750 mourners. The set was re-released on Hank Williams: The Legend Begins in 2011. Before it was over, some 20,000 people had filled the auditorium and the street outside for what was described as the largest funeral in Montgomerys history. [103][104] Alabama governor Gordon Persons officially proclaimed September 21 "Hank Williams Day". [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 late 1951, he suffered a minor heart attack while visiting his sister in Florida. GitHub export from English Wikipedia. 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. Another researcher decided it could have happened at any of the gas stations near Mount Hope. 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. His official cause of death was listed as heart failure, but there are many who say otherwise. It's hard to know another's lips will kiss you And hold you just the way I used to do Hank Williams Jr. was performing his father, Hank Sr.'s, songs on stage at age 8. [70], In November 1951, Williams fell during a hunting trip with his fiddler Jerry Rivers in Franklin, Tennessee. Due to Williams' excesses, Fred Rose stopped working with him. [84], A man named Lewis Fitzgerald (born 1943) claimed to be Williams' illegitimate son; he was the son of Marie McNeil, Williams' cousin. Later that year he received his first recording contract, with Sterling Records; however, it was on the start-up label MGM that he had his first hit, Move It on Over in 1947. [52] Rose signed Williams to a six-song contract, and leveraged this deal to sign Williams with Sterling Records. The local record shops reportedly sold all their Williams records, and customers were asking for all records ever released by Williams. Omissions? 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. [41], The American entry into World War II in 1941 marked the beginning of hard times for Williams. The janitor was accused of theft, but the charges were later dropped when a judge determined that her version of events was true. [113] In the 1980 Canadian film, Hank Williams: The Show He Never Gave, Williams is portrayed by singer Sneezy Waters. In Knoxville, Tennessee, the two stopped at the Andrew Johnson Hotel. Hank Williams died of drug and alcohol abuse at the age of 29. She worked in a cannery and served as a night-shift nurse in the local hospital. Williams later credited him as his only teacher. 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. Williams was born with a mild undiagnosed case of spina bifida occulta, a disorder of the spinal column, which gave him lifelong paina factor in his later abuse of alcohol and other drugs. [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. Williams wrote the lyrics and used the tune of Riley Puckett's "Dissatisfied". Later, he started to consume painkillers, including morphine, and alcohol to ease the pain. His hair began falling out, and he put on 30 extra pounds. 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. [100] "Take These Chains From My Heart" was released in April 1953 and reached No. His salary was enough for him to start his own band, which he dubbed the Drifting Cowboys. [37], In August 1938, Elonzo Williams was temporarily released from the hospital. Since the revelation of her famous father, she initiated legal claims to his estate and battled her half-brother, who refused to acknowledge her for a long time. [114] Many artists of the 1950s and 1960s, including Elvis Presley,[115] Bob Dylan, Tammy Wynette, David Houston, Jerry Lee Lewis, Merle Haggard,[116] Gene Vincent,[117] Carl Perkins,[118] Ricky Nelson, and Conway Twitty[119] recorded Williams' songs during their careers. Among other fake titles he claimed to be a Doctor of Science. 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. Meanwhile, between tour schedules, Williams returned to Montgomery to host his radio show. What began with Williams writing material for singer Molly O'Day eventually gave way to a record contract with the recently created MGM label. A line of thousands filled two-and-a-half city blocks as the funeral procession carried Hank to Oakwood Cemetery. He had a message. [82], On October 18, 1952, Williams and Billie Jean Jones were married by a justice of the peace[83] in Minden, Louisiana. Author Colin Escott concluded in his . (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)Getty Images. ), He was racked by physical and emotional afflictions, and these coupled with his gift of song, made him kin to millions.. Hank Williams, the 29-year-old King of Country Music, was to have flown to Charleston, West Virginia for a New Years Eve concert but an ice storm near Nashville kept him away. [10] Carr and Williams headed out of Knoxville from the Andrew Johnson Hotel via Gay Street to Magnolia Ave to 11w. [34] [13][14], As a child, Williams was nicknamed "Harm" by his family and "Herky" or "Skeets" by his friends. It provided the title for the 1964 biographical film of the same name, which starred George Hamilton as Williams. [60] Williams released seven hit songs after "Lovesick Blues", including "Wedding Bells",[55] "Mind Your Own Business", "You're Gonna Change (Or I'm Gonna Leave)", and "My Bucket's Got a Hole in It". The Georgiana . By the early 1940s, he'd caught the attention of music executives in Nashville. [26] His final single released during his lifetime was ironically titled "I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive." His funeral was held the next day, Sunday Jan. 4, 1953, at Montgomerys City Auditorium. Long plagued by alcoholism, Williams fell ill at the Andrew Johnson Hotel in Knoxville on the last night of 1952. In 2010 the Pulitzer Prize board awarded Williams a special citation for his craftsmanship as a songwriter who expressed universal feelings with poignant simplicity and played a pivotal role in transforming country music into a major musical and cultural force in American life.. Carr drove through the night as Williams declined his offer to stop for food. Williams was pronounced dead a short while later. The man in the back seat was singer-songwriter Hank Williams Sr. "I ran in and explained my situation to the two interns who were in the hospital," said Carr, now a 67-year-old Montgomery businessman. [32] During the same year, he participated in a talent show at the Empire Theater. Hank Williams, Jr., was only 3 years old when his father died ("Hank".Bio para.4). [33], He never learned to read music; instead he based his compositions in storytelling and personal experience. His passing did not bring about the end to his stardom, however. In addition, her relationship with Williams' mom proved complicated. His funeral took place on January 4 at the Montgomery Auditorium,[23] with his coffin placed on the flower-covered stage. Probably taught his first chords by Payne, Williams began playing the guitar at age 8. He was unable to read or notate music to any significant degree. 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. 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 iconic status was amplified by his death at age 29 and by his reputation for hard living and heart-on-the-sleeve vulnerability. Instead of performing, Williams died 70 years ago today, on Jan. 1, 1953. 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. Lyons recalled how Hank rose from being a shoeshine boy to star of the stage. 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". It was her second marriage and his first. [32] The Cadillac in which Williams was riding just before he died is now preserved at the Hank Williams Museum in Montgomery, Alabama. The album, named The Lost Notebooks of Hank Williams, was released on October 4, 2011. Born and raised in Alabama, Williams was given guitar lessons by African-American blues musician Rufus Payne in exchange for meals or money. Williams had to cancel the concert due to an ice storm; he hired college student Charles Carr to drive him to his next appearance, a concert on New Year's Day 1953, at the Canton Memorial Auditorium in Canton, Ohio. In the 1970s, he created his own musical identity, combining country with Southern rock and blues. [85], Williams was scheduled to perform at the Municipal Auditorium in Charleston, West Virginia, on December 31, 1952. Wiki User. His breakthrough moment came in 1949 with the release of Lovesick Blues, an old show tune that Williams parlayed into a chart-topping hit, an invitation to join the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, and international fame. Chief Winfred Patterson who arrested Hank said to the Alabama Journal in 1971 that Hank was "more or less having DT's (delirium tremens). It is unimportant whether you liked his songs, whether in your opinion he created ugliness or beauty. Carr stopped at a small all-night restaurant and asked Williams if he wanted to eat. [4], Due to Williams's excesses, Fred Rose stopped working with him. You wrote only what happened to you and the people around you, Advertiser columnist Allen Rankin wrote on the day of the funeral. [46], In 1945, when he was back in Montgomery, Williams started to perform again for the WSFA radio station. On the weekend after the tour ended, Williams was photographed backstage at the Grand Ole Opry signing a motion picture deal with MGM. At his mothers request, the concert in Canton went on as planned. Jett did not learn that she was Williams' daughter until the early 1980s. I told Carr that Williams looked dead but I did not press the point when Carr explained that Williams had been given two sedatives, Kitts was quoted as saying. He purchased the DSC title for $35 from the "Chicago School of Applied Science"; in the diploma, he requested that the DSc was spelled out as "Doctor of Science and Psychology". He also wrote a number of religious songs under the pseudonym Luke the Drifter. [92] In Williams' Cadillac, the police found some empty beer cans and unfinished handwritten lyrics. 1 on the country charts. [16] Lillie Williams began booking show dates, negotiating prices and driving them to some of their shows. After recording "Never Again" and "Honky Tonkin'" with Sterling Records, he signed a contract with MGM Records. [77] It was the second marriage for both (each being divorced with children). [141] The original acetates made their way to the possession of Jett Williams. Jett, whose legal name is Cathy Deupree Adkinson, was raised by Williams' mother for two years until she died. The unfinished lyrics were later returned to Sony/ATV, which handed them to Bob Dylan in 2008 to complete the songs for a new album. Carr and Williams checked out of the hotel at around 10:45p.m. Hotel porters had to carry Williams to his vehicle, an Olympic Blue 1952 Cadillac Series 62 convertible, as he was coughing and hiccupping. Stopping for gas in Oak Hill, West Virginia, Carr realized Williams was dead. [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. 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. Carr was exhausted and, according to the police reports, nervous enough to invite suspicion that foul play had been involved in Williams' death. 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 ceremony featured Ferlin Husky interpreting "I Saw the Light". "[25] An estimated 15,000 to 25,000 people passed by the silver coffin, and the auditorium was filled with 2,750 mourners. [59] He met Horace "Toby" Marshall in Oklahoma City, who said that he was a doctor. [83], On January 2, Williams' body was transported to Montgomery, Alabama, where it was placed in a silver casket that was displayed at his mother's boarding house for two days. At around midnight on New Year's Day, Thursday, January 1, 1953, they crossed the Tennessee state line and arrived in Bristol, Virginia. Ultimately, the completion of the album included recordings by Alan Jackson, Norah Jones, Jack White, Lucinda Williams, Vince Gill, Rodney Crowell, Patty Loveless, Levon Helm, Jakob Dylan, Sheryl Crow, and Merle Haggard. In June, he divorced Audrey Williams,[2] and on August 11, Williams was dismissed from the Grand Ole Opry for habitual drunkenness. When several of his band members were drafted during World War II, he had trouble with their replacements, and WSFA terminated his contract because of his alcoholism.