Did y’all know this?
He was only 29 when he died?
And by that time, he was already smart enough to create an alter ego named “Luke The Drifter” to sing his religious songs, just because he thought people would not “accept” them as “Hank Williams The Honky Tonk Singer”???
At age 29???
Sorry, but these days, the average 29 year old musician doesn’t think in those terms, IMHO!
Yes, I LOVE Johnny Cash, but the more I read (and hear) about Hank, the more I
love him too.!
Thanks!
Quasi
It’s not really a competition - you can love both Hank and Cash 
But I agree. Hank was from another world, and is one of those artists (I guess others would be The Velvet Underground, Miles Davis, and a few others) who I get into my head, and can’t kick them out. In other words, I can’t put any other music on once I start listening to them.
I have no idea where to recommend starting with him, but I’d say spend the money for a release on a real label, not one of the public domain labels, which seem to master their discs from old cassettes.
Did I recently hear they are doing a movie on his life?
The man got thrown out of the Grand Ole Opry for being too drunk, which considering the great and sweeping history of country music is a crowning achievement.
And you know, we only have one video recording of him. Imagine if you only knew Johnny Cash or Willie Nelson visually through photographs and one video?
Hank was only famous for 4 or 5 years too. Everybody knows some of the words to at least one of his songs, probably Hey Good Lookin.
It amazes me that when the Beatles broke up, in roughly late 1969, they ranged in age from only 26-29.
I’d certainly put most of the Beatles on a conciousnessly aware(is that even a word/phrase) par with Hank. I’ve got all his albums on vinyl. Bought my first one in 1959.
Now I’m pissed. I hadn’t realized that before.
When you live years listening to a performer who was one of the best in their field, you somehow find them real. You don’t need to see videos of them. But that makes me a little sadder. Funny, since it didn’t for the last 50 years.
He lived hard and died young. This does not look like a man in his 20’s.
Poor Hank. The original victim of his own superstardom.
I love you guys.
I truly do.
Quasi
I’ve seen his grandson Hank III in concert and he really takes after his grandpa. The show I saw the first set was a tribute, the second set was Hank III original “hellbilly”. Very talented guy and the show was big fun. On his recordings he also includes some stuff that sounds like Luke the Drifter, I don’t know if it is or just sounds like it. I don’t care at all for Hank JR.
He was a victim of more than that. He had spina bifida, which caused him lifelong pain. If you look at that video, you’ll see how stiffly he’s standing… he often wore a back brace.
Believe me, I know. I’m from Montgomery, Alabama. It’s virtually a requirement to know everything there is to know about ol’ Hank.
An appreciation for Hank Williams is a basic requirement for music conversation in my house. You can claim to hate country, but if you don’t “get” songs like Cold, Cold Heart, Move it On Over or Jambalaya - well, why are we talking again? Same with Patsy Cline, Buck Owens, Chet Atkins - you get the idea. Good is good.
Yeah - I knew he died pretty much like Bon Scott of AC/DC did - Too much alcohol + back seat of a car overnight = cold/vomit/death - yuk.
But his lyrics are like Country Haiku - from I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry:
