Full Answer
How many songs did Hank Williams have in his lifetime?
Hank Williams discography. Hank Williams' discography is composed of thirty-one singles released during his six-year career; as well as posthumous work including: singles, compilation albums and previously unreleased material. During his lifetime, Williams placed thirty songs on Billboard's Top C&W Records, while he had seven number one hits.
Did Hank Williams write country music?
He wrote and recorded songs that are still considered to be country music standards. Hiram King "Hank" Williams was born on September 17, 1923, near Mt. Olive, Alabama, the third child born to Elonzo Huble and Lillian (Skipper) Williams.
How many hits did Robin Williams have in his lifetime?
During his lifetime, Williams placed 30 songs on Billboard's Top C&W Records, while he had eleven number one hits. After being signed with the help of Fred Rose to Sterling Records, Williams assisted his debut recording session on November 1, 1945 at Castle Recording Laboratory 's studio D in Nashville, Tennessee.
What's new in Hank Williams's discography?
This is the first major revision of my Hank Williams discography. The main change is that, following comments from other respected discographers, I have created separate sessions for the overdubbing rather that adding them to the details of the original recordings.
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How many records did Hank Williams have?
Hank Williams' discography is composed of 31 singles and 2 ten-inch LPs released during his six-year career; as well as posthumous work including: singles, compilation albums and previously unreleased material.
How many Top 10 records did Hank Williams have?
He recorded 35 singles that reached the top ten of the country Billboard charts, including 11 number one hits.
How many songs did Hank Williams actually write?
This list contains 167 songs written by American singer-songwriter Hank Williams, including those where he is credited as co-author.
How many number one hits did Hank Williams have?
' For more than 50 years, Hank Williams, Jr. has been a constant presence on the country charts and the concert stage. Beginning with a Top Five remake of his father's “Long Gone Lonesome Blues” in 1964, Williams has made the Billboard country singles charts over 100 times, scoring 10 Number One hits.
How much is a Hank Williams record worth?
That record is worth $200. There are dozens of rare Hank Williams vinyl that are valued starting at $50. A version of his Singsvinyl is worth a whopping $200. Patsy Cline has a self-titled vinyl released by Decca worth $75.
Was Hank Williams a good singer?
He is considered by many to be the greatest country singer and songwriter who ever lived. The repertoire he assembled in his sadly abbreviated life includes such classics as "Your Cheatin' Heart," "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" and "Hey, Good Lookin,' " which transcended genre to become standards.
Who owns the rights to Hank Williams songs?
The right to sell some old recordings by Hank Williams belongs to the country music legend's heirs, an appeals court has ruled.
Did Hank really write all those songs?
So you can tell when they were done.” When Hank died on New Year's Day 1953, en route to a show in Canton, Ohio, he left nearly seventy songs written down in those notebooks, some completely finished and others consisting of only a verse or two, but none of them set to music or recorded to tape.
What made Hank Williams so famous?
Hank Williams is considered one of the most popular American country music singer/songwriters with songs like "Cold, Cold Heart," "Your Cheatin' Heart," "Hey, Good Lookin'" and "I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive." He died of a heart attack at the age of 29 in 1953 in the backseat of his Cadillac.
What was the last song Hank Williams recorded?
His final single released during his lifetime was ironically titled "I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive." "Your Cheatin' Heart" was written and recorded in 1952 but released in 1953 after Williams's death. The song was number one on the country charts for six weeks.
What is Hank short for?
Most people know that Hank is short for Henry or Harry but it actually started out as a medieval diminutive of John. Hank essentially developed from Hankin where by “Han” was short for Johan (a German and Scandinavian form of John) and “-kin” was a Middle English diminutive suffix.
How many hits did Hank Williams have?
Hiram " Hank " Williams (September 17, 1923 – January 1, 1953) was an American singer, songwriter, and musician. Regarded as one of the most significant and influential American singers and songwriters of the 20th century, he recorded 35 singles (five released posthumously) that reached the top 10 of the Billboard Country & Western Best Sellers ...
When did Hank Williams enter the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?
In 1987, he was inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame under the category "Early Influence". He was ranked second in CMT 's 40 Greatest Men of Country Music in 2003, behind only Johnny Cash who recorded the song "The Night Hank Williams Came To Town". His son, Hank Jr., was ranked on the same list.
What happened to Hank Williams's wife?
After Williams's death, Audrey Williams filed a suit in Nashville against MGM Records and Acuff-Rose. The suit demanded that both of the publishing companies continue to pay her half of the royalties from Hank Williams's records. 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. Because Williams may have left no will, the disposition of the remaining 50 percent was considered uncertain; those involved included Williams's second wife, Billie Jean Horton and her daughter, and Williams's mother and sister. On October 22, 1975, a federal judge in Atlanta, Georgia, ruled Horton's marriage to Williams was valid and that half of Williams's future royalties belonged to her.
When did Hank Williams' health and happiness show come out?
In 1993, a double-disc set of recordings of Williams for the Health & Happiness Show was released. Broadcast in 1949, the shows were recorded for the promotion of Hadacol. The set was re-released on Hank Williams: The Legend Begins in 2011. The album included unreleased songs.
Why did Ted Williams not fly to Nashville?
Advance ticket sales totaled $3,500. That day, Williams could not fly because of an ice storm in the Nashville area; he hired a college student, Charles Carr, to drive him to the concerts. Carr called the Charleston auditorium from Knoxville to say that Williams would not arrive on time owing to the ice storm and was instead ordered to drive Williams to Canton, Ohio, for a New Year's Day concert there. The two arrived at the Andrew Johnson Hotel in Knoxville, Tennessee, and Carr requested a doctor for Williams, who was affected by the combination of the chloral hydrate and alcohol he had drunk on the way to Knoxville. Dr. P. H. Cardwell injected Williams with two shots of vitamin B 12 that also contained a quarter-grain of morphine. Carr and Williams checked out of the hotel, but the porters had to carry Williams to the car as he was coughing and hiccuping.
Where is Hiram Williams?
Williams's family house in Georgiana, Alabama . Williams was born Hiram Williams on September 17, 1923, in the rural community of Mount Olive in Butler County, Alabama. He was the third child of Jessie Lillybelle "Lillie" (née Skipper) and Elonzo Huble "Lon" Williams.
When did Hank Williams change his name?
In July 1937, the Williams and McNeils opened a boarding house on South Perry Street in downtown Montgomery. It was at this time that Williams decided to change his name informally from Hiram to Hank. Williams told a story in later concerts that attributed his name change to a cat's yowling.
When did Hank Williams Jr. die?
The second problem is the overdubbing that was carried out by MGM in the years following Hank’s death on December 31 1952. At first the overdubbs were sympathetically done using the Drifting Cowboys however as the years past the overdubbing became more and more bizarre such as using the Jordanaires and even his son Hank Williams Jr.
What are the problems with Hank Williams?
The second problem is the overdubbing that was carried out by MGM in the years following Hank’s death on December 31 1952. At first the overdubbs were sympathetically done using the Drifting Cowboys however as the years past the overdubbing became more and more bizarre such as using the Jordanaires and even his son Hank Williams Jr. Never was the phrase “Hank Williams never did it that way” more apt.
What is the master number for Honky Tonk Blues?
However the fact that “Honky Tonk Blues” master 51-S-6129 was reissued with stereo overdubs in 1961, using a matrix number 61-XY-913 which was already assigned to another session and the 45 rpm master was 51-XY-913 makes me wonder if in fact it was deliberate.
What song did Hank Williams sing in?
Williams recorded "Lovesick Blues," from a 1922 musical called Oooh Ernest! "Lovesick Blues, a song that was neither country nor blues in origin, and not even from Hank's pen, gave him his breakthrough," Escott later wrote. "From the opening line, with its keening yodel adding a dramatic flourish to the word "blues," it was obvious that this was a performance—rather than a song—that was impossible to ignore. Hank's performance almost instilled the lyrics with meaning."
Who is Hank Williams?
In his tragically short career, Hank Williams (1923-1953) became one of the most famous country and western performers in the United States. He wrote and recorded songs that are still considered to be country music standards.
What happened to Hank Williams and Audrey Williams?
He allegedly bought some songs under shady circumstances and called them his own. The relationship between Hank and Audrey Williams also grew tense, as allegations of mutual infidelities flew. His problem with alcohol grew worse. In January 1952, Audrey Williams filed for divorce.
What happened to Hank Williams' daughter Jett?
Lawsuits continued into the late 1980s between Hank Williams, Jr., and the "lost daughter" of Hank Williams, Sr., who was conceived during a short affair Williams had after his first wife threw him out of the house. Jett Williams was born five days after her father's death. Like her half brother, she later launched a singing career and hired several members of her father's Drifting Cowboys to play backup.
What was the first song that Wilt Williams wrote?
He won $15 at the Empire Theater in Montgomery by performing what is probably the first song he wrote, "WPA Blues, " a blues critique of President Franklin Roosevelt's Depression-era work program. Too sickly and skinny for the hard labor jobs of his peers, Williams honed his guitar and singing skills. In 1942, he managed to get his own weekly 15-minute show on Montgomery radio station WSFA. (In those days, radio programming was composed almost entirely of live acts.) Williams spent several years (the precise number varied wildly depending on who told it) at WSFA, eventually becoming a disk jockey. In Montgomery, Williams made his first recording, at Griffin's Radio Shop. Around this time, he organized his backup band, the Drifting Cowboys, who would play with him through most of his career.
What was the name of the country singer who sang with his wife in 1949?
1949 was a very successful year for Williams. Not only was he hired by the Grand Ole Opry, but he became the proud parent of a son, Randall Hank Jr., who would later become a country music star in his own right. In 1950, Williams had a series of successful songs including "My Bucket's Got A Hole In It," "Long Gone Lonesome Blues," and "Why Don't You Love Me." He also released a series of religious duets with his wife. Using his own increasing stardom as leverage, Williams had helped his wife get a recording contract with Decca. They were far less successful. He recorded his unpopular religious sermons under the name "Luke the Drifter," so that jukebox operators who had standing orders for any Hank Williams release wouldn't buy them.
Overview
Hiram "Hank" Williams (September 17, 1923 – January 1, 1953) was an American singer, songwriter, and musician. Regarded as one of the most significant and influential American singers and songwriters of the 20th century, he recorded 55 singles (five released posthumously) that reached the top 10 of the Billboard Country & Western Best Sellers chart, including 12 that reached N…
Early life
Williams was born Hiram Williams on September 17, 1923, in the rural community of Mount Olive in Butler County, Alabama. He was the third child of Jessie Lillybelle "Lillie" (née Skipper) (1898–1955) and Elonzo Huble "Lon" Williams (1891–1970). Elonzo was a railroad engineer for the W. T. Smith lumber company and was drafted during World War I, serving from July 1918 to June 1…
Career
In July 1937, the Williams and McNeils opened a boarding house on South Perry Street in downtown Montgomery. It was at this time that Williams decided to change his name informally from Hiram to Hank. Williams told a story in later concerts that attributed his name change to a cat's yowling. The authors of Hank Williams: The Biography pointed out that "Hank" sounded more "like a hill…
Personal life
On December 15, 1944, Williams married Audrey Sheppard. It was her second marriage and his first. Their son, Randall Hank Williams (now known as Hank Williams Jr.), was born on May 26, 1949. 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. The couple divorced on May 29, 1952. In Ju…
Death
Williams was scheduled to perform at the Municipal Auditorium in Charleston, West Virginia, on December 31, 1952. Advance ticket sales totaled $3,500. That day, Williams could not fly because of an ice storm in the Nashville area; he hired a college student, Charles Carr, to drive him to the concerts. Carr called the Charleston auditorium from Knoxville to say that Williams would not arrive on t…
Legacy
Williams has been called "the King of Country Music" in popular culture. Alabama governor Gordon Persons officially proclaimed September 21 "Hank Williams Day". The first celebration, in 1954, featured the unveiling of a monument at the Cramton Bowl that was later placed at the gravesite of Williams. The ceremony featured Ferlin Husky interpreting "I Saw the Light". Will…
In popular culture
• In the 1964 biopic Your Cheatin' Heart, Williams in portrayed onscreen by actor George Hamilton.
• In the 1980 Canadian film, Hank Williams: The Show He Never Gave, Williams is portrayed by singer Sneezy Waters.
• In the 2015 biopic I Saw the Light, English actor Tom Hiddleston appears as Williams and Elizabeth Olsen appears as Audrey Williams.
Further reading
• Williams, Lycrecia; Dale Vinicur (1989). Still in Love with You: Hank and Audrey Williams. Nashville, Tenn.: Rutledge Hill Press. ISBN 978-1-55853-105-5. OCLC 42469829.
• Rivers, Jerry (1967). Thurston Moore (ed.). Hank Williams: From Life to Legend. Denver: Heather Enterprises. LCCN 67030642. OCLC 902165.