Hank Williams
Hiram "Hank" Williams, born on September 17, 1923, in Butler County, Alabama, was an iconic American singer, songwriter, and musician. Widely regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Williams was a pioneer of country music. His career, active from 1937 to 1952, was marked by an impressive discography that included 55 singles reaching the top 10 of the Billboard Country & Western Best Sellers chart, with 12 hitting No. 1.
Williams learned guitar from Rufus Payne, an African-American blues musician, and was significantly influenced by both Payne and Roy Acuff. He began his professional career in Montgomery, Alabama, in the late 1930s, forming the Drifting Cowboys band. Despite his talent, his career was plagued by alcoholism, which affected his reliability as a performer.
In 1944, Williams married Audrey Sheppard, with whom he had a son, Hank Williams Jr. His marriage to Sheppard was tumultuous, exacerbated by his substance abuse issues. Williams signed with MGM Records in the late 1940s, releasing hits like "Move It On Over" and "Lovesick Blues," which catapulted him to stardom. Despite his inability to read or notate music, he wrote classics such as "Your Cheatin' Heart" and "Hey, Good Lookin'."
Williams's personal struggles continued to overshadow his career, leading to his dismissal from the Grand Ole Opry. He died on January 1, 1953, at the age of 29, from heart failure in the back seat of a car en route to a concert. His legacy endures, influencing artists across genres, and he was posthumously inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1961 and the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1970.
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