On This Day in 1953, Hank Williams Died on the Way to a New Year’s Day Concert

On this day (January 1) in 1953, Hank Williams died on his way to a concert in Canton, Ohio at the age of 29. Williams’ recording career was short but impactful. More than seventy years after his passing, the Hillbilly Shakespeare still inspires artists and captures the hearts of fans around the world.

Williams’ discography contains several studio albums that feature a wealth of timeless country songs. However, he only released two albums before his death. He released Hank Williams Sings in 1951 and Moanin’ the Blues a year later on MGM Records. Fortunately, he left behind a collection of unreleased songs, recorded radio sessions, and more. Those unreleased recordings became more than a dozen studio and live albums.

[RELATED: Behind Hank Williams’ Death on New Year’s Day 1953]

Hank Williams’ Last Ride

As 1952 drew to a close, Hank Williams was on tour and his life was in a downward spiral. He had just gone through a divorce and was fired from the Grand OIe Opry. When he embarked on the tour, the country legend was living in his mother’s boarding house in his hometown of Montgomery, Alabama. At the same time, he was taking morphine and chloral hydrate to fight his back pain.

Williams enlisted Charles Carr, a college student who was on Christmas break, to drive him to shows.

By the time the pair reached Chattanooga, Tennessee, the weather was getting nasty. Rain was turning to snow across much of the Southeast making roads hazardous. As a result, Williams decided to fly from Knoxville, Tennessee to reach his December 30 show in Charleston, West Virginia. However, the flight had to return to Knoxville due to the weather and the Charleston show was canceled.

After checking into the Andrew Johnson Hotel in Knoxville, Carr requested a doctor for Williams. Dr. P.H. Cardwell injected the singer with a mixture of B12 and morphine. Later, bellhops had to carry Williams to the car so they could travel to Canton, Ohio for a New Year’s Day show.

A little more than 100 miles down the road, they stopped to get gas. In an interview with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Carr recalled what may have been the country icon’s last words. “I remember Hank got out to stretch his legs and I asked him if he wanted a sandwich or something,” Carr said. “He just said, ‘No, I just want to get some sleep.’ I don’t know if that’s the last thing he said but it’s the last thing I remember him telling me,” Carr added.

Williams died in the early hours of January 1, 1953, somewhere between Bristol, Tennessee, and Oak Hill, West Virginia.

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