Behind the Grand Ole Opry Banning Hank Williams and His Grandson’s Failed Attempt To Get Him Reinducted

Hank Williams had always played to the beat of his own drum. While that behavior made him one of the most beloved acts in country music history, it also got Williams in trouble from time to time. One of those latter situations led to him being banned from the Grand Ole Opry. As a matter of fact, he wasn’t just banned, Williams also lost his membership entirely.

To country fans of the mid-20th century, this news came as a major loss. Not only was Williams considered the biggest country star at the time, but he was also one of the pinnacle figures of the Grand Ole Opry. Inducted into the elite company in 1949, Hank Williams would go on to be dismissed from the Opry just three years later in 1952. Reasons for his departure included alcoholism, ill behavior, and consistent absences.

The Start of the End of Hank Williams’ Opry Stint

Williams’ removal from the Opry was the start of a series of unfortunate events. Though, before those events transpired numerous other ones occurred and would be the reasons for his revoked membership. Prior to being expelled, Williams had missed numerous of his concerts scheduled at the Grand Ole Opry, been divorced, and lost a major MGM movie contract. Consequently, Williams was walking a fine line both in life and with the Opry. He eventually fell off that line come August 9, 1952.

On August 9, Williams was scheduled to show up at the Opry and perform. However, Williams never arrived and left the then Grand Ole Opry manager, Jim Denny, with one choice. That choice did not go in Williams’ favor, as Denny fired the country star two days later. It brought the end of the most famous act the Opry had ever seen and would also be one of the premier events leading up to Williams’ death on New Year’s Day in 1953.

Williams’ Attempted Reinstatement

According to udiscovermusic, the Opry’s banning of Williams’ was not supposed to last forever. Rather, it was intended to be a “wake-up call” aiming to help Williams save himself and his career. However, given his early demise, he never got a chance to save either of those things, but his grandson, Hank William III, would try to do so on his behalf.

In 2003, Williams III started a campaign in hopes of getting his grandfather reinducted into the Grand Ole Opry. Williams III posted a petition online which acquired 65,000 signatures and aimed to sway the Opry’s perspective. Despite the resounding results from the petition, The Grand Ole Opry refused to reinstate Hank Williams. To this day, he remains a former member of country music’s most exclusive club.

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