On this day (September 17) in 1923, Hiram Williams was born in Butler County, Alabama. He found his passion for music early and began performing on local radio stations as a teenager. At the age of 24, Hank Williams released his debut single, marking the beginning of a short but impactful career that shaped the future of country music.
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Williams wasn’t the first big act in the country music world. Jimmie Rodgers, the Father of Country Music, found success in the years after the 1927 Bristol Sessions. Later, Roy Acuff became one of the genre’s early stars and helped popularize both the Grand Ole Opry and the genre as a whole. However, Williams is widely considered the first country superstar.
His popularity and impact in his time can be, in some ways, measured by his enduring popularity among country artists and listeners. While Acuff, Rodgers, and other early stars are largely ignored by contemporary genre fans, Williams’ songs continue to be loved by listeners and covered by artists at all levels of success. “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry,” “Cold, Cold Heart,” and “Lovesick Blues,” among other songs from his discography, remain standards today.
It is nearly impossible to measure Hank Williams’ impact on the genre. However, it is easy to see his influence on some of its biggest stars. George Jones, for one, was a devoted fan. Before he found his sound, he tried his best to imitate the likes of Williams and Lefty Frizzell. Alan Jackson looked to both Jones and Williams for inspiration. His influence is also evident in more contemporary artists. For instance, it is hard to look at Charley Crockett and not see some of Ol’ Hank’s style.
Hank Williams Earned the Nickname “Hillbilly Shakespeare”
Many of Hank Williams’ early releases were covers. For instance, his first No. 1 single, “Lovesick Blues,” was more than 25 years old when he released it in 1949. A year later, though, he found another No. 1 with “Long Gone Lonesome Blues,” a song he wrote. According to the Country Music Hall of Fame, this was a turning point for Williams. He began recording his own material almost exclusively.
The peak of his success came between 1950 and 1950. This short window saw him write and release songs like “Why Don’t You Love Me,” “Moanin’ the Blues,” “Cold, Cold Heart,” “Hey, Good Lookin’,” “(I Heard That) Lonesome Whistle,” and many more.
Hank Williams died on New Year’s Day 1953 at the age of 29, leaving behind a legacy that shaped not just country music but American music as a whole.
Featured Image by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
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