On this day (November 14) in 1951, Hank Williams made his television debut on The Perry Como Show. At the time, he had recently inked a deal with MGM Records and had a handful of hits under his belt. His most recent, “Hey, Good Lookin’,” had been a massive hit earlier in the year. At the same time, The Perry Como Show was popular with viewers across the nation. As a result, Williams stood to gain countless new fans with his on-air performance.
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Williams’ rise to fame was relatively slow. Most of his early singles failed to reach the country chart. However, after more than a year of poor performance, he began to find consistent chart success in 1949 after “Lovesick Blues” hit the top of the chart. By the time he was ready to make his national TV debut, he had already released immortal hits like “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry,” “Long Gone Lonesome Blues,” “Cold Cold Heart,” and “Moanin’ the Blues.”
The TV Appearance Led to Hank Williams’ Debut Album
The decision makers at MGM Records knew that an appearance on the popular TV show would likely drive record sales. To capitalize on the possible financial boon, they released Hank Williams Sings, the icon’s debut full-length album. It hit shelves just days before the episode aired.
The LP contained several of Williams’ songs that hadn’t performed well upon release. Decades later, the tracklist is packed with classics. “Lost Highway,” “I Saw the Light,” “Wedding Bells,” and “Six More Miles (To the Graveyard)” all appear on the release.
When he took the stage, “Hey, Good Lookin’” had already spent seven weeks at No. 1. It returned to the top spot a week after he performed it with Como.
Unfortunately, no footage of Williams on The Perry Como Show is available. However, a week later, Como opened the show by singing a rendition of the song. He then apologized to Williams for his cover.
Featured Image by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
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