Hank Williams Jr.

Hank Williams Jr. (born May 26, 1949, Shreveport, Louisiana, U.S.) is an American country and western musician and one of the most successful and long-lasting performers of the genre. Although in the early years of his career he sang the songs of his legendary father, over time he developed his own voice and sound—a fusion of rock and country music.

When Williams was three years old, his father, Hank Williams—considered by many to have been one of country music’s greatest performers—died from drug and alcohol use, leaving him to be raised by his mother, Audrey Williams. In his youth Hank learned to play a number of instruments, including guitar, banjo, and harmonica. He made his debut when he was eight, singing and playing his father’s songs; the following year he began touring and performing as part of the Audrey Williams Musical Caravan of Stars. At age 14 he recorded his first single, a cover of his father’s “Long Gone Lonesome Blues” (1964); the song reached number five on the country charts. Within months, at age 15, he had recorded his first album, Hank Williams Jr. Sings the Songs of Hank Williams (1964). By the end of the year he had recorded two more albums, including Your Cheatin’ Heart, which was the soundtrack to a biographical film about his father. In 1966 he wrote and recorded his first original song, “Standing in the Shadows,” which became a hit. He also starred in the film A Time to Sing (1968). On the albums that followed, Williams remained faithful to the traditional Nashville sound, and many were content to have him sing his father’s legendary hits.

In 1974, after drug and alcohol use threatened to lead him too closely down his father’s path, Williams left Nashville and moved to Alabama, where he changed the direction of his life and music. By 1975 he had started to record albums that reflected his own tastes and interests. He introduced his “outlaw” sound, blending blues, rock, and country, on the album Hank Williams, Jr. & Friends. In the summer of 1975, Williams fell while mountain climbing and required extensive facial reconstruction and surgeries; as part of his recovery, he worked to regain his ability to speak and sing. He emerged from the experience two years later and embarked on what would ultimately become one of the most successful and enduring country music careers of the era, marked by his Southern-style country rock sound. Among his most popular albums are Family Tradition (1979), Whiskey Bent and Hell Bound (1979), Rowdy (1981), High Notes (1982), Montana Cafe (1986), and Born to Boogie (1987). These albums collectively yielded more than two dozen top 10 songs, with multiple number one hits, including “Texas Women” (1981), “Honky Tonkin’ ” (1982), “Mind Your Own Business” (1986), “Ain’t Misbehavin’ ” (1986), and “Young Country” (1987).

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Williams was named entertainer of the year in 1987 and 1988 by both the Academy of Country Music and the Country Music Association. In 1989 he wrote the theme music for ABC television’s Monday Night Football—“Are You Ready for Some Football?”—for which he won four consecutive Emmy Awards. Also in 1989 he won a Grammy Award for a version of “There’s a Tear in My Beer,” on which he sings along with his father. Three Hanks: Men with Broken Hearts (1996), features Williams again singing along with his father, plus his son Shelton Hank Williams—or Hank Williams III. By 2000 Hank Williams Jr. had recorded nearly 70 albums. Williams wrote an autobiography (with Michael Bane), Living Proof, that was released in 1979.

Later works include the album 127 Rose Avenue (2009), which features the song “Red, White & Pink-Slip Blues,” and It’s About Time (2016). Rich White Honky Blues (2022) includes tracks of blues covers.