Hank Williams, Jr.

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Image:Hank Williams Jr.jpg Hank Williams, Jr. (born May 26, 1949) is a country singer, son of country music pioneer Hank Williams and father of Hank III and Holly Williams.

1 Early life and career
2 A change in musical direction
3 Injury and recovery
4 Popular success
5 Acceptance by country music establishment
6 Discography
7 Awards
8 Music Videos
9 External links

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Early life and career

Born Randall Hank Williams in Shreveport, Louisiana, and known by the nickname Bocephus (a name given to him by Hank Williams), he was raised by his mother Audrey after his father's death in 1953. He began performing when eight years old, and in 1963 made his recording debut with "Lone Gone Lonesome Blues", a staple of his father's career.

Williams' early career was guided, some say outright dominated, by his mother Audrey Williams, who many claim was the driving force that led his father to musical superstardom during the late 1940s and early 1950s. Audrey, in many ways, wished for young Hank to be a clone of his father, sometimes going as far as to have clothes designed for him that were identical to his father's stage clothes and that his vocal stylings and sounds were almost identical to those of Hank Williams

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A change in musical direction

Although Williams' recordings earned him numerous top ten country hits throughout the 1960s, he became disillusioned with his role as a 'Hank Williams clone' and severed ties with his mother in order to pursue his own musical direction and tastes. After recording the soundtrack to Your Cheatin' Heart, a biography of his father, Williams, Jr. hit the charts with one of his own compositions, "Standing in the Shadows". The song signalled a move to rock and roll and other influences as he stepped from the shadow of his father.

By the mid-1970s, Williams had finally found the musical direction that would, eventually, make him a superstar. Williams' unique blend of traditional country with southern rock and blues earned him a devoted following, although mainstream country radio wouldn't touch his new songs in this blatantly untraditional sound. He became best known for hits like "Family Tradition" and "Born to Boogie".

While recording a series of hit songs, Williams began abusing drugs including alcohol and eventually tried to commit suicide in 1974. Moving to Alabama, Williams began playing with Southern rock musicians like Toy Caldwell, Marshall Tucker Band and Charlie Daniels.

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Injury and recovery

In 1975, he was severely injured in a mountain-climbing accident in Montana. The accident destroyed his face, shattering every bone within his face and actually exposing his brain to open air. It would eventually take 9 major surgeries to put his face back together again. In order to hide the numerous scars, Williams adopted a look that would become his trademark, a thick full beard, cowboy hat, and dark sunglasses. Upon his recovery (which took two years), Williams worked with Waylon Jennings on The New South. He didn't reach the charts again until the late 1970s, with I Fought the Law (Bobby Fuller), Family Tradition and Whiskey Bent and Hell Bound.

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Popular success

The singles "Family Tradition" and "Whiskey Bent and Hell Bound" sent Williams' career into orbit. During the 1980s alone, he scored no less than 35 top ten and number one singles on the country music charts and an impressive string of gold, platinum, and multi-platinum selling albums. Despite selling millions of albums, setting concert attendance records, and being one of Country Music's biggest stars, Williams received very little recognition by the country music establishment. Williams' untraditional approach, style, behavior, sound, and Rock and Roll attitude was seen as not being 'country' enough for hardcore country loyalists within the Nashville music scene.

In the mid-1980s, Williams took advantage of the emerging popularity of music videos and shot a video to showcase the single, "All My Rowdy Friends Are Coming Over Tonight". The song became one of Williams' true signature songs, due in great part to the video that featured, quite literally, many of Williams' closest friends, many of whom were among the most recognizable names in music such as George Jones, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, and George Thorogood. The video for "All My Rowdy Friends" became the first video to be named Video Of The Year by the Country Music Association in 1985.

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Acceptance by country music establishment

Williams' career began to hit its peak after his first taste of recognition by the country music establishment. His popularity had risen to such levels, he could no longer be overlooked for major industry awards. In 1986 and 1987, Williams was named Entertainer Of The Year by the Country Music Association. In 1987, 1988, and 1989, he won the same award from the Academy of Country Music. During the 1980s, Williams became a country music superstar known for catchy anthems and hard-edged rock-influenced country. By the end of the decade, however, the hits had begun to dry up. A new generation of country singers began to emerge that brought with them songs and vocal stylings with a more traditional sound. These singers, which would include Randy Travis, Alan Jackson, Vince Gill, and Garth Brooks, became known as 'Neo-Traditionalists'. Williams was now seen as somewhat out of step with this new traditionalist movement.

His last major success was "There's a Tear in My Beer", a duet with his father created using electronic dubbing techniques. The song itself was written by his father, presumably, sometime between 1950 and 1953 and was recorded with Hank Williams playing just his guitar. The music video for the song combined existing television footage of Hank Williams performing and the dubbing techniques transferred the image of Hank Jr. onto the screen, so it appeared as if he were actually playing with his father. The video was an overwhelming success, both critically and commercially. It was named Video Of The Year by both the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country music. Hank Williams, Jr. would go on to win a Grammy award in 1990 for Best Country Vocal Collaboration.

Despite his slumping album sales, Hank Williams Jr. continued to be a popular concert draw during the early 1990s and continued to record, with several of his recordings during this time still managing to achieve gold status, selling 500,000 copies.

He is probably best known today as the performer of the theme song for Monday Night Football, based on "All My Rowdy Friends Are Coming Over Tonight". The opening theme became a classic, as much a part of the show as the football itself. In 1991, 1992, 1993, and 1994, Williams' opening themes for Monday Night Football would earn him four Emmy awards.

When not performing, Williams lives at his compound outside of Missoula, where he spends his time composing new material, hunting and fishing.

He has made a cameo appearance along with Larry the Cable Guy, Kid Rock, and Charlie Daniels in Gretchen Wilson's music video for the song "All Jacked Up", whose album has been released.

Williams, Jr. donated $125,000 to hurricane relief efforts in Biloxi, Mississippi on October 14, 2005.

On December 26, 2005 Hank Williams, Jr opened for Monday Night Football on ABC for the last time. Starting this year 2006, the series will be on Disney corporate sibling ESPN.

On January 7, 2006, Hank Williams, Jr opened up for two games on ABC for the NFL Playoffs.

Hank Williams Jr. visited with Randal McCloy Jr., the only survivor of the Sago Mine accident, on Wednesday, January 11, 2006 in Morgantown, West Virginia. Williams traveled to the hospital after learning that McCloy was a fan of his music. "It just hit me like a ton of bricks because I had a big mountain fall in the '70s, and they said I wouldn't live," Williams told Pittsburgh TV station KDKA. "It really, really affected me, and I said, 'I've just got to go there and meet the family."

The Tennessee Court of Appeals has upheld a lower court ruling stating that Hank Williams' heirs -- son Hank Williams Jr. and daughter Jett Williams -- have the sole rights to sell his old recordings made for a Nashville radio station in the early '50s. The court rejected claims made by Polygram Records and Legacy Entertainment in releasing recordings Williams made for the Mother's Best Flour Show, a program that originally aired on WSM-AM. The recordings, which Legacy Entertainment acquired in 1997, include live versions of Williams' hits and his cover version of other songs. Polygram contended that Williams' contract with MGM Records, which Polygram now owns, gave them rights to release the radio recordings.

Hank Williams, Jr. opened for Super Bowl XL which was aired February 5, 2006 on ABC. Williams Jr was in the stands as a Pittsburgh Steelers fan.

Singer-songwriter Holly Williams and sister Hilary Williams were being treated at a Memphis, TN, hospital March 15, 2006 for injuries sustained earlier in the day in a traffic accident between Memphis and Tunica, Miss. They are the daughters of Hank Williams Jr. and his ex-wife, Becky. According to WREG-TV in Memphis, the sisters were traveling south to Bastrop, La., to attend funeral services for their 87-year-old grandfather, Warren White, who died March 13, 2006. Both Hank Williams Jr. and his ex-wife spent much of March 15, 2006 at the hospital where Holly was listed in fair condition. Older sister Hilary was listed in critical condition and was scheduled to undergo surgery. WREG-TV reported that the vehicle transporting the sisters apparently rolled over several times.

In a uncharacteristically tearful press conference at the hospital, Williams, Jr. was forced to repudiate unfounded, rumored allegations that he had requested African-American medical personnel not treat his daughters. Williams, Jr. outlined how a black female had been first to care for one of his daughters after the serious accident, and categorically denied any suggestion of the racially-charged claim.

On April 10, 2006 CMT honored country music icon and king of the common man Hank Williams Jr. with the Johnny Cash Visionary Award, presenting it to him at the 2006 CMT Music Awards. Williams joins an elite circle of gifted performers to have received this prestigious mark of distinction, including Loretta Lynn (2005), Reba McEntire (2004), Johnny Cash (2003).