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.
Re: R.I.P. Hank Williams, 71 years
Posted: Sun Dec 31, 2023 10:31 pm
by 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
Re: R.I.P. Hank Williams, 71 years
Posted: Mon Jan 01, 2024 3:29 am
by Ridgegrass
Ken, . Another one is "May You Never Be Alone Like Me", just tragic for a man in his twenties. O'.
Re: R.I.P. Hank Williams, 71 years
Posted: Wed Jun 26, 2024 4:02 am
by 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.
Re: R.I.P. Hank Williams, 71 years
Posted: Tue Jul 02, 2024 10:17 pm
by 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'.
Re: R.I.P. Hank Williams, 71 years
Posted: Sun Jul 14, 2024 6:06 pm
by Gtrclktr-351
Ridgegrass wrote: ↑Tue Jul 02, 2024 10:17 pm
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.
Re: R.I.P. Hank Williams, 71 years
Posted: Mon Jul 15, 2024 3:54 am
by Ridgegrass
Ill try to find the jewel case. Haven't played it in a while. Stay tuned. O'.
Re: R.I.P. Hank Williams, 71 years
Posted: Mon Jul 15, 2024 4:12 am
by Ridgegrass
Here it is. On MERCURY o88 170 164-2 copyright 2000 Hope you can find one. It's special. John
Re: R.I.P. Hank Williams, 71 years
Posted: Mon Jul 15, 2024 4:21 am
by 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
Re: R.I.P. Hank Williams, 71 years
Posted: Mon Jul 15, 2024 11:52 am
by Gtrclktr-351
Ridgegrass wrote: ↑Mon Jul 15, 2024 4:12 am
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.
Re: R.I.P. Hank Williams, 71 years
Posted: Mon Jul 15, 2024 11:54 am
by Gtrclktr-351
Mumbleypeg wrote: ↑Mon Jul 15, 2024 4:21 am
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.
Re: R.I.P. Hank Williams, 71 years
Posted: Mon Jul 15, 2024 10:08 pm
by 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
Re: R.I.P. Hank Williams, 71 years
Posted: Mon Jul 15, 2024 10:10 pm
by Ridgegrass
Duh! Forgot the pic.
Re: R.I.P. Hank Williams, 71 years
Posted: Sat Jul 20, 2024 10:43 pm
by 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
. Another one is "May You Never Be Alone Like Me", just tragic for a man in his twenties. O'.