Country
United States
Hank Williams
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About Hank Williams
Hometown
Butler County, AL, United States
Born
September 17, 1923
Genre
Country
As a child, future country legend Hank Williams met Rufus “Tee Tot” Payne, a Black blues musician who offered him guitar lessons in exchange for meals or money.
∙ Williams distilled Rufus Payne’s blues, Jimmie Rodgers’ yodeling and lyric imagery, and Ernest Tubb’s honky-tonk into a unique—and highly commercial—sound.
∙ When he performed at Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry in 1949, he was called back for an unprecedented six encores.
∙ Hank’s longest-running No. 1 single, “Lovesick Blues,” stayed atop the C&W Singles chart for 17 weeks.
∙ During the last five years of his life, he recorded over 200 songs, more than half of which he wrote himself.
∙ Three songs from his final recording session—“Kaw-Liga,” “Your Cheatin’ Heart,” and “Take These Chains From My Heart”—became posthumous No. 1 hits.
∙ Williams was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, the Songwriters Hall of Fame, and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
∙ His life was the subject of two biopics, 1964’s Your Cheatin’ Heart and 2016’s I Saw the Light.
∙ His songs have been covered by such diverse artists as Jeff Buckley, Norah Jones, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Ray Charles, Johnny Cash, and Tony Bennett.
Musical InfluencesHank Williams's musical influences include Jimmie Rodgers, Ernest Tubb, Roy Acuff and more.
Influenced by Hank WilliamsHank Williams has influenced the music of George Strait, Kenny Chesney, Elvis Presley and more.
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