Hank Williams
Pas Un Guilliame des Collines

The Bard

Hank Williams, we hear, was "The Hillbilly Shakespeare." He was a poet whose verses have been heard far and wide and have had immeasurable influence on culture, an influence which continues to this day.

Ha? (A real Shakespeare quote).

HANK     WILLIAMS??!!?? SHAKESPEARE??!!??

Naturally such comparison will send city slickers into spittle flinging diatribes. Shakespeare, they say, was the crafter of modern English, the Immortal Bard who had such an influence on language that the rapid changes of English that had been occurring from Anglo-Saxon times came to a screeching halt. Today his work can be read in the original with only minor annotations. So without Shakespeare, we would have no English.

But Hank Williams was a mere (ptui) country and western singer, a popular entertainer of imperfect idiom and fractured rhymes. Perfidious claims that "backwoods" language is the last preserve of Elizabethan English is a complete myth. There is no comparison 'twixt singer Hank Williams and William Shakespeare¹.

Of course, today country and western music practically controls the national economy - not to mention driving the culture. And yet you never even heard about "country and western" music until well past the mid-20th century. Instead the music was "hillbilly". Although always something of a pejorative term, the word was even used by the singers and musicians themselves.

Etymologists trace the word - or at least its documentation - to the July, 1892, edition of The Railroad Trainmen's Journal. There in a rather lengthy letter to the editor, an anonymous correspondent wrote:

I would hate to see some old railroad man come here and take my job, and then, I don't think it is right to hire some Hill Billy [emphasis added] and give him the same right as I just because he was hired the same time I was.

As to what "Hill Billy" actually meant, there is passage from the New York Journal of April 1900:

In short, a Hill-Billie [sic] is a free and untrammeled white citizen of Alabama, who lives in the hills, has no means to speak of, dresses as he can, talks as he pleases, drinks whiskey when he gets it, and fires off his revolver as the fancy takes him.

And indeed it was in Alabama that in 1923 Hiram King Williams was born. His parents, Elonzo Williams - Lon to his friends - and the former Jessie Skipper - called Lillie - were typical working class citizens of the state.

Lon had served in World War I and afterwards had worked as a railroad engineer for a lumber company. But from 1930 on, health problems forced him to spend most of his life in veterans hospitals. Lillie supported the family with a number of occupations among which was running boarding houses which she seems to have done efficiently and profitably.

Lillie said she gave Hiram his first guitar. Recognizing his talent she had no objections when in 1937 he began busking on the streets of Montgomery while he sold peanuts and shined shoes.

One place Hiram set up was by the local radio station WSFA. The program director, Caldwell Stewart, heard the kid playing and invited him to perform on the air. Soon Hank - Hiram no more - was given his own show.

Hank dropped out of school (which he often skipped anyway) to pursue a musical career. He found that a high paying gig could fetch $75 but other jobs would barely cover the cost of gas and guitar strings. Of course, Hank's band - The Drifting Cowboys - played "hillbilly" music.

Despite the early use of the term, the word "hillbilly" was not widespread until the 1930's. Nor was the exponential rise of the usage after that time happenstance.

In the 1920's and before, the musicians looked like they were in church. The men would put on their best suits and ties and the women would don proper and decorous dresses.

But in the 1930's came the rise of radio shows which would take cast members on national tours. So as not to disappoint their audience, the men began sporting bib overalls and floppy hats and the women had their gingham dresses and pigtails. The audience wanted to see hillbillies, and by golly, they saw hillbillies.

On the other hand, some of the groups came on stage decked out in cowboy hats and boots and well-pressed fancy suits. But they were still playing - so they said themselves - "hillbilly" music.

But it didn't sound like it. In strict parlance hillbilly music is what was then - and is still often - called Old Time or Old Timey music. Short for Old Time String Band music, it was the precursor of what in the 1940's became known as Bluegrass.

The cowboy-dudded players, though, sounded different. The fiddlers played with a smooth tranquil backing and up-tempo tunes began to have a decided swing to them. Here and there the new-fangled - and electric - steel guitar began to creep in. The men - instead of straining in high and nasal tones - began singing with mellow baritone timbres.

The linking of the hillbilly culture with a decidedly non-hillbilly music continued almost until the end of the 20th century. The popular humor/music television show Hee-Haw had a lot of pure western music. The co-host Buck Owen is often considered the creator of the "Bakersville" sound out of California. But in the skits and jokes, the hillbilly motif prevailed.

The show debuted in 1969 and didn't finally shut down until 1997. By then, of course, the "hillbilly" character had largely morphed into that of the "redneck" and had lost its connection with music.

Hank on the Rise

Hank had never been a robust kid and he was born with a small rise on his spine. Most likely this was spina bifida, a condition where the bones don't form properly around the spinal cord. The condition caused Hank chronic pain which from an early age Hank found relief with alcohol.

Because of the spinal problem, when World War II came along Hank was classified as unfit for military service. So he went to work as a welder in the Alabama shipyards. Then in 1943 he returned to performing by joining a "medicine show". There he met a young lady named Audrey Sheppard who joined the reassembled Drifting Cowboys as a singer and stand-up bass player. Hank and Audrey married the next year.

Hank had what critics call "stage presence". He could hold an audience's attention even when - as was increasingly the case - he had fortified himself with generous libation.

As was not unusual when a lady was dealing with a bibulous husband, Audrey would go into fits. But Hank was not the type who stewed in silence at wifely umbrage. Once in a fit of pique, Hank took her clothes and threw them into the mud outside of their trailer. Audrey called the police who arrested Hank for disorderly conduct. Hank remained in jail until one of the band members came in and paid the fine.

After the war Hank returned to Montgomery and to performing on WFSA. But his unreliability - showing up late, showing up intoxicated, or not showing up at all - exasperated the owners who kept kicking him off the station. But the public kept clamoring for Hank and WFSA kept bringing him back.

Prosperity had returned and there was a boom in radio sets in the home and radio shows on the air. Some programs were local but others were broadcast nationally. The top "hillbilly" programs were the Louisiana Hayride from Shreveport, the National Barn Dance at Chicago's WLS station, and The Grand Ole Opry out of Nashville.

With the competition from Shreveport and Chicago, Nashville was not yet the center of country - sorry, that's "hillbilly" music. The town's only major music business was the publishing house Acuff-Rose Music. Eponymously established by Roy Acuff and Fred Rose, Fred had been a New York "Tin Pan Alley" composer and Roy was the most popular country (dang it! that's "hillbilly") singer in the nation.

Fred and Roy had heard of Hank and when he showed up at their offices with some songs, they were interested. Although they were music publishers not record producers, Fred had the connections in New York to land Hank a big name recording contract.

But Fred was skeptical of the tall lanky and smooth-voiced singer. The songs were good but how, he asked, could he be sure that Hank wrote them? Hank could have bought them from someone else which was a common enough practice.

So Fred gave Hank a title - "A Mansion on the Hill". Nothing more. Then he told Hank to write a song about it. When Hank came back with lyrics and a tune, Fred was convinced and wrangled Hank a contract with MGM.

"A Mansion on the Hill" - credited to Hank Williams and Fred Rose - got Hank onto the country charts. It didn't quite crack into the Top Ten, but now Hank reached down into his bag of songs and cut some more platters.

There is a side-story here that didn't emerge until years later. Audrey said when Hank came home that day, he sat down and tried to write "A Mansion on the Hill". But he couldn't make it click.

So after dinner Audrey sat down and while thinking of the song "Down in the Valley" began writing out some words. When she was done she handed the song to Hank who took it to Fred. At times Audrey seemed more interested in Hank's success than Hank himself.

Fred and Roy were convinced Hank had what it takes, but like Audrey, they were concerned with his drinking. Fred himself had been a big boozer but had given it up when he converted to Christian Science. Fred tried his best to get Hank to change his ways but didn't have much luck.

Hillbilly, No!
C&W, Yes!

Although Hank had landed quite the deal with MGM - he not only got royalties as the performer but also as the composer - and had begun getting records to the charts, he was still pretty much a regional performer. If you look for records of Hank in Billboard Magazine right after World War II, you'll find the references few and sparse.

Billboard remains one of the oldest continuously published "trade" magazines in circulation. Each issue would list the most popular records, not just the "Best-Selling Records" but also even the "Most-Played Juke Box Records"².

And although record producers were still plastering the "hillbilly" designation throughout their advertisements - and Billboard had enough ads to make the Internet look like a flyer for a church social - perhaps because of the negative and even derogatory connotation, Billboard did not use the term in its charts.

Instead, songs which featured singers like Eddy Arnold (who was extremely popular), Gene Autry (popular with the kids, too), and Bob Wills (with his swinging Texas Playboys) were listed under "folk" music. So when Hank's "Love Sick Blues" reached #2 on June 18, 1949, it was a folk song.

But a week later - July 26, 1949 - "Love Sick Blues" reached the top spot. The magazine also retitled the list. No, the songs weren't "hillbilly" and were still officially "folk". But in parentheses was the new sub-genre:

Country and Western

Coincidental timing? Possibly. But there's no disputing that when the #1 entertainment magazine ranked Hank's song as #1 that "Love Sick Blues" suddenly became "Country and Western".

"Love Sick Blues" also illustrated the flexibility in Hank's vocals. The singing can be considered a yodel as Hank goes from normal voice to falsetto even in a single syllable. Few people can pull this type of stuff off without it being unintentional humor. But it seemed perfectly natural for Hank.

The year 1949 not only marked when Hank hit #1 and transformed "hillbilly" music into country and western, but it was also when he first appeared on the Grand Ole Opry. To say he was a success is like saying J. P. Morgan made a bit of change. Hank was called back six times for encores.

When 1950 came in Hank hit the ground running. He ended up with eight titles on the Billboard charts. Three - "Long Gone Lonesome Blues", "Why Don't You Love Me?", and "Moanin' the Blues" - reached #1.

The next year, 1951, was even better. Hank again reached #1 with "Cold Cold Heart". But that year Tony Bennett - one of the biggest name popular singers - also recorded the song. With the orchestral strings backup you'd never guess that Tony was singing a - quote - "hillbilly" song - unquote. Tony's recording rose to #1 on the pop charts, and if there was anything that solidified Hank's credentials as a composer, this was it.

In September 1951, Hank's contract with MGM was renewed and he was to meet with the studio heads about making motion pictures as well as recordings. Unfortunately, there is some suspicion that Hank had been fortifying himself before the meeting and as was typical this tended bring out his cantankerous side. Hank walked into the producer's office, put his feet on the desk, pulled his hat down over his eyes, and answered questions in laconic grunts. Hank didn't seem interested in making movies, and he didn't.

Thence Came The Tube

Hank's rise to the #1 spot on the country and western and the popular charts coincided with the most earth-shaking phenomenon in the history of the world. That was:

The Rise of TELEVISION

 

With his tall lanky looks and well-tailored cowboy suits, Hank just looked like an authentic western singer. His easygoing and articulate manner was natural for the new medium.

So it's no surprise that 1951 - which was a very good year - brought Hank a call to perform on - get this - "Perry Como's Kraft Music Hall". A "hillbilly" singer on the Perry Como's show? C'est impossible! But Hank appeared and sang "Hey, Good Lookin'". And the next week, Perry opened the show by singing the song himself.

Professionally, 1952 was another big year for Hank and he was featured on yet another television show. This was The Kate Smith Evening Hour. He appeared twice, the first time on March 26 when Hank and the Drifting Cowboys appeared along with the rest of the Grand Ole Opry cast led by Roy Acuff. Hank sang "Hey, Good Lookin'" and then the rest of the Opry cast joined him on "I Saw the Light".

On his second appearance nearly a month later he sang "Cold, Cold Heart" followed by a duet with Anita Carter, "I Can't Help It If I'm Still In Love With You". That was four of his songs on a nationally broadcast show in a month - not bad.

The Kate Smith Evening Hour was one of the first variety shows. This now extinct mode of television entertainment was the electronic remnant of vaudeville with a number of unrelated acts one after another. The idea was to have something for everyone at a time when a household had only a single television set and everyone had to watch the shows in tandem. Kate Smith - although not so well known today - was one of the biggest stars and you really hit the big time when you were on her show.

Unfortunately the year 1952 was not all Great Things for Hank but was also a Portent of Things to Come. Hank's unreliability was becoming notorious and he was often described as being "in sad shape". Even if he did a show, his performance often left much to be desired. After he failed to appear for the Grand Ole Opry in August, the management booted him from the Opry stage.

But in the studio Hank performed at a high level. On September 6, Hank's song "Jambalaya (on the Bayou)" hit #1 on the country charts. But that was also the week the song crept into the - yes - POP CHARTS - where it registered #28. So Hank himself was now a "cross-over" artist without the help of a pop singer.

People who only know Hank as the singer of "Cold Cold Heart" and "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" don't know he was the composer of this toe-tapping tune celebrating the Cajun mode de vie joyeux. His own version was moderate and laid back compared to the foot-stompin' renderings we hear today.

But if anyone wants any PROOF of Hanks influence they should remind themselves that "Jambalaya" has been recorded by a true catholicity of artists. You not only had country singers like Roy Acuff, Carl Perkins (of "Blue Suede Shoes" fame), Waylon Jennings, Jerry Lee Lewis, and a trio composed of George Jones and Jimmy Dean and Eydie Gorme, Roy Clark and Joe Pass, Emmylou Harris, Homer and Jethro, Boxcar Willie, and Buck Owens and the Hee Haw cast. But there are less classifiable singers like Van Morrison and Linda Gail Lewis, Glen Campbell and Leon Russell, Hoyt Axton, and Roy Orbison as well as rhythm and blues singers like Fats Domino and Chuck Berry, and even to the more genteel easy listening modes of Paul Anka, The Carpenters, and The Ames Brothers with Hugo Winterhalter and His Orchestra and Chorus (whoever they were). There was even Pat Boone, for crying out loud!

And that doesn't even include (and to skip this rather lengthy list, just click here) Sam Pilafian and Frank Vignola, Lacy J. Dalton, Lee Benoit, Cactus Country Band, Pat Wayne with The Beachcombers, Pierre Le Rue, Daniel O'Donnell, The Blue Ridge Rangers, The Swingin' Gentry Singers, Van Broussard, Garth Brooks, Thomas Gerdiken, Tamra Rosanes, Chatelaine, Alan Williams, Hank Locklin, Paul Bogart, Thomas Scholl, Shocking Blue, Hal Smith's Creole Sunshine Jazz Band, Rex Allen, Veikko Tuomi ja Kaarlo Valkaman orkesteri, Barry Kirsch, Rob Rio and the Revolvers, Frankie Brent, Ann Breen, Normaal, Simon Stokes and The Nighthawks, Åttopojat, Brita Koivunen, Kitty Wells, Ken Colyer's Omega Brass Band, Herbie Remington, Joe Murphy and The Waterstreet Blues Band, Hubert von Goisern, Conway Twitty, The Spotnicks, The Nashville Brass, Tom Principato, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Beasley, Dale Peterson, Truck Stop, Buddy Merrill, Willis Jackson - Jack McDuff, Sten and Stanley, Girls Night Out, Trimble Tones, Jimmy Newman, Lucienne Delyle, The Wiking Strings, Sleepy LaBeef, The Residents, Suzanne Prentice, The Buckaroos, Dick Rivers, Marty Gold and His Orchestra, Johnny Russell, Seppo Rannikko orkestereineen, Patrick Norman, Bjørn and Johhny, Sasha and Davy, Saskia and Serge, Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown, Wanda Jackson, Kent Ingelsson, The New County Line, Freddy Quinn, Crawfish Kings, John Buzon Trio, Slim Dusty, Tex Withers, Dickson Hall and The Country All-Stars, Rank Strangers, Jarno Sarjanen, Jussi Raittinen and Kantri Boys, Macon's Mayor Ronnie Thompson, Jett Williams, Buck Owens, Sam Butera and The Witnesses, Kukerpillid and David O'Brock, Gee Gee and Soluna, Bob Davidse, Los Sirex, Floyd Cramer, Susan Hamlin, Norrsken, Wenche, Chuck Berry, Cool Candys, Tony Christie, Lea Laven, Black and White, Muska, Prebens Pågar, The Cliffters, Professor Longhair, Goldie Hill, Eddy Raven and Jo-El Sonnier, Hunter Hayes, Sweet Little Band, Henry Jerome and His Orchestra, Moon Mullican, Muleskinners, Ronnie Hawkins, Roomful of Blues, Rusty Draper, Peter Abrahamsen and Roxy Trioen med Tamra Rosanes, Moog in Bändi, Neddie Decena, Armand Mestral, Mac Taple, Ira Ironstrings, Charlie Walker, Connie Kis Andersen, Tonix, George Jones, The Les Humphries Singers and R. & R. Band, Damita Jo with The Merry Melody Singers, Guy Mitchell and The Wild Bunch, The Excelsior Brass Band, Mike Stone, Marica Hiraga, Joni James, Ace Cannon, Karel Gott, Papa Cairo and His Boys, Pete Knight, Elder Barber, Simone Aubé, Leo Diamond, The Hiltonaires, Ray McVay and His Orchestra and Chorus, Charlie McCoy with Jett Williams, Harry Connick, Jr., Rockin' Dopsie Jr. and The Zydeco Twisters, Danny and The Islanders, Tab Benoit, Elena Lukášová, The Jets, Little Jimmy Dickens with the Country Boys, David and Roselyn, Cliff Parman And His Boys, Bélisle, Kenneth Swanstršm, James Govan, Doug Kershaw, Rock Nalle, Vernon Oxford, Al Caiola, Bepers, Los Hooligans, Top of the Pops, Richie Cole and Boots Randolph, Saskia and Serge, Lucinda Williams, Elevator Troubadours, Alex Bollard and The London Starlight Orchestra, Joe Loss and His Orchestra, Moe Bandy, Gerhard Wendland, Bobby Comstock and The Counts, Zydeco Flames, Floyd Westerman, Luke Simmons and His Blue Mountain Boys, Johnny Copeland, Blend, Lillian Askeland, Fabulous Studio Artists, Rachel Faro, George Canyon, Brian Hyland, Tony Sheridan and The Beat Brothers, Brenda Lee, Pluto, Ray Smith, Bonnie Lou Nolan, Lee Jackson, Mike Daly, Herman Schoonderwalt, Micke Muster, The Bayou Pickers, Lucky Star, Leon Russell, Springbok, Billy Walker, Little Pattie, The Hitmakers, The Balham Alligators, The Rocking Ghosts, Jørgen Krabbenhøft and Rockband, Ray Price, Carlos Segarra, Jukka Raitanen, Sandy e Junior, Lisa Ono, George Hamilton IV, J&rhat;oní Brabec and Country Beat, Blue Grass Boogiemen, Jo-el Sonnier, Ernie Freeman, Ed Dye, Lucky Star, Enoch Light, Sweet Daddy Siki, Jeff Healey, The Tanner Sisters, Andy Lee Lang and The Spirit, The Bluegrass All-Stars, The Merriboys, Ed Payne, Major Handy, Jason Coleman, George Hamilton IV, Four Vegas, Jo Stafford and Frankie Laine with Paul Weston and His Orchestra, The Mama Bluegrass Band, Sputnik, Happy Fats and His Rayne-Bo Ramblers, Bob Lyng and Friends, Queen Ida and Her Zydeco Band, Smaklösa, Tom Hiddleston and The Saddle Spring Boys, Dash Rip Rock, Kazuhiro Inaba, Mendoza, The Secret Popstars, The Bunch, Gerhard Wendland, Larry and The Movers, Gerry and The Pacemakers, Heather McKean, Roland and the Bluesworkshop, Johnny and The Hurricanes, Robby Vee and The Vees, Die Optimisten, Barbi Benton, Jim Hendricks, Roberto Delgado and His Orchestra, The Ventures, Big Bill Lister, John Potter, Burken - Fridens Kilowatt and Rivaler, Don Helms, John SaFranko, The Four Lovers, Frank Chacksfield's Orchestra and Chorus, Bélisle, Lloyd Green, Sten and Stanley, Sten Nilsson, Buddy Greco, Izumi Yukimura, Jo Stafford, Jimmy C. Newman and Cajun Country, The Bruce Baxter Orchestra and Guitar, Les Jérolas, Hardrock Gunter and His Town and Country Music, Jimmy and The Parrots, The Boilermaker Jazz Band, The Ravers, Teresa Brewer, Chuck Guillory and His Rhythm Boys, Ricky King, Connie Stevens, Tuulikki Eloranta, Pepe Jaramillo, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Rory Partin, Boots Randolph, The Lawmen, The BossHoss, Robby Longo, Juha Eirto, and (of course) Hank Williams with His Drifting Cowboys.

[To return to the top of the list click here.]

With "Jambalaya" at #1, Hank had reached the heights where more and more people were hearing his songs but weren't aware that Hank wrote them - sort of like recognizing a famous quote but not knowing it's from Shakespeare. So for any wailing, gnashing of teeth, and rending of garments, calling Hank the "Hillbilly Shakespeare" does make some sense.

We won't even attempt to write the lengthy list - skippable or not - of all the artists who have recorded Hank's other songs. After all, he wrote over 150 tunes either on his own or with others. These include (and to skip this rather lengthy list click here) "Dear Brother", "We're Getting Closer To The Grave Each Day", "Let's Turn Back the Years", "I Could Never Be Ashamed of You", "On the Banks of the Old Ponchartrain", "Cajun Baby Blues", "Are You Walkin' and a Talkin' For the Lord?", "On the Evening Train", "I Heard You Crying in Your Sleep", "Howlin' at the Moon", "Between You and God And Me", "Never Again", "Six More Miles", "Rose My Rose", "I've Been Down That Road Before", "Which Way", "Moanin' the Blues", "Baby", "We're Really in Love", "May You Never Be Alone", "Singing Waterfall", "I Can't Help It (If I'm Still in Love with You)", "Never Been So Lonesome", "Oh", "Mama", "A Mansion on the Hill", "I Just Don't Like This Kind of Living", "My Love for You", "A House of Gold", "The Little House We Built", "Weary Blues from Waitin'", "Stranger in the Night", "California Zephyr", "Always in Love", "Move It on Over", "Tell Me Something", "Why Don't You Love Me", "I'm Praying For the Day", "Steppin' Out", "Honky Tonk Blues", "There's Nothing as Sweet as My Baby", "Lead Me to that Rock", "Help Me Understand", "I Can't Get You Off of My Mind", "Heaven Holds All My Treasures", "I Ain't Got Nothin' But Time", "Me and My Broken Heart", "Pan American", "Everything's Okay", "Lovesick Blues", "I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive", "Why Should We Try Anymore", "When God Comes and Gathers His Jewels", "Leave Me Alone with the Blues", "My Son Calls Another Man Daddy", "I'm Yvonne Of The Bayou co-written with Jimmy Rule and likely Moon Mullican", "Diddy Wa Diddy", "When You're Tired of Breaking Others' Hearts", "Ramblin' Man", "A Teardrop on a Rose", "Low Down Blues", "Honky Tonkin'", "Come a Runnin'", "Alabama Waltz", "I Saw the Light", "Wearin' Out Your Walkin' Shoes", "Low and Lonely", "Why Should I Cry", "Jesus Died for Me", "Last Night I Dreamed of Heaven", "Honey", "Do You Love Me", "Huh?", "Let the Spirit Descend", "I Don't Care (If Tomorrow Never Comes)", "Rockin' Chair Daddy", "I'm Gonna Sing, Sing, Sing", "When the Book of Life is Read", "Wealth Won't Save Your Soul", "Jambalaya", "If You Call This Loving (co-written with Jimmy Fields)", "Men with Broken Hearts", "Jesus Is Calling", "Countryfied", "Please Make Up Your Mind", "Cold, Cold Heart", "Tank Full of Gas", "Have Half a Heart (co-written with Jimmy Fields)", "I Wish You Didn't Love Me So Much", "Mind Your Own Business", "I'm Blue", "I'm Lonesome", "All the Love I Ever Had", "Baby Sittin' the Blues", "I'm a Long Gone Daddy", "'Neath a Cold Gray Tomb of Stone", "Lonesome Whistle", "Got You On My Mind Once Again", "I Won't Be Home No More", "Jesus Remembered Me", "My Heart Would Know", "Bayou Pon Pon", "My Sweet Love Ain't Around", "Lord", "Build Me a Cabin in Glory", "I'll Be a Bachelor 'Til I Die", "The Log Train", "The Waltz of the Wind", "Nobody's Lonesome for Me", "I'm Sorry for You", "My Friend", "Just Waitin'", "Little Paper Boy", "Your Cheatin' Heart", "I'm Gonna Break Your Heart", "I'd Still Want You", "My Heart is True Confession", "Dreamer's Paradise", "Coeur Brise", "My Unfaithful Heart", "I'm Not Coming Home Anymore", "Forever's a Long, Long Time", "Are You Building a Temple in Heaven?", "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry", "Alone and Forsaken", "A Stranger in the Night", "Time Has Proven Me Wrong", "Hey Good Lookin'", "There'll Be No Teardrops Tonight", "Crazy Mixed Up Heart", "A House Without Love", "The Blues Come Around", "Lost on the River", "How Can You Refuse Him Now", "My Receipt for Love", "Lord, I'm Coming Home", "30 Pieces of Silver", "Long Gone Lonesome Blues", "Kaw-Liga", "Blues Done Left Me", "There's a Tear in My Beer", "The Funeral", "I Lost the Only Love I Knew", "When It Comes to Loving", "Calling You", "A Home in Heaven", "No", "Not Now", and "I Can't Escape from You".

[To return to the top of the list click here.]

The Last Months

Hank's relationship with Audrey had always been, well, difficult. Over the years things hadn't gotten any easier. It wasn't just that Hank was drinking more and Audrey was enjoying it less. Despite his ability to write rousing religious songs, Hank did not always adhere to Christian Family Values (unless you're talking about the values of some well-known television evangelists). In 1952 he had begun a liaison with another woman that resulted in, well, an "issue" of the relationship. Audrey called it quits in May, 1952, and in October, Hank married a young lady from Shreveport, Billy Jean Jones.

Perhaps the single factor that made 1952 such a bad year was that in late 1951 Hank had undergone surgery in an attempt to correct the spina bufida. The operation was not a success and now Hank had morphine prescribed to relieve not just the pain of the original condition but the pain of the remedy. Combining alcohol with pain medications is never a good idea and when the medication is morphine it's a horrible idea.³

After his banishment from the Grand Ole Opry Hank's unreliability was taken for granted and the major promoters didn't even bother with him. What was the point of booking a living legend if he didn't even show up?

As 1952 rolled on, many of Hank's personal appearances were limited to so-called "beer joints". He still appeared on Louisiana Hayride and played the occasional concert, but some fans now read how Hank was in "semi-retirement".

Hank knew he had to change his ways and was determined to make a comeback. On December 30, 1952, he had scheduled two shows in the next two days, one in Charleston, West Virginia, and the other in Canton, Ohio. He had been staying at his mom's boarding house in Montgomery, and Charles Carr, the son of a friend, volunteered to drive Hank to the concerts.

They only got as far as Knoxville. That wasn't a major problem since the weather was so bad the Charleston show had to be canceled anyway. They stayed in the opulent Andrew Johnson Hotel (now used as office space for the city government).

Hank was feeling pretty bad. He called in a doctor who gave him an injection containing Vitamin B12 and (reportedly) morphine. Hank had also been taking chloral hydrate - the infamous "Mickey Finn" or "knockout drops" - to help him sleep. When it came time to leave, Hank had to be helped - some say "carried" - to the car.

Hank was determined to make the Canton show. So he and Charles left Knoxville at 10:30 the night of December 31. After driving about 120 miles northeast of Knoxville, Charles stopped at a service station for gas. Hank got out and stretched his legs. Charles asked Hank if he wanted a sandwich and Hank said no. It was just after midnight in the New Year and Hank just wanted to sleep.

As Charles drove on he wasn't completely sure where he was - only someplace in West Virginia. Then he realized he hadn't heard anything from the backseat for some time. He stopped the car to check on Hank.

Hank was unresponsive and that was bad enough. But what really worried Charles was how rigid Hank's arm was. When he lifted the arm it snapped back into position.

Fearing the worst, Charles drove to the next service station. The owner summoned a policeman who called Deputy Sheriff Howard Janney. Deputy Janney escorted Charles to the nearest hospital which was about six miles away in Oak Hill.

Hank was dead, but exactly from what has never really been cleared up. A coroner's inquiry was held but found no evidence of foul play. The conclusion was Hank died of a "severe heart condition and hemorrhage". An autopsy was performed and the death certificate states that the disease or condition directly leading to death was "acute rt. [right] ventricular dilation" and "acute cerebral edema [fluid buildup in the brain]" with an antecedent cause being "acute alcoholism".

Hank's mom hired a chartered plane to Oak Hills and took charge of funeral arrangements. Charles returned home and always remembered how kind the people in West Virginia had been to him during what was a harrowing experience.

Hank was buried in Montgomery on January 4. The crowd was estimated at 20,000 and included a large number of Hank's African American fans. Three thousand mourners crammed into Montgomery's Municipal Auditorium and the Southwind Singers, a black gospel quartet, sang as did Roy Acuff and others in the cast of the Grand Ole Opry.

Of course the press covered the story. The crowd, they reported, sang "hillbilly" hymns.

But in the end Hank really has had the last laugh. Remember he appeared twice on the Kate Smith Evening Hour. The first was March 26, 1952. He appeared again the following month.

And the date?

April 23.

Ha? (Again quoting.) You don't mean April 23?

Yep, April 23.

So Hank's last appearance on national television was on ...

...the birthday of ...

William Shakespeare

Or as we call him:

The English Hank Williams

 

References and Further Reading

Hank Williams: The Biography, Colin Escott, Little Brown and Company, 1994.

"Hank Williams: Honky Tonk Blues", Colin Escott, American Masters, Public Broadcasting System, August 10, 2005.

The Encyclopedia of Country Music, Paul Kingsbury (Editor), Emmy Lou Harris (Foreward), Oxford University Press, 1998.

Performing Nashville: Music Tourism and Country Music's Main Street, Robert W. Fry, Springer, 2017.

"Hank Williams: The Hillbilly Shakespeare", Eddie Dean, The Wall Street Journal., December 17, 2016.

"The Legendary Language of the Appalachian 'Holler'", Chi Luu, JSTOR Daily, August 8, 2018.

"The Elizabethan Influence on the Ozark Dialect", Steve McDonald, White River Valley Historical Quarterly, Volume 1, Number 11, Spring, 1965 [Reprinted on library.org.]

"The Word 'Hillbilly': Linguistic Mystery and Popular Culture Fixture", Dave Tabler, Appalachian History, March 5, 2012.

Chasing the Rising Sun: The Journey of an American Song, Ted Anthony, Simon and Schuster, 2007.

Hillbillyland: What the Movies Did to the Mountains and What the Mountains Did to the Movies, Jerry Wayne Williamson, University of North Carolina Press, 1995.

The Railroad Trainman, D. L. Cease (Editor), W. A. Sheahan (Manager), Volume IX, Number 101, pp. 770-772.

"65 Years Ago: Elvis Presley Bombs on the Grand Ole Opry", Gayle Thompson, The Boot, October 2, 2019.

Hee-Haw, Roy Clark (Host), Buck Owens (Host), Terry Bradshaw (Guest), November 13, 1976, Internet Movie Data Base.

"The Strange History of Opiates in America: From Morphine for Kids to Heroin for Soldiers", James Nevius, The Guardian, March 15, 2016.

"Best Selling Retail Folk Records", The Billboard, July 23, 1949, p. 34, American Radio History.

"Best Selling Retail Folk (Country and Western) Records",The Billboard, June 2, 1949, p. 34, American Radio History.

"Best Selling Retail Folk (Country and Western) Records",The Billboard, September 6, 1952, p. 64, American Radio History.

"Best Selling Pop Singles",The Billboard, September 6, 1952, p. 58, American Radio History.

"Hank Williams", Grand Ole Opry.

"When The Grand Ole Opry Fired Hank Williams", Paul Sexton, uDiscoverMusic, August 9, 2019.

Jambalaya (On the Bayou), Second Hand Songs.

"A Capsule History of Pain Management", Marcia L. Meldrum, Journal of the American Medical Association.

"A Short History of Pain Management", Roger Collier, Canadian Medical Association Journal, Volume 190, Issue 1, January 8, 2018.

"Hank Williams' Last Ride: Driver Recalls Lonesome End", Jim Tharpe, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, December 30, 2002, [Reprinted in AJC, July 02, 2013.

"I Won't Be Home No More: The Death of Hank Williams", Maura Kistler, Tyree Funeral Home.

"Hank Williams Death Certificate", The West Virginia Encyclopedia,

"A Look Back at Hank Williams' Hit, 'Jambalaya (On the Bayou)", Lorie Liebig, Wide Open Country, 2015.

"Perry Como's Kraft Music Hall", November 14, 1951, Perry Como (Host), Hank Williams (Guest), Internet Movie Data Base.

"Perry Como's Kraft Music Hall", November 14, 1951, Perry Como (Host), Hank Williams (Guest), Internet Movie Data Base.

"The Kate Smith Evening Hour", April 23, 1952, Kate Smith (Host), Hank Williams (Guest), Internet Movie Data Base.

"Television Appearances", Hank Williams: The Complete Website.

"Hillbilly Tunes Set Note for Willaims' Rites", The Key West Citizen, January 6, 1953.

"hillbilly, hill billy"Ngram Viewer, Google Books.