R.I.P. Hank Williams, 71 years

[Ridgegrass]

It's 71 years since Hank Williams' driver, Charles Carr found Hank dead in the back seat of Hank' Cadillac early on New Year's 1953. There was some speculation that he may have been dead around 11:00 p.m. New Year's Eve when the car was stopped for speeding in Rutledge, Tennessee. Carr definitely found Hank dead around Oak Hill, W.Va. early New Year's morning. He had a piece of a song he was writing that was found on the floor of his car. Hank was 29 years old. His influence on country and pop music is still felt. R.I.P. Hank, but you'll never really die.

[Mumbleypeg]

Hank was undoubtedly one of the best songwriters of the 20th century, and probably ever. He would have been 100 years old this year, of course given his health problems and lifestyle, he would never have made it. Strange that as great a songwriter as he was, my favorite recording of his is Lost Highway which was written by Leon Payne. In many ways it is Hank’s biography.

Ken

[Ridgegrass]

Ken, . Another one is "May You Never Be Alone Like Me", just tragic for a man in his twenties. O'.

[Gtrclktr-351]

Luke the Drifter May be gone, but will never be forgotten. Too many great songs to even try to pick a favorite. I‘m So Lonesome I Could Cry may be the best country song ever written and I Saw The Light always speaks to my heart.

[Ridgegrass]

Story goes, they were driving all night. Hank woke up in the back seat and asked where they were. His mother said "Near Nashville. I saw the light."
And there it was. May be just legend.
Hank haunts me, a man perfectly placed in time, and a poet who said so much to every kind of person, with so few words. (Kate Wolfe had some words, not about Hank, but appropriate, "His words fell like rain on a dry, desert plain, precious and so quickly gone.")
He died at the absolute pinnacle of his celebrity.
I have a recent CD of Hank with just his guitar on a bunch of remixed out-takes. It's like he's in the room just jamming. Whew!
O'.

[Gtrclktr-351]

I have a recent CD of Hank with just his guitar on a bunch of remixed out-takes. It's like he's in the room just jamming. Whew!
O'.

Is it a CD that is commercially available? As a Hank Williams fan, and wannabe guitar player, I would love to find that CD.

[Ridgegrass]

Ill try to find the jewel case. Haven't played it in a while. Stay tuned. O'.

[Ridgegrass]

Here it is. On MERCURY o88 170 164-2 copyright 2000 Hope you can find one. It's special. John

[Mumbleypeg]

I have a 10 CD boxed set called "The Complete Hank Williams" which claims to contain every known recording of Hank Williams. The songs you seek are probably included. It has a lot of previously unreleased recordings including Hank accompanied by himself (some of which were demos etc but some were later overlaid with other musicians and released). Also includes radio shows complete with commercials Hank did for various companies of the day (like Hadacol), live performances, Luke the Drifter, duets with Audrey Williams, etc. You can get the boxed set on eBay and possibly some other sources. Price depends on condition, a mint set is around $250 but used ones are much cheaper.

Ken

[Gtrclktr-351]

Here it is. On MERCURY o88 170 164-2 copyright 2000 Hope you can find one. It's special. John

Thank you very much! Found the CD on Discogs and purchased it.

[Gtrclktr-351]

I have a 10 CD boxed set called "The Complete Hank Williams" which claims to contain every known recording of Hank Williams. The songs you seek are probably included. It has a lot of previously unreleased recordings including Hank accompanied by himself (some of which were demos etc but some were later overlaid with other musicians and released). Also includes radio shows complete with commercials Hank did for various companies of the day (like Hadacol), live performances, Luke the Drifter, duets with Audrey Williams, etc. You can get the boxed set on eBay and possibly some other sources. Price depends on condition, a mint set is around $250 but used ones are much cheaper.

Ken

Thanks, I may look for that one as well.

[Ridgegrass]

Clicktrack: The line in "I'm So Lonesome...." that goes,"The silence of a fallin' star lights up a purple sky", for me, is one pf the most poetic moments of Hank's work.

I'm guessing you'd also enjoy this book by Colin Escott and Kira Florita. It uses a collection of photos to tell Hank's story in an interesting and novel way.
, John

[Ridgegrass]

Duh! Forgot the pic.

[Gtrclktr-351]

“Mail Call” post in the music forum. Thanks to “Ridgegrass” for talking about a solo acoustic Hank Williams CD. Of course, I had to try to find it and found a copy at Discogs