On This Day 76 Years Ago, Hank Williams Recorded the Tearjerker That Captured the Despair of Attending a Former Lover’s Wedding

On this day (March 30) in 1949, Hank Williams stepped into the Castle Studio in Nashville to record “Wedding Bells.” It was his first single after “Lovesick Blues” became his first No. 1, and its B-side reached the top 10. The song tells the story of a man dealing with the love of his life marrying someone else. Unlike many of his biggest hits, Williams didn’t write “Wedding Bells.” Interestingly, the person who had writing credit on the track didn’t write it either.

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Bill Carlisle recorded the first version of “Wedding Bells” two years before Williams cut it. The song is credited to Claude Boone. However, according to Colin Escott’s Hank Williams: The Biography, Arthur Pritchett, a Knoxville, Tennessee-based musician who performed under the name Arthur Q. Smith, wrote the song. He sold it to Boone for $25. Adjusted for inflation, that’s about $447.

[RELATED: On This Day in 1947, Hank Williams Recorded a Single That Would Be the Blueprint for Songs That Made Him an Icon]

Hank Williams Rises to Fame

Today, Hank Williams is considered one of the most influential artists in country music history. In some way, most modern country artists have taken inspiration from Williams or artists who were inspired by him. However, his career took longer than some to truly get started.

Williams started his recording career with Sterling Records in 1946. He released his debut single, “Never Again (Will I Knock on Your Door),” early the next year. It and the rest of his Sterling singles failed to reach the country charts. However, they were commercially successful. As a result, he was able to land a deal with MGM Records. There, he landed his first hit when “Move It on Over” reached No. 4.

He saw intermittent chart success for the next two years. Then, “Lovesick Blues” became his first No. 1 single in 1949. Interestingly, it was backed with “Never Again (Will I Knock on Your Door).” The song failed to chart two years earlier, but reached No. 6 upon its second release. Then, “Wedding Bells” reached No. 2, solidifying the new era of Williams’ career.

Williams released 27 more singles before he died on New Year’s Day 1953. One of those missed the top 10. “Lost Highway,” one of his most enduring songs, peaked at No. 12 in 1949. Seven of those singles reached the top of the country chart.

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