Hank Williams 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 that reached the top 10 of the Billboard Country & Western Best Sellers chart, including 12 that reached No. 1.
Randall Hank Williams, known professionally as Hank Williams Jr. or Bocephus, is an American singer-songwriter and musician. His musical style is often considered a blend of southern rock, blues, and country. He is the son of country musician Hank Williams and the father of musicians Holly Williams and Hank Williams III.
"Your Cheatin' Heart" is a song written and recorded by country music singer-songwriter Hank Williams in 1952. It is regarded as one of country's most important standards. Williams was inspired to write the song while driving with his fiancée from Nashville, Tennessee, to Shreveport, Louisiana. After describing his first wife Audrey Sheppard as a "Cheatin' Heart", he dictated in minutes the lyrics to Billie Jean Jones. Produced by Fred Rose, Williams recorded the song on his last session at Castle Studio in Nashville, Tennessee, on September 23.
Wyatt Merle Kilgore was an American singer, songwriter, and manager. Born in Chickasha, Oklahoma, he was raised in Shreveport, Louisiana. At the time of his death, he was the personal manager of Hank Williams Jr.
"Half as Much" is an American pop standard song written by Curley Williams in 1951. It was first recorded by country music singer Hank Williams in 1952 and reached number two on the Billboard Country Singles chart.
"Kaw-Liga" is a country music song written by Hank Williams and Fred Rose.
"Take These Chains from My Heart" is a song by Hank Williams. It was written by Fred Rose and Hy Heath and was recorded at Williams' final recording session on September 23, 1952, in Nashville. The song has been widely praised; Williams' biographer Colin Escott deems it "perhaps the best song [Rose] ever presented to Hank...It was one of the very few songs that sounded somewhat similar to a Hank Williams song." Williams is backed by Tommy Jackson (fiddle), Don Helms, Chet Atkins, Jack Shook, and Floyd "Lightnin'" Chance (bass). In the wake of Williams' death on New Year's Day, 1953, the song shot to No. 1, his final chart-topping hit for MGM Records. Like "Your Cheatin' Heart," the song's theme of despair, so vividly articulated by Williams' typically impassioned singing, reinforced the image of Hank as a tortured, mythic figure.
"You Win Again" is a 1952 song by Hank Williams. In style, the song is a blues ballad and deals with the singer's despair with his partner. The song has been widely covered, including versions by Ray Charles, Jerry Lee Lewis, Roy Orbison, the Grateful Dead, Charley Pride, Bob Dylan, and the Rolling Stones.
"Honky Tonkin'" is a 1947 country music song, written and recorded by Hank Williams. His song went to #14 on the Billboard country music chart in 1948. In 1982, it became the sixth chart topping single for Williams' son, Hank Williams Jr.
I Saw the Light is a 2015 American biographical drama film directed, written, and produced by Marc Abraham, starring Tom Hiddleston as country music legend Hank Williams and Elizabeth Olsen as his first wife, Audrey Williams. It is based on the book Hank Williams: The Biography by Colin Escott, George Merritt, and William (Bill) MacEwen. It was screened in the Special Presentations section of the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival.
"A Mansion on the Hill" is a song written by Hank Williams and Fred Rose and originally recorded by Williams on MGM Records. It peaked at No. 12 on the Most Played Jukebox Folk Records chart in March 1949.
"I Could Never Be Ashamed of You" is a song written and recorded by Hank Williams. It was released as the B-side of "I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive" on MGM Records in November 1952.
"At the First Fall of Snow" is a song written by Lorene Rose. It is primarily associated with Hank Williams, who recorded it at WWKH in Shreveport, Louisiana as part of the Johnnie Fair Syrup program between August 1947 and May 1948. The surviving acetates feature Williams accompanied by his own guitar singing many of his favorite songs by Ernest Tubb, Gene Autry, and Roy Acuff, among others. MGM obtained the rights to the acetates and "At the First Fall of Snow" was released as a single in September 1955 with "Someday You'll Call My Name" as the B-side. By February 1956 it had sold thirty thousand copies.
"Faded Love and Winter Roses" is a song written by Fred Rose. It was released as a posthumous single by Hank Williams, whose records Rose produced, in 1954.
"Thank God" is a hymn written by Fred Rose and released as a posthumous single by Hank Williams in 1955 on MGM Records. Rose had produced Williams' records and published his songs through his company Acuff-Rose. The Roy Acuff hymn "The Battle of Armageddon" was the B-side. "Thank God" was recorded between August 1948 and May 1949 at KWKH studio in Shreveport, Louisiana when the singer appeared on the Johnny Fair Syrup radio show. Williams dubbed himself "The Ol' Syrupy Sopper" and performed alone with his guitar.
"There's No Room in My Heart for the Blues" is a song by Hank Williams. It was released as a posthumous single in 1956 by MGM Records. The song was written by Williams' producer Fred Rose and guitarist Zeb Turner, who played on several of Hank's recordings. The release was drawn from a Williams performance on KWKH in Shreveport, Louisiana as part of the Johnny Fair Syrup radio show. Lyrically, the song expresses the desire on the narrator's part for an amicable breakup, if one should ever occur, but Williams gentle delivery infuses the song with a sense of foreboding and sad inevitability.
"The Pale Horse and His Rider" is a hymn written by Ervin Staggs, Johnnie Bailes, Zeke Clements, and M.D. Wright. It was recorded in 1951 as a duet by Hank Williams and his wife Audrey Williams and released as a single by MGM Records in 1956 as the B-side to "A Home in Heaven. It is likely that Williams learned the song from its co-writer Johnny Bailes when he worked with the Bailes Brothers in Shreveport in 1948 and 1949, but the song dated back to 1939 when Bailes was working with Molly O'Day and Ervin Staggs at WCHS in Charleston, West Virginia. Hank and Audrey were backed on the session by Jerry Rivers (fiddle), Don Helms, Sammy Pruett, Jack Shook, and Howard Watts or Ernie Newton (bass).
"The Waltz of the Wind" is a song recorded by Hank Williams. It was written by Fred Rose. Williams recorded it as a demo in 1948 or 1949 in Shreveport alone with his guitar and it was released as a posthumous single by MGM Records in 1957.
"No One Will Ever Know" is a song written by Fred Rose and Mel Forre. It was originally associated with country icon Hank Williams when it was issued as a posthumous single in 1957.
"Lost on the River" is a song written by Hank Williams. It was released as a duet with his wife Audrey Williams on MGM Records in 1950.
