Hank Williams By: Sarah Lewis, Baylee Gillanders, Samuel Carpenter, Thomas Serratore, Subhasree Sengupta Why Hank Williams? -One of the primary reasons why Hank Williams is so interesting is because we don't know much about him personally. -Williams left behind very little about his life, namely interview records, letters, and journal entries -It is apparent that Williams did not boast about his obvious success, however he is still regarded as one of the most influential and popular figures in music history Introduction HankH was born on September • He was one of the most popular Country music singers/ songwriters of his time. • He is the father of contemporary country music. • He was a superstar by the age of 25, but sadly he was dead by 29. Growing Up • Hank was born Hiram King Williams on September 17th, 1923 in Mount Olive, Alabama. • His mother gave him his first guitar when he was 8. • He had spina bifida which is why he turned to music for comfort • Hank was alone for much of his life, his mom was busy with work and his father was in a veteran's hospital. Musical Background • His musical education was provided by a local blues street singer, Rufus Payne, who was called Tee Tot. • Hank started performing in Alabama in his early teens. • He had his own band at the age of 14 called Hank Williams and his Drifting Cowboys- they had a regular spot on a local radio station Musical Career • Hank first signed with MGM label where he got his first hit, "Move it On Over" and had "Honk Tonkin", with a second billboard success. • Fred Rose became Hanks producer and manager • Hank performed "Lovesick Blues" at the Grand Ole Opry and had several encores - he had become a star. • Hank had a number of songs that made it to the Top Ten on the Billboard charts. • The Grand Ole Opry fired Hank - until he was sober. • After his death, MGM kept releasing his records and he had many hits. Musical Career Continued.... • Known for some of his famous songs "Cold, Cold Heart", "Your Cheatin Heart", "Hey good lookin", and "I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive" • Country Musics 1st Superstar • Was known to be drunk during live performances Musical Successes • "Move It on Over," released in 1947, became Hank's first single for MGM. It was in the country top five. • "Lovesick Blues" stayed at number one for 16 weeks and crossed over into the pop Top 25. • He had several more number one hits "Long Gone Lonesome Blues," "Why Don't You Love Me," and "Moanin' the Blues." • He also had Top Ten hits :"I Just Don't Like This Kind of Livin'," "My Son Calls Another Man Daddy," "They'll Never Take Her Love From Me," "Why Should We Try," and "Nobody's Lonesome for Me." Musical Successes continued... • Hank had another in 1951, Top Ten hit :"Dear John" • To follow, he had the number one song "Hey, Good Lookin'" • "Howlin' at the Moon," "I Can't Help It (If I'm Still in Love with You)," "Crazy Heart," "Lonesome Whistle," and "Baby, We're Really in Love," all charted in the Top Ten. • In the spring of 1952, "Honky Tonk Blues" peaked at number two. • Later in 1952, "Half as Much," "Jambalaya," "Settin' the Woods on Fire," "You Win Again," and "I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive" all charted in the Top Ten. • "I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive" reached number one after his death in 1953. Personal Life Relationships • Teetot helped Williams grow out of his shy nature by teaching him about music. This shy, blues-like feel was expressed in much of his work • He was married in 1943 to Audrey Mae Sheppard and they had a son in 1949 who was named Hank Williams Jr. • Audrey became his manager right before their marriage for a short time. • Audrey and Hanks marriage was struggling, they eventually divorced. Hank remarried. Hank's Children • Hank Williams Jr.- Country Singer/ Songwriter just like his father • Genre: Blues, Southern Rock & Traditional Country • Jett Williams- Daughter of Hank Senior • A posthumous child • Was born after Hank Seniors Death Behind the Scenes • During the fame, Hank had a drinking problem. • Hank created one of his most famous songs "cold, cold heart" during his constant troubles with his Audrey and alcohol. • Hank fell and had a back injury, he then became addicted to painkillers Hank's Death • Still known to this day to be a mystery • What happened in the last 48 hours of his life are still unknown • Hank passed away at the age of 29 • Cause of death: Heart Attack in the back of a Cadillac Success after death • "I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive" reached number one after his death • That song was followed by a number of hits in 1953, including "Your Cheatin' Heart," "Kaw-Liga," and "Take These Chains From My Heart," which were all number one hits. • MGM kept issuing Hank's records, they took his original demos and overdubbed bands onto the original recording with heavy strings. • "Weary Blues from Waitin'," was his last hit. Hank William's influences -William's country style music has influenced many genres we hear today including rock and roll and folk music. -Williams was known as one of the first artists to sing about what truly troubled him in his life. Thus, paving the way for many of the contemporary artists' styles we know and love today - As a child, the impact of his local church's gospel songs showed him the spiritual side of music; that every good song has a message -Johnny Cash and Willie Nelson are two notable country artists that associated their success to the work of Hank Williams Conclusion • As much as his death was tragic, his work started a new set of artists who covered his work such as Perry Como, Dinah Washington, Norah Jones and Bob Dylan. • He never learned to read music, thus basing his compositions mainly on storytelling. However, this never stopped him from becoming one of the most prominent figures in Country Music. • To commemorate his immense contribution to Country music ,21st September is celebrated as "Hank Williams Day". • Hank made the Country Music Hall of Fame and in 2010 he was awarded a special citation for songwriting. • Hank Williams had a different style that most artists during the "Rock and Roll" 1950s. The passionate and sensible messages in his songs contrasted starkly with the more performance based music associated with charismatic performers like Elvis. • The fact that Hank Williams, a "country singer", was inducted into the "rock and roll" hall of fame is a testament to how influential his work was. Even Rock Stars such as Bob Dylan have often said much of their inspiration came from him. References • Erlev, S. (2013). Hank Williams. Retrieved from http://www.allmusic.com/artist/hank-williams-mn0000549797 • Green, M. (1990, September 17). Vindicated in court, hank williams's daughter, jett, can claim a share of her father's estate—and his heritage. Retrieved from http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20118765,00.html. • Hank Williams Sr. (2013). The Biography Channel website. Retrieved 08:41, Jun 24, 2013, from http://www.biography.com/people/hank-williams-9532414.\ • Nunnari, D. (n.d.). The death of hank williams. Retrieved from http://www.angelfire.com/country/hanksr/death.htm • Shiflett, D. (2004, June 23). The hank williams story:a lonely heart drowned in booze. Retrieved from http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news? pid=newsarchive&sid=a5siL3YxoSQY • Escott, C. (2005). Hank Williams. PBS.org. Retrieved July 25, 2013, from http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/episodes/hank-williams/about- hank-williams/734/. • Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. (2013). RockHall.com. Retrieved July 25, 2013, from http://rockhall.com/inductees/hank-williams/bio/. .