On this day (June 11) in 1949, Hank Williams made his Grand Ole Opry debut. He performed “Lovesick Blues,” the song that convinced the decision-makers at the Opry to invite him to appear, and “Mind Your Own Business.” Then, he returned for multiple encore performances of his hit, cementing his place in the show’s roster.
Williams was far from the legendary figure he is today in 1949. At the time, he was an up-and-comer with a less-than-stellar reputation. He came up playing backwater blood bucket honky tonks across the Southeast and carried that barroom swagger with him to Nashville. More than that, he was already known for his heavy drinking. As a result, the Grand Ole Opry kept their distance from him to keep their squeaky clean image safe.
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The Louisiana Hayride overlooked his drinking and saw his talent and sound–a blues-tinged combination of Roy Acuff and Ernest Tubb–and knew he was something special. So, when he released “Lovesick Blues,” which would become his first No. 1, he was a regular on the Hayride. When the song became a hit, however, the Opry came calling, according to History.
At the time, Billboard ran two country singles charts. One tracked juke box spins, and the other tracked retail sales. By the time Williams made his Opry debut, “Lovesick Blues” had topped both. It had already spent four weeks at No. 1 on the best-sellers chart and one week atop the jukebox chart. The song continued its reign over both tallies after his debut performance.
Hank Williams Blows the Grand Ole Opry Crowd Away
Hank Williams took the stage at the Ryman Auditorium for the Saturday evening Grand Ole Opry show and played “Lovesick Blues” and “Mind Your Own Business.” When he finished, the crowd demanded an encore. So, he returned to the stage and did “Lovesick Blues” again.
This cycle repeated five more times, making Williams the first performer in the history of the broadcast to do six encores. After his sixth encore, the show’s announcers pleaded with the crowd to stop demanding Williams come back to the stage so the show could go forward.
Williams’ Opry debut introduced him to the show’s massive audience. As a result, he quickly shot to stardom. Nearly every song he released from then on became a top 10 hit. “Lost Highway,” which peaked at No. 12, was the only exception.
Unfortunately, the heavy drinking that initially prevented Hank Williams from becoming an Opry member caught up with him three years later. He was dismissed from the show in July 1952, just months before his eventual death on New Year’s Day 1953.
Featured Image by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
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