Hank Williams Lyrics
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From the Album
1. Move It on Over
2. A Mansion On The Hill
3. Lovesick Blues
4. Wedding Bells
5. Mind Your Own Business
6. You're Gonna Change (Or I'm Gonna Leave)
7. Lost Highway
8. My Buckets Got A Hole In It
9. Im So Lonesome I Could Cry
10. I Just Don't Like This Kind of Living
11. LONG GONE LONESOME BLUES
12. My Son Calls Another Man Daddy
13. Why Don't You Love Me (Like You Used to Do)?
14. Why Should We Try Anymore
15. Theyll Never Take Her Love From Me
16. Moanin The Blues
17. Nobodys Lonesome For Me
18. Cold Cold Heart
19. Dear John
20. HOWLIN AT THE MOON
21. I Can't Help It (If I'm Still in Love With You)
22. Hey Good Lookin
23. Crazy Heart
24. (I Heard That) Lonesome Whistle
25. BABY WERE REALLY IN LOVE
26. Ramblin Man
27. Honky Tonk Blues
28. Im Sorry For You My Friend
29. Half As Much
30. Jambalaya (On the Bayou)
31. Window Shopping
32. Settin The Woods On Fire
33. You Win Again
34. Ill Never Get Out Of This World Alive
35. Kaw-Liga
36. Your Cheatin Heart
37. Take These Chains From My Heart
38. I Wont Be Home No More
39. Weary Blues From Waitin
40. I Saw The Light
Other Songs A Country Boy Can Survive A Dear John Letter A Home In Heaven A House Of Gold A House Without Love A MESSAGE TO MY MOTHER A PICTURE FROM LIFES OTHER SIDE A Stranger in the Night A Teardrop On A Rose A Tramp On The Street A-Eee Ain't Misbehavin' Alabama Waltz All My Rowdy Friends (Have Settled Down) All The Love I Ever Had All the Love I Ever Had [Previously Unreleased Track; Bonus Track] Almost Persuaded Alone And Forsaken Always Late (With Your Kisses) Amos Moses Angel Mine Angel of Death Anytime Are You Building a Temple in Heaven Are You Ready For The Country? Are You Walkin' and a Talkin' for the Lord? Are You Walkin And Talkin For The Lord Are You Walkin' & A-Talkin' for the Lord Arkansas Traveler A-Sleeping at the Foot of the Bed At the Cross At The First Fall Of Snow Ballad Of Hank Battle of Armageddon Bayou Pon Pon Be Careful Of Stones That You Throw Be Careful of Stones You Throw Be Careful Who You Love (Arthur's Song) Beyond The Sunset Bile 'Em Cabbage Down Bimbo Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain Blue Is My Heart Blue Love Blue Love (In My Heart) Bouquet of Roses Bye Bye Love California Zephyr Calling You Calling You [Previously Unreleased Track] Candy Kisses Cherokee Boogie Cool Water Cotton Eyed Joe Country State of Mind Cry, Cry Darling Cut Bank, Montana Dear Brother Deck of Cards Divorce or Destroy Dixie Cannonball Dont Do It Darling Don't Let the Stars Get in Your Eyes Drifting Too Far From The Shore Dust on the Bible El Tamborilero Endless Sleep Everythings Okay Faded Love And Winter Roses Faded Love and Winter Roses [Demo Version] Faded Love and Winter Roses (With Overdubs) Faded Love & Winter Roses Farther Along Fire on the Mountain Fireman Ring The Bell First Year Blues Fly Trouble Fool About You Fool About You (With Overdubs) Freight Train Blues From Jerusalem to Jericho Games People Play Gathering Flowers For The Masters Bouquet Georgia Women Good Friends, Good Whiskey, Good Lookin' Goodnight Irene Happy Rovin Cowboy Happy Rovin' Cowboy (Theme) Have I Told You Lately That I Love You Heaven Holds All My Treasures Help Me Understand Honey Do You Love Me Huh? Honky Tonk Women Honky Tonkin House of Gold House Without Love (Is Not a Home) How Can You Refuse Him Now? How Many Times Have You Broken My Heart? I Aint Gonna Love You Anymore I AINT GOT NOTHIN BUT TIME I Ain't Got Nothing But Time I Cant Escape From You I Can't Get You off My Mind I Cant Get You Off Of My Mind I CANT HELP IT I Cant Tell My Heart That I Could Never Be Ashamed Of You I Cried Again I Dont Care I Don't Care (If Tomorrow Never Comes) I Don't Care (If Tomorrow Never Comes) (With String Overdubs) I Don't Care (It Tomorrow Never Comes) I Don't Hurt Anymore I Dreamed About Mama Last Night I Dreamed About Mom Last Night I Forgot More Than You'll Ever Know I Hang My Head and Cry I Heard My Mother Praying For Me I Heard My Savior Calling Me I Hope You Shed A Million Tears I Just Dont Like This Kind Of Livin I Lost the Only Love I Knew I Love You a Thousand Ways I Love You Because I Told A Lie To My Heart I Want To Live And Love I Watched My Dream World Crumble Like Clay I Wish I Had A Nickel I Wish I Had a Nickel [Demo Version] I'd Rather Be Gone Id Still Want You If I Didnt Love You If My Heart Had Windows If Youll Be A Baby To Me If You've Got the Money, I've Got the Time Ill Be A Bachelor Til I Die I'll Be a Bachelor Till I Die Ill Fly Away I’ll Follow You Ill Have A New Body Ill Sail My Ship Alone I'll Share My World with You Im A Long Gone Daddy Im Free At Last Im Going Home Im Gonna Sing (Im Gonna) Sing Sing Sing Im Not Coming Home Anymore Im Satisfied With You Im So Happy I Found You Im So Tired Of It All In My Dreams You Still Belong To Me Indian Love Call It Just Dont Matter Now It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels Ive Been Down That Road Before Ive Just Told Mama Goodbye Jambalaya Jealous Heart Jesus Died For Me Jesus, Don't Give up on Me Jesus Is Calling JESUS REMEMBERED ME Just a Little Lovin' (Will Go a Long Way) Just Enough to Get in Trouble Just Waitin Just when I Needed You Kaw Liga Kentucky Waltz Kind of Woman I Got Last Night I Dreamed Of Heaven (Last Night) I Heard You Crying In Your Sleep Lead Me to That Rock Leave Me Alone With The Blues Leave Me Alone With the Blues [Demo Version] Let The Spirit Descend Lets Turn Back The Years Little Drummer Boy Little Paper Boy Little Paper Boy [Demo Version] Little Rootie Tootie Lonely Tombs Lonesome Blues Lonesome Whistle Long Time Gone Lost On The River Love Bug Low And Lonely Low Down Blues May You Never Be Alone Me and My Broken Heart Men With Broken Hearts Message To My Mother Mexican Joe Mobile Boogie Montgomery in the Rain More and More Mother Is Gone Mule Train My Bucket's Got a Hole on It My Girl My Girl [Previously Unreleased Track] My Heart Would Know My Love For You My Love for You (Has Turned to Hate) My Main Trial Is Yet To Come My Son Call Another Man Daddy My Sweet Love Aint Around Neath A Cold Gray Tomb Of Stone Never Again Never Again (Will I Knock on Your Door) Next Sunday Darling Is My Birthday No Help Wanted No No Joe No Not Now No One Will Ever Know Nobody's Lonesome But Me Norwegian Wood Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown) Oh Mama Come Home Old Brush Arbors Old Country Church Old Joe Clark Old Nashville Cowboys On Susan's Floor On the Banks of the Old Ponchartrain On The Banks Of The Old Pontchartrain On The Banks Of The Pontchartrain On the Eveing Train On the Evening Train On Top Of Old Smoky Pan American Peace Will Come Picture from Life's Other Side Pictures From Lifes Other Side Please Dont Let Me Love You Please Help Me I'm Falling Please Make Up Your Mind Precious Lord Take My Hand Rainmaker Ready To Go Home Red, White & Pink-Slip Blues Release Me Rhumba Boogie Rock My Cradle Once Again Rockin Chair Money Roly Poly Rootie Tootie Sally Goodin San Antonio Rose Seaman's Blues Searching For A Soldiers Grave Setin' the Woods on Fire Settin' the Woods on Fire (Ovedubs) Setting The Woods on Fire Shame on You Singing the Blues Singing Waterfall Six More Miles Six More Miles (To the Graveyard) Slow Poke Slowly So Round, So Firm, So Fully Packed So Sad (To Watch Good Love Go Bad) Softly And Tenderly Someday Youll Call My Name Something Got A Hold Of Me Something Got Hold of Me Sometimes Late at Night Splish Splash Standing in the Shadows of Love Sundown And Sorrow Sundown & Sorrow Sweet Dreams Swing Wide Your Gate Of Love Swing Wide Your Gate of Love [Previously Unreleased Track] 'Tain't Nobody's Bizness If I Do Ten Little Numbers Tender Years Tennessee Border Tennessee Border [Previously Unreleased Track] Tennessee River Tennessee Waltz Tennessee Waltz [Previously Unreleased Track] THANK GOD That Beautiful Home That Old Wheel The Air That I Breathe The Alabama Waltz The American Dream THE ANGEL OF DEATH The Battle Of Armageddon The Blizzard The Blues Come Around The Devils Train The First Fall of Snow The Funeral The Little Drummer Boy The Log Train The Love That Faded The Nashville Scene The Old Country Church The Old Home The Old Log Train The Pale Horse The Pale Horse And His Rider The Prodigal Son The River The Same Old Story The Seamans Blues The Shot Gun Boogie The Tramp on The Street The Waltz Of The Wind The Wild Side Of Life Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye There Stands the Glass Therell Be No Teardrops Tonight (There's A) Bluebird on Your Windowsill There's a Star Spangled Banner Waving Somewhere Theres A Tear In My Beer Theres No Room In My Heart For The Blues There's No Room in My Heart (Overdubs) Theres Nothing As Sweet As My Baby THEY LL NEVER TAKE HER LOVE FROM ME Things Have Gone to Pieces Thirty Pieces of Silver Those Days Are Gone Thy Burdens Are Greater Than Mine Thy Burderns Are Greater Than Mine Time Has Proven I Was Wrong Together Again Too Many Parties And Too Many Pals Too Many Parties Too Many Pals Wait For The Light To Shine Wait for the Light to Shine [Previously Unreleased Track] Walkin' the Floor Over You Waltz of the Wind [Demo Version] We Live In Two Different Worlds Wealth Wont Save Your Soul WEARIN OUT YOUR WALKIN SHOES Wearing Out Your Walking Shoes Weary Blues from Waiting Were Getting Closer To The Grave Each Day What a Friend We Have in Jesus When God Comes And Gathers His Jewels When God Comes & Gathers His Jewels When God Dips His Love In My Heart When God Dips His Love in My Heart [Broadcast Recording; Bonus Track] When I Stop Dreaming When The Book Of Life Is Read When The Fire Comes Down When the Grass Grows Over Me When You're Tired of Breaking Other Hearts When Youre Tired Of Breaking Others Hearts When You're Tired of BreakingOthers Hearts Where Do I Go from Here Where The Soul Never Dies Where the Soul of a Man Never Dies Where The Soul Of Man Never Dies Whiskey Bent & Hell Bound Why Dont You Love Me Why Don't You Make Up Your Mind Why Should I Cry Wild and Blue Wild Thing With Tears In My Eyes Wolverton Mountain Wont You Sometimes Think Of Me You Better Keep It On Your Mind You Blotted My Happy Schooldays You Broke Your Own Heart YOU CANT TAKE MY MEMORIUES OF YOU You Caused It All By Telling Lies You Know That I Know Your Cheating Heart Youre Gonna Change Youre Through Fooling Me Youve Been Lonesome Too
Other Songs A Country Boy Can Survive A Dear John Letter A Home In Heaven A House Of Gold A House Without Love A MESSAGE TO MY MOTHER A PICTURE FROM LIFES OTHER SIDE A Stranger in the Night A Teardrop On A Rose A Tramp On The Street A-Eee Ain't Misbehavin' Alabama Waltz All My Rowdy Friends (Have Settled Down) All The Love I Ever Had All the Love I Ever Had [Previously Unreleased Track; Bonus Track] Almost Persuaded Alone And Forsaken Always Late (With Your Kisses) Amos Moses Angel Mine Angel of Death Anytime Are You Building a Temple in Heaven Are You Ready For The Country? Are You Walkin' and a Talkin' for the Lord? Are You Walkin And Talkin For The Lord Are You Walkin' & A-Talkin' for the Lord Arkansas Traveler A-Sleeping at the Foot of the Bed At the Cross At The First Fall Of Snow Ballad Of Hank Battle of Armageddon Bayou Pon Pon Be Careful Of Stones That You Throw Be Careful of Stones You Throw Be Careful Who You Love (Arthur's Song) Beyond The Sunset Bile 'Em Cabbage Down Bimbo Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain Blue Is My Heart Blue Love Blue Love (In My Heart) Bouquet of Roses Bye Bye Love California Zephyr Calling You Calling You [Previously Unreleased Track] Candy Kisses Cherokee Boogie Cool Water Cotton Eyed Joe Country State of Mind Cry, Cry Darling Cut Bank, Montana Dear Brother Deck of Cards Divorce or Destroy Dixie Cannonball Dont Do It Darling Don't Let the Stars Get in Your Eyes Drifting Too Far From The Shore Dust on the Bible El Tamborilero Endless Sleep Everythings Okay Faded Love And Winter Roses Faded Love and Winter Roses [Demo Version] Faded Love and Winter Roses (With Overdubs) Faded Love & Winter Roses Farther Along Fire on the Mountain Fireman Ring The Bell First Year Blues Fly Trouble Fool About You Fool About You (With Overdubs) Freight Train Blues From Jerusalem to Jericho Games People Play Gathering Flowers For The Masters Bouquet Georgia Women Good Friends, Good Whiskey, Good Lookin' Goodnight Irene Happy Rovin Cowboy Happy Rovin' Cowboy (Theme) Have I Told You Lately That I Love You Heaven Holds All My Treasures Help Me Understand Honey Do You Love Me Huh? Honky Tonk Women Honky Tonkin House of Gold House Without Love (Is Not a Home) How Can You Refuse Him Now? How Many Times Have You Broken My Heart? I Aint Gonna Love You Anymore I AINT GOT NOTHIN BUT TIME I Ain't Got Nothing But Time I Cant Escape From You I Can't Get You off My Mind I Cant Get You Off Of My Mind I CANT HELP IT I Cant Tell My Heart That I Could Never Be Ashamed Of You I Cried Again I Dont Care I Don't Care (If Tomorrow Never Comes) I Don't Care (If Tomorrow Never Comes) (With String Overdubs) I Don't Care (It Tomorrow Never Comes) I Don't Hurt Anymore I Dreamed About Mama Last Night I Dreamed About Mom Last Night I Forgot More Than You'll Ever Know I Hang My Head and Cry I Heard My Mother Praying For Me I Heard My Savior Calling Me I Hope You Shed A Million Tears I Just Dont Like This Kind Of Livin I Lost the Only Love I Knew I Love You a Thousand Ways I Love You Because I Told A Lie To My Heart I Want To Live And Love I Watched My Dream World Crumble Like Clay I Wish I Had A Nickel I Wish I Had a Nickel [Demo Version] I'd Rather Be Gone Id Still Want You If I Didnt Love You If My Heart Had Windows If Youll Be A Baby To Me If You've Got the Money, I've Got the Time Ill Be A Bachelor Til I Die I'll Be a Bachelor Till I Die Ill Fly Away I’ll Follow You Ill Have A New Body Ill Sail My Ship Alone I'll Share My World with You Im A Long Gone Daddy Im Free At Last Im Going Home Im Gonna Sing (Im Gonna) Sing Sing Sing Im Not Coming Home Anymore Im Satisfied With You Im So Happy I Found You Im So Tired Of It All In My Dreams You Still Belong To Me Indian Love Call It Just Dont Matter Now It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels Ive Been Down That Road Before Ive Just Told Mama Goodbye Jambalaya Jealous Heart Jesus Died For Me Jesus, Don't Give up on Me Jesus Is Calling JESUS REMEMBERED ME Just a Little Lovin' (Will Go a Long Way) Just Enough to Get in Trouble Just Waitin Just when I Needed You Kaw Liga Kentucky Waltz Kind of Woman I Got Last Night I Dreamed Of Heaven (Last Night) I Heard You Crying In Your Sleep Lead Me to That Rock Leave Me Alone With The Blues Leave Me Alone With the Blues [Demo Version] Let The Spirit Descend Lets Turn Back The Years Little Drummer Boy Little Paper Boy Little Paper Boy [Demo Version] Little Rootie Tootie Lonely Tombs Lonesome Blues Lonesome Whistle Long Time Gone Lost On The River Love Bug Low And Lonely Low Down Blues May You Never Be Alone Me and My Broken Heart Men With Broken Hearts Message To My Mother Mexican Joe Mobile Boogie Montgomery in the Rain More and More Mother Is Gone Mule Train My Bucket's Got a Hole on It My Girl My Girl [Previously Unreleased Track] My Heart Would Know My Love For You My Love for You (Has Turned to Hate) My Main Trial Is Yet To Come My Son Call Another Man Daddy My Sweet Love Aint Around Neath A Cold Gray Tomb Of Stone Never Again Never Again (Will I Knock on Your Door) Next Sunday Darling Is My Birthday No Help Wanted No No Joe No Not Now No One Will Ever Know Nobody's Lonesome But Me Norwegian Wood Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown) Oh Mama Come Home Old Brush Arbors Old Country Church Old Joe Clark Old Nashville Cowboys On Susan's Floor On the Banks of the Old Ponchartrain On The Banks Of The Old Pontchartrain On The Banks Of The Pontchartrain On the Eveing Train On the Evening Train On Top Of Old Smoky Pan American Peace Will Come Picture from Life's Other Side Pictures From Lifes Other Side Please Dont Let Me Love You Please Help Me I'm Falling Please Make Up Your Mind Precious Lord Take My Hand Rainmaker Ready To Go Home Red, White & Pink-Slip Blues Release Me Rhumba Boogie Rock My Cradle Once Again Rockin Chair Money Roly Poly Rootie Tootie Sally Goodin San Antonio Rose Seaman's Blues Searching For A Soldiers Grave Setin' the Woods on Fire Settin' the Woods on Fire (Ovedubs) Setting The Woods on Fire Shame on You Singing the Blues Singing Waterfall Six More Miles Six More Miles (To the Graveyard) Slow Poke Slowly So Round, So Firm, So Fully Packed So Sad (To Watch Good Love Go Bad) Softly And Tenderly Someday Youll Call My Name Something Got A Hold Of Me Something Got Hold of Me Sometimes Late at Night Splish Splash Standing in the Shadows of Love Sundown And Sorrow Sundown & Sorrow Sweet Dreams Swing Wide Your Gate Of Love Swing Wide Your Gate of Love [Previously Unreleased Track] 'Tain't Nobody's Bizness If I Do Ten Little Numbers Tender Years Tennessee Border Tennessee Border [Previously Unreleased Track] Tennessee River Tennessee Waltz Tennessee Waltz [Previously Unreleased Track] THANK GOD That Beautiful Home That Old Wheel The Air That I Breathe The Alabama Waltz The American Dream THE ANGEL OF DEATH The Battle Of Armageddon The Blizzard The Blues Come Around The Devils Train The First Fall of Snow The Funeral The Little Drummer Boy The Log Train The Love That Faded The Nashville Scene The Old Country Church The Old Home The Old Log Train The Pale Horse The Pale Horse And His Rider The Prodigal Son The River The Same Old Story The Seamans Blues The Shot Gun Boogie The Tramp on The Street The Waltz Of The Wind The Wild Side Of Life Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye There Stands the Glass Therell Be No Teardrops Tonight (There's A) Bluebird on Your Windowsill There's a Star Spangled Banner Waving Somewhere Theres A Tear In My Beer Theres No Room In My Heart For The Blues There's No Room in My Heart (Overdubs) Theres Nothing As Sweet As My Baby THEY LL NEVER TAKE HER LOVE FROM ME Things Have Gone to Pieces Thirty Pieces of Silver Those Days Are Gone Thy Burdens Are Greater Than Mine Thy Burderns Are Greater Than Mine Time Has Proven I Was Wrong Together Again Too Many Parties And Too Many Pals Too Many Parties Too Many Pals Wait For The Light To Shine Wait for the Light to Shine [Previously Unreleased Track] Walkin' the Floor Over You Waltz of the Wind [Demo Version] We Live In Two Different Worlds Wealth Wont Save Your Soul WEARIN OUT YOUR WALKIN SHOES Wearing Out Your Walking Shoes Weary Blues from Waiting Were Getting Closer To The Grave Each Day What a Friend We Have in Jesus When God Comes And Gathers His Jewels When God Comes & Gathers His Jewels When God Dips His Love In My Heart When God Dips His Love in My Heart [Broadcast Recording; Bonus Track] When I Stop Dreaming When The Book Of Life Is Read When The Fire Comes Down When the Grass Grows Over Me When You're Tired of Breaking Other Hearts When Youre Tired Of Breaking Others Hearts When You're Tired of BreakingOthers Hearts Where Do I Go from Here Where The Soul Never Dies Where the Soul of a Man Never Dies Where The Soul Of Man Never Dies Whiskey Bent & Hell Bound Why Dont You Love Me Why Don't You Make Up Your Mind Why Should I Cry Wild and Blue Wild Thing With Tears In My Eyes Wolverton Mountain Wont You Sometimes Think Of Me You Better Keep It On Your Mind You Blotted My Happy Schooldays You Broke Your Own Heart YOU CANT TAKE MY MEMORIUES OF YOU You Caused It All By Telling Lies You Know That I Know Your Cheating Heart Youre Gonna Change Youre Through Fooling Me Youve Been Lonesome Too
Hiram King "Hank" Williams was an American singer-songwriter. He is regarded as one of the most significant and influential American singers and songwriters of the 20th century. Williams recorded 55 singles that reached the top 10 of the Billboard Country & Western Best Sellers chart, five of which were released posthumously, and 12 of which reached No.1.
Born and raised in Alabama, Williams learned guitar from African-American blues musician Rufus Payne. Both Payne and Roy Acuff significantly influenced his musical style. After winning an amateur talent contest, Williams began his professional career in Montgomery in the late 1930s playing on local radio stations and at area venues such as school houses, movie theaters, and bars. 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. Because his alcoholism made him unreliable, he was fired and rehired several times by radio station WSFA, and had trouble replacing several of his band members who were drafted during World War II.
In 1944, Williams married Audrey Sheppard, who competed with his mother to control his career. After recording "Never Again" and "Honky Tonkin'" with Sterling Records, he signed a contract with MGM Records. He released the hit single "Move It On Over" in 1947 and joined the Louisiana Hayride radio program. The next year he released a cover of "Lovesick Blues", which quickly reached number one on Billboard's Top Country & Western singles chart and propelled him to stardom on the Grand Ole Opry.
Although unable to read or notate music to any significant degree, he wrote such iconic hits as "Your Cheatin' Heart", "Hey, Good Lookin'", and "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry". In 1952, Audrey divorced him and he married Billie Jean Horton. He was dismissed by the Grand Ole Opry because of his unreliability and alcoholism.
Years of back pain, alcoholism, and prescription drug abuse severely compromised Williams's health, and at the age of 29, Williams suffered from heart failure and died unexpectedly in the back seat of a car near Oak Hill, West Virginia, en route to a concert in Canton, Ohio, on New Year's Day 1953. Despite his relatively brief career, he is one of the most celebrated and influential musicians of the 20th century, especially in country music.
Many artists have covered his songs and he has influenced Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley, Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, and the Rolling Stones, among others. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1961, the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1970, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987, the Native American Music Awards Hall of Fame in 1999, and gained a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
In 2010, he was posthumously awarded a Pulitzer Prize 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."
Birth Name: Hiram King WilliamsBorn and raised in Alabama, Williams learned guitar from African-American blues musician Rufus Payne. Both Payne and Roy Acuff significantly influenced his musical style. After winning an amateur talent contest, Williams began his professional career in Montgomery in the late 1930s playing on local radio stations and at area venues such as school houses, movie theaters, and bars. 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. Because his alcoholism made him unreliable, he was fired and rehired several times by radio station WSFA, and had trouble replacing several of his band members who were drafted during World War II.
In 1944, Williams married Audrey Sheppard, who competed with his mother to control his career. After recording "Never Again" and "Honky Tonkin'" with Sterling Records, he signed a contract with MGM Records. He released the hit single "Move It On Over" in 1947 and joined the Louisiana Hayride radio program. The next year he released a cover of "Lovesick Blues", which quickly reached number one on Billboard's Top Country & Western singles chart and propelled him to stardom on the Grand Ole Opry.
Although unable to read or notate music to any significant degree, he wrote such iconic hits as "Your Cheatin' Heart", "Hey, Good Lookin'", and "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry". In 1952, Audrey divorced him and he married Billie Jean Horton. He was dismissed by the Grand Ole Opry because of his unreliability and alcoholism.
Years of back pain, alcoholism, and prescription drug abuse severely compromised Williams's health, and at the age of 29, Williams suffered from heart failure and died unexpectedly in the back seat of a car near Oak Hill, West Virginia, en route to a concert in Canton, Ohio, on New Year's Day 1953. Despite his relatively brief career, he is one of the most celebrated and influential musicians of the 20th century, especially in country music.
Many artists have covered his songs and he has influenced Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley, Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, and the Rolling Stones, among others. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1961, the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1970, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987, the Native American Music Awards Hall of Fame in 1999, and gained a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
In 2010, he was posthumously awarded a Pulitzer Prize 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."
Also Known As: The Singing Kid, Lovesick Blues Boy, Luke the Drifter, The Hillbilly Shakespeare
Born: September 17, 1923 in Butler County, Alabama, U.S.
Died: January 1, 1953 (at age of 29) in Oak Hill, West Virginia, U.S.
Spouse(s): Audrey Sheppard (m. 1944; div. 1952)
Billie Jean Horton (m. 1952)
Children: Hank Williams Jr., Jett
Genre(s): Country, Western, honky-tonk, gospel, blues, rockabilly
Instrument(s): Vocals, guitar, fiddle
Occupation(s): Singersongwriter, musician
Active From: 1937-1952
Associated Acts: Hank Williams Jr., Hank Williams III