Randall Hank Williams (born May 26, 1949), known professionally as Hank Williams Jr. or Bocephus, is an American singer-songwriter and musician. His musical style is often considered a blend of

southern rock Southern rock is a subgenre of rock music and a genre of Americana. It developed in the Southern United States from rock and roll, country music, and blues and is focused generally on electric guitars and vocals. Author Scott B. Bomar speculat ...

blues Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads from the Afr ...

, and

country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, while the ...

. He is the son of country musician Hank Williams and the father of musicians Holly Williams and

Hank Williams III Shelton Hank Williams (born December 12, 1972), known as Hank Williams III, is an American musician, singer and multi-instrumentalist, known for his unique fusion of traditional country music, rockabilly, heavy metal and punk rock. He was the ...

. Williams began his career following in his famed father's footsteps, covering his father's songs and imitating his father's style. Williams' first television appearance was in a 1964 episode of

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...

's ''

The Jimmy Dean Show ''The Jimmy Dean Show'' is the name of several similar music and variety series on American local and network television between 1963 and 1975. Each starred country music singer Jimmy Dean as host. Daytime ''The Jimmy Dean Show'', initially call ...

'', in which at age fourteen he sang several songs associated with his father. Later that year, he was a guest star on ''

Shindig! ''Shindig!'' is an American musical variety series which aired on ABC from September 16, 1964 to January 8, 1966. The show was hosted by Jimmy O'Neill, a disc jockey in Los Angeles,country music Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, ...

. This was interrupted by a near-fatal fall off the side of Ajax Peak in Montana on August 8, 1975. After an extended recovery, he challenged the country music establishment with a blend of country, rock and blues. As a multi-instrumentalist, Williams' repertoire of skills includes guitar, bass guitar,

upright bass The double bass (), also known simply as the bass () (or by other names), is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed (or plucked) string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra (excluding unorthodox additions such as the octobass). Similar ...

steel guitar A steel guitar ( haw, kīkākila) is any guitar played while moving a steel bar or similar hard object against plucked strings. The bar itself is called a "steel" and is the source of the name "steel guitar". The instrument differs from a conve ...

banjo The banjo is a stringed instrument with a thin membrane stretched over a frame or cavity to form a resonator. The membrane is typically circular, and usually made of plastic, or occasionally animal skin. Early forms of the instrument were fashi ...

dobro Dobro is an American brand of resonator guitars, currently owned by Gibson and manufactured by its subsidiary Epiphone. The term "dobro" is also used as a generic term for any wood-bodied, single-cone resonator guitar. The Dobro was originally ...

, piano, keyboards, saxophone,

harmonica The harmonica, also known as a French harp or mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used worldwide in many musical genres, notably in blues, American folk music, classical music, jazz, country, and rock. The many types of harmonica inclu ...

fiddle A fiddle is a bowed string musical instrument, most often a violin. It is a colloquial term for the violin, used by players in all genres, including classical music. Although in many cases violins and fiddles are essentially synonymous, th ...

, and drums. In 2020, Williams Jr. was selected to be inducted into the

Country Music Hall of Fame The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, Tennessee, is one of the world's largest museums and research centers dedicated to the preservation and interpretation of American vernacular music. Chartered in 1964, the museum has amas ...

Early life

Williams was born Randall Hank Williams on May 26, 1949, in

Shreveport, Louisiana Shreveport ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is the third most populous city in Louisiana after New Orleans and Baton Rouge, respectively. The Shreveport–Bossier City metropolitan area, with a population of 393,406 in 2020, is t ...

. His father nicknamed him Bocephus (after

Grand Ole Opry The ''Grand Ole Opry'' is a weekly American country music stage concert in Nashville, Tennessee, founded on November 28, 1925, by George D. Hay as a one-hour radio "barn dance" on WSM. Currently owned and operated by Opry Entertainment (a divis ...

comedian

Rod Brasfield Rodney Leon Brasfield (August 22, 1910 – September 12, 1958) was an American comedian who was prominently featured on the Grand Ole Opry from 1947 until his death in 1958. In 1987, he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. Life and ...

's ventriloquist dummy). After his father's death in 1953, he was raised by his mother,

Audrey Williams Audrey Mae Sheppard Williams (February 28, 1923 – November 4, 1975) was an American musician known for being the first wife of country music singer and songwriter Hank Williams, the mother of Hank Williams Jr. and the grandmother of Hank Willi ...

. While he was a child, a number of contemporary musicians visited his family, who influenced and taught him various music instruments and styles. Among these figures of influence were

Merle Haggard Merle Ronald Haggard (April 6, 1937 – April 6, 2016) was an American country music singer, songwriter, guitarist, and fiddler. Haggard was born in Oildale, California, toward the end of the Great Depression. His childhood was troubled a ...

Johnny Cash John R. Cash (born J. R. Cash; February 26, 1932 – September 12, 2003) was an American country singer-songwriter. Much of Cash's music contained themes of sorrow, moral tribulation, and redemption, especially in the later stages of his ca ...

Fats Domino Antoine Dominique Domino Jr. (February 26, 1928 – October 24, 2017), known as Fats Domino, was an American pianist, singer and songwriter. One of the pioneers of rock and roll music, Domino sold more than 65 million records. Born in New O ...

Earl Scruggs Earl Eugene Scruggs (January 6, 1924 – March 28, 2012) was an American musician noted for popularizing a three-finger banjo picking style, now called "Scruggs style", which is a defining characteristic of bluegrass music. His three-fin ...

Lightnin' Hopkins Samuel John "Lightnin" Hopkins (March 15, 1912 – January 30, 1982) was an American country blues singer, songwriter, guitarist and occasional pianist from Centerville, Texas. In 2010, ''Rolling Stone'' magazine ranked him No. 71 on its list o ...

, and

Jerry Lee Lewis Jerry Lee Lewis (September 29, 1935October 28, 2022) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Nicknamed "The Killer", he was described as "rock & roll's first great wild man". A pioneer of rock and roll and rockabilly music, Lewis made ...

. Williams first stepped on the stage and sang his father's songs when he was eight years old. He attended

John Overton High School John Overton High School (commonly Overton, John Overton, Johnny O or JOHS) is a public high school located in Oak Hill, Tennessee. Compare to the address "4820 Franklin Rd Nashville TN 37220" It is named after prominent Judge John Overton (1766 ...

Nashville, Tennessee Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the List of muni ...

, where he would bring his guitar to music class and play for pep rallies and performances of the choir.

Career

In 1964, Williams made his recording debut with "

Long Gone Lonesome Blues "Long Gone Lonesome Blues" is a 1950 song by Hank Williams. It was Williams' second number-one single on the Country & Western chart. "Long Gone Lonesome Blues" stayed on the charts for 21 weeks, with five weeks at the top. Background "Long ...

", one of his father's many classic songs. He provided the singing voice of his father in the 1964 film ''

Your Cheatin' Heart "Your Cheatin' Heart" is a song written and recorded by country music singer-songwriter Hank Williams in 1952. It is regarded as one of country's most important standards. Williams was inspired to write the song while driving with his fiancé ...

.'' He also recorded an album of duets with recordings of his father.

A change in appearance and musical direction

Although Williams' recordings earned him numerous country hits throughout the 1960s and early 1970s with his role as a "Hank Williams impersonator", he became disillusioned and severed ties with his mother. By the mid-1970s Williams began to pursue a musical direction that would eventually make him a superstar. While recording a series of moderately successful songs, Williams began a heavy pattern of both drug and alcohol abuse. Upon moving to

Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = "Alabama (state song), Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery, Alabama, Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville, Alabama, Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County, Al ...

, in an attempt to refocus both his creative energy and his troubled personal life, Williams began playing music with

Southern rock Southern rock is a subgenre of rock music and a genre of Americana. It developed in the Southern United States from rock and roll, country music, and blues and is focused generally on electric guitars and vocals. Author Scott B. Bomar speculat ...

musicians including

Waylon Jennings Waylon Jennings (June 15, 1937 – February 13, 2002) was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. He pioneered the Outlaw Movement in country music. Jennings started playing guitar at the age of eight and performed at age f ...

Toy Caldwell Toy Talmadge Caldwell Jr. (November 13, 1947 – February 25, 1993) was the lead guitarist and main songwriter of the 1970s Southern Rock group The Marshall Tucker Band.

, and

Charlie Daniels Charles Edward Daniels (October 28, 1936 – July 6, 2020) was an American singer, musician, and songwriter. His music fused rock, country, blues and jazz, pioneering Southern rock. He was best known for his number-one country hit "The De ...

. '' Hank Williams Jr. and Friends'' (1975), often considered his watershed album, was the product of these then-groundbreaking collaborations. On August 8, 1975, Williams was nearly killed in a mountain-climbing accident in southwestern

Montana Montana () is a state in the Mountain West division of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota and South Dakota to the east, Wyoming to the south, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columbi ...

. While climbing

Ajax Peak Ajax Peak is a mountain summit located in San Miguel County of southwest Colorado, United States. It is situated on land managed by Uncompahgre National Forest, and is the iconic landmark visible three miles east of the community of Telluride. ...

on the

continental divide A continental divide is a drainage divide on a continent such that the drainage basin on one side of the divide feeds into one ocean or sea, and the basin on the other side either feeds into a different ocean or sea, or else is endorheic, not ...

(

Idaho Idaho ( ) is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. To the north, it shares a small portion of the Canada–United States border with the province of British Columbia. It borders the states of Montana and Wyom ...

border) west of

Jackson Jackson may refer to: People and fictional characters * Jackson (name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the surname or given name Places Australia * Jackson, Queensland, a town in the Maranoa Region * Jackson North, Qu ...

, the snow beneath him collapsed and he fell almost onto rock; he suffered multiple skull and facial fractures. The incident was chronicled in the semi-autobiographical, made-for-television film '' Living Proof: The Hank Williams Jr. Story''. He spent two years in recovery, having several reconstructive surgeries in addition to having to learn to talk and sing again. To hide the scars and the disfigurement from the accident, Williams grew a beard and began wearing sunglasses and a

cowboy hat The cowboy hat is a high-crowned, wide-brimmed hat best known as the defining piece of attire for the North American cowboy. Today it is worn by many people, and is particularly associated with ranch workers in the western and southern Unit ...

. The beard, hat, and sunglasses have since become his

signature look Trademark look or signature look is the characteristic clothes or other distinguishing signs used by a certain character or performer, making the person more recognizable by the audience. Politicians may also have trademark signs, such as the sui ...

, and he is rarely seen without them. In 1977, Williams recorded and released ''One Night Stands'' and ''The New South'', and worked closely with his old friend Waylon Jennings on the song "Once and For All". In 1980, he appeared on the

PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcasting, public broadcaster and Non-commercial activity, non-commercial, Terrestrial television, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly fu ...

show ''

Austin City Limits ''Austin City Limits'' is an American live music television program recorded and produced by Austin PBS. The show helped Austin become widely known in the United States as the "Live Music Capital of the World", and is the only television show to ...

'' during Season 5, along with the Shake Russell- Dana Cooper Band.

Acceptance into the country music establishment

In 1976, ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...

'' wrote that Williams' "mainstream country material has always been among

Nashville Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and the ...

s best". Williams' career began to hit its peak after the Nashville establishment gradually—and somewhat reluctantly—accepted his new sound. His popularity had risen to levels where he could no longer be overlooked for major industry awards. He was prolific throughout the 1980s, sometimes recording and releasing two albums a year. '' Family Tradition'', ''

Whiskey Bent and Hell Bound ''Whiskey Bent and Hell Bound'' is the thirtieth studio album by American country music artist Hank Williams Jr. and his fourth on the Elektra/Curb labels. The full-length album was Williams' second of 1979, with '' Family Tradition'' released in ...

'', ''

Habits Old and New ''Habits Old and New'' is the thirty-first studio album by Hank Williams Jr. and was released under Elektra Records/ Curb Records in June 1980. ''Habits Old and New'' was Williams' third full-length album in a fourteen-month span, following '' ...

'', '' Rowdy'', ''

The Pressure Is On ''The Pressure Is On'' is the thirty-third studio album by American musician Hank Williams Jr. It was released by Elektra/ Curb Records in August 1981 and was Williams' seventh studio album on the Elektra/Curb label. Critical and commercial succ ...

'', ''

High Notes ''High Notes'' is the thirty-fourth studio album by American musician Hank Williams Jr. It was released by Elektra/ Curb Records in April 1982, making it Williams' eighth studio album for Elektra/Curb and his ninth overall for the label. While no ...

'', '' Strong Stuff'', '' Man of Steel'', ''

Major Moves ''Major Moves'' is the thirty-seventh studio album by American musician Hank Williams Jr. It was released by Warner Bros. Records in May 1984. “Attitude Adjustment,” “All My Rowdy Friends Are Coming Over Tonight” and the title track were ...

'', '' Five-O'', ''

Montana Cafe ''Montana Cafe'' is the thirty-ninth studio album by American musician Hank Williams Jr. It was released by Warner Bros. Records in July 1986. "Country State of Mind," "Mind Your Own Business" and "When Something Is Good (Why Does It Change)" were ...

'', and many others resulted in a long string of hits. Between 1979 and 1992, Williams released 21 albums—18 studio albums and three compilations—that were all certified at least

gold Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile met ...

by the

RIAA The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...

. Between 1979 and 1990, he enjoyed a string of 30 Top Ten singles on the Billboard Country charts, including eight No. 1 singles, for a total of 44 Top Ten singles, including a total of 10 No. 1 singles, during his career. In 1982, he had nine albums simultaneously on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart, all of which were original works and not compilations. In 1987–88, Williams was named Entertainer of the Year by the Country Music Association. In 1987, 1988, and 1989, he won the same award from the

Academy of Country Music The Academy of Country Music (ACM) was founded in 1964 in Los Angeles, California as the Country & Western Music Academy. Among the founders were Eddie Miller, Tommy Wiggins, and Mickey and Chris Christensen. They wanted to promote country music ...

. The pinnacle album of his acceptance and popularity was ''

Born to Boogie ''Born to Boogie'' is a 1972 British concert film about a concert at the Empire Pool starring T. Rex, Marc Bolan, Ringo Starr and Elton John. Directed by Starr himself, the movie was released on The Beatles' Apple Films label. Content '' ...

''. During the 1980s, Williams Jr. became a country music superstar known for catchy anthems and hard-edged, rock-influenced country. During the late 1970s and into the mid-1980s, Williams' songs constantly flew into the number one or number two spots, with songs such as "Family Tradition", "Whiskey Bent and Hell Bound", "Old Habits", "Ain't Misbehavin, "

", and "My Name Is Bocephus". The hit single "

Wild Streak ''Wild Streak'' is the forty-first studio album by American musician Hank Williams Jr. It was released by Warner Bros. Records on June 21, 1988. "If the South Woulda Won" and "Early in the Morning and Late at Night" were released as singles. The a ...

" (1987) was co-written by

Houston Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...

native

Terri Sharp Terri Sharp (March 24, 1948 – December 17, 2015) was an American songwriter and singer. While writing on Music Row in Nashville, Sharp's songs were recorded by many artists including Don Mclean and Hank Williams Jr. She lived in Texas, compo ...

, for which Williams and Sharp both earned gold records. In 1988, he released a Southern pride song, " If the South Woulda Won". The reference is to a notional Southern victory in the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

. His 1989 hit "

There's a Tear in My Beer "There's a Tear in My Beer" is a country song written and recorded by Hank Williams, and later re-recorded by his son in 1988. Original version The original version was written and recorded by Hank Williams during one of his Nashville sessions i ...

" was a duet with his father created using electronic merging technology. The song was written by his father, and had been previously recorded with Hank Williams playing the guitar as the sole instrument. The music video for the song combined existing television footage of Hank Williams performing, onto which electronic merging technology impressed the recordings of Williams, which then made it appear as if he were actually playing with his father. The video was both a critical and commercial success. It was named ''Video of the Year'' by both the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music. Williams would go on to win a

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...

in 1990 for Best Country Vocal Collaboration. He is well known for his hit "

A Country Boy Can Survive "A Country Boy Can Survive" is a song written and recorded by American musician Hank Williams Jr. The song was released as a single in January 1982 and reached a peak of number 2 on the ''Billboard'' Hot Country Singles chart in March 1982. It is ...

" and as the performer of the theme song for ''

Monday Night Football ''ESPN Monday Night Football'' (abbreviated as ''MNF'' and also known as ''ESPN Monday Night Football on ABC'' for simulcasts) is an American live television broadcast of weekly National Football League (NFL) games currently airing on ESPN, A ...

'', based on his 1984 hit " All My Rowdy Friends Are Coming Over Tonight". In 1991, 1992, 1993, and 1994, Williams' opening themes for ''Monday Night Football'' earned him four

Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...

In 2000, he provided the voice of Injun Joe in ''

Tom Sawyer Thomas Sawyer () is the titular character of the Mark Twain novel ''The Adventures of Tom Sawyer'' (1876). He appears in three other novels by Twain: ''Adventures of Huckleberry Finn'' (1884), ''Tom Sawyer Abroad'' (1894), and ''Tom Sawyer, Dete ...

''. In 2001, Williams Jr. co-wrote his classic hit "A Country Boy Can Survive" after 9/11, renaming it "America Can Survive". In 2004, Williams was featured prominently on ''CMT Outlaws''. In 2006, he starred at the Summerfest concert. He has also made a cameo appearance along with

Larry the Cable Guy Daniel Lawrence Whitney (born February 17, 1963), known professionally by his persona Larry the Cable Guy, is an American stand-up comedian, actor, producer, country music artist, and former radio personality. He was one of the members of the ...

Kid Rock Robert James Ritchie (born January 17, 1971), known professionally as Kid Rock (also known as Bobby Shazam), is an American singer, songwriter and rapper. His style alternates between rock, hip hop, country, and metal. A self-taught musician, ...

, and

Gretchen Wilson Gretchen Frances Wilson (born June 26, 1973) is an American country music singer and songwriter. She made her debut in March 2004 with the Grammy Award-winning single "Redneck Woman", a number-one hit on the '' Billboard'' country charts. The so ...

's music video for the song "

All Jacked Up ''All Jacked Up'' is the second studio album by American country music artist Gretchen Wilson, released on September 27, 2005, by Epic Nashville. It debuted at number one on the ''Billboard'' 200 with 264,000 copies sold in its initial week. Th ...

". He and

also appeared in Wilson's "

Redneck Woman "Redneck Woman" is the debut single of American country music artist Gretchen Wilson, released on March 15, 2004, from her debut studio album, '' Here for the Party'' (2004). Wilson co-wrote the song with John Rich. It is Wilson's only number-one ...

" video. Hank also had a small part of Kid Rock's video "Only God Knows Why", and "Redneck Paradise". In April 2009, Williams released a new single, "Red, White & Pink-Slip Blues", which peaked at number 43 on the country charts. The song was the lead-off single to Williams' album ''

127 Rose Avenue ''127 Rose Avenue'' is the fifty-first studio album from American musician Hank Williams, Jr. This album was released June 16, 2009 on Curb Records, his last for the label. It includes the single "Red, White & Pink Slip Blues", which peaked at #4 ...

''. The album debuted and peaked at number 7 on the ''Billboard'' Top Country Albums chart. Also in July 2009, ''127 Rose Avenue'' was announced as his last album for Curb Records.

Musical style

As a multi-instrumentalist, Williams' repertoire of skills includes guitar, bass guitar,

, piano, keyboards, saxophone,

, and drums. Williams began his recording career performing covers of his father's songs. Despite catering to the country music market, Williams preferred to listen to

rhythm and blues Rhythm and blues, frequently abbreviated as R&B or R'n'B, is a genre of popular music that originated in African-American communities in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly ...

. Williams also recorded singles under the name Luke the Drifter Jr. (a reference to his father's alias "Luke the Drifter"),

rock and roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a Genre (music), genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It Origins of rock and roll, originated from Africa ...

singles under the aliases Rockin' Randall and Bocephus (a nickname given to him by his father), and

under the name Thunderhead Hawkins. Williams' style evolved slowly as he struggled to find his own voice and place within traditional country music, before challenging the country music establishment with a blend of traditional country, rock and blues.

Legacy

Artists who have cited Hank Williams Jr. as an influence include Delta Generators,

Walker Hayes Charles Edgar Walker Hayes (born December 27, 1979) is an American country-pop singer and songwriter. He has released three studio albums: ''Reason to Rhyme'' in 2011 on Capitol Records Nashville, and '' Boom'' and '' Country Stuff the Album'' i ...

Sam Hunt Sam Lowry Hunt (born December 8, 1984) is an American singer and songwriter. Born in Cedartown, Georgia, Hunt played football in his high school and college years and once attempted to pursue a professional sports career before signing with MCA ...

, Davin James,

Shooter Jennings Waylon Albright "Shooter" Jennings (born May 19, 1979) is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. He is the only son of country singers Waylon Jennings and Jessi Colter. In a career spanning over two decades, Shooter Jenn ...

, Wayne Mills, The Sickstring Outlaws and

. On April 10, 2006, CMT honored Williams with the

Visionary Award, presenting it to him at the 2006

CMT Music Awards The CMT Music Awards is a fan-voted awards show for country music videos and television performances. The awards ceremony is held every year in Nashville, Tennessee, and broadcast live on the CMT (Country Music Television) channel. Voting takes p ...

. On November 11, 2008, Williams was honored as a BMI Icon at the 56th annual BMI Country Awards. The artists and songwriters named BMI Icons have had "a unique and indelible influence on generations of music makers". In 2011, Williams was named one of "Seven Living Legends" of his native Shreveport, Louisiana, by Danny Fox (1954–2014) of

KWKH KWKH (1130 AM) is a sports radio station serving Shreveport, Louisiana. The 50-kilowatt station broadcasts at 1130 kHz. Formerly owned by Clear Channel Communications and Gap Central Broadcasting, it is now owned by Townsquare Media. Its studi ...

radio. Others named were journalist Bob Griffin of

KSLA KSLA (channel 12) is a television station in Shreveport, Louisiana, United States, affiliated with CBS. It is owned by Gray Television alongside low-power, Class A Telemundo affiliate KTSH-CD (channel 19). The two stations share studios on Fai ...

and

KTBS-TV KTBS-TV (channel 3) is a television station in Shreveport, Louisiana, United States, affiliated with ABC. The station is owned by the locally based KTBS, LLC (owned by the Wray Properties Trust, which is managed by Betty Wray Anderson, John D. ...

, and

James Burton James Edward Burton (born August 21, 1939, in Dubberly, Louisiana) is an American guitarist. A member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame since 2001 (his induction speech was given by longtime fan Keith Richards), Burton has also been recognized ...

. Two others cited,

Claude King Claude King (February 5, 1923 – March 7, 2013) was an American country music singer and songwriter, best known for his million selling 1962 hit, "Wolverton Mountain". Biography King was born in Keithville in southern Caddo Parish south ...

and Frank Page, both died in 2013. In 2015, Williams was inducted into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame. On August 12, 2020, Williams was selected to be inducted into the

Personal life

His daughter Katherine Williams-Dunning, the only one of Williams's five children not to pursue a career in music, died on June 13, 2020, in a car crash at the age of 27. His son Shelton performs as

; his other children Holly Williams, Hilary Williams and Sam Williams are also musicians, as is his grandson Coleman Williams (Hank III's son), who performs under the sobriquet "IV." His wife, Mary Jane died on Tuesday, March 22, 2022 Mary Jane was 58.

Politics

Williams has been politically involved with the Republican Party. For the 2000 U.S. Presidential election, he rerecorded his song "We Are Young Country" to "This is Bush–Cheney Country". On October 15, 2008, at a rally in

Virginia Beach Virginia Beach is an independent city located on the southeastern coast of the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. The population was 459,470 at the 2020 census. Although mostly suburban in character, it is the most populous city ...

for Republican presidential nominee

John McCain John Sidney McCain III (August 29, 1936 – August 25, 2018) was an American politician and United States Navy officer who served as a United States senator from Arizona from 1987 until his death in 2018. He previously served two terms ...

, he performed "McCain–Palin Tradition", a song in support of McCain and his running mate,

Sarah Palin Sarah Louise Palin (; Heath; born February 11, 1964) is an American politician, commentator, author, and reality television personality who served as the ninth governor of Alaska from 2006 until her resignation in 2009. She was the 2008 R ...

. He has contributed to federal election campaigns, mostly to Republicans, including

Michele Bachmann Michele Marie Bachmann (; née Amble; born April 6, 1956) is an American politician who was the United States House of Representatives, U.S. representative for from 2007 until 2015. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican ...

's 2012 presidential campaign. However, he has donated to some Democrats in the past, most notably

Jim Cooper James Hayes Shofner Cooper (born June 19, 1954) is an American lawyer, businessman, professor, and politician who served as the U.S. representative for (based in Nashville and containing parts of Davidson, Cheatham, and Dickson Counties) fro ...

and

John S. Tanner John Sumners Tanner (born September 22, 1944) is a former American politician who served as the U.S. representative for , serving from 1989 until 2011. He is a member of the Democratic Party. Since his retirement, Tanner has served as the Vice ...

. In November 2008, Williams considered a run for the 2012 Republican nomination as a

U.S. Senator The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and powe ...

from Tennessee for the seat held by GOP incumbent

Bob Corker Robert Phillips Corker Jr. (born August 24, 1952) is an American businessman and politician who served as a United States Senator from Tennessee from 2007 to 2019. A member of the Republican Party, he served as Chair of the Senate Foreign Rela ...

, although his publicist said regarding Williams "no announcement has been made". Williams, ultimately, did not run.

2011 ''Fox and Friends'' controversy

In an October 3, 2011, interview with

Fox News Channel The Fox News Channel, abbreviated FNC, commonly known as Fox News, and stylized in all caps, is an American multinational conservative cable news television channel based in New York City. It is owned by Fox News Media, which itself is owne ...

's ''

Fox & Friends ''Fox & Friends'' is an American daily morning news and talk program that airs on Fox News. It premiered on February 1, 1998, and is currently hosted by Steve Doocy, Ainsley Earhardt and Brian Kilmeade on weekdays. Will Cain, Rachel Campos-Du ...

'', Williams discussed a June golf game where President

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...

and Republican House Speaker

John Boehner John Andrew Boehner ( ; born , 1949) is an American retired politician who served as the 53rd speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 2011 to 2015. A member of the Republican Party, he served 13 terms as the U.S. represe ...

had teamed against Vice President Joe Biden and Ohio Governor

John Kasich John Richard Kasich Jr. ( ; born May 13, 1952) is an American politician, author, and television news host who served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1983 to 2001 and as the 69th governor of Ohio from 2011 to 2019. A Republican, Kasic ...

, saying the match was "one of the biggest political mistakes ever". When asked why the golf game troubled him, Williams stated, "Come on. That'd be like Hitler playing golf with

Netanyahu Benjamin "Bibi" Netanyahu (; ; born 21 October 1949) is an Israeli politician who served as the ninth prime minister of Israel from 1996 to 1999 and again from 2009 to 2021. He is currently serving as Leader of the Opposition and Chairman of ...

... in the shape this country is in?" He also said that the President and Vice President were "the enemy" and compared them to "the

Three Stooges The Three Stooges were an American vaudeville and comedy team active from 1922 until 1970, best remembered for their 190 short subject films by Columbia Pictures. Their hallmark styles were physical farce and slapstick. Six Stooges appeared ...

". Later, anchor

Gretchen Carlson Gretchen Elizabeth Carlson (born June 21, 1966) is an American broadcast journalist, author, and television personality. Carlson appeared as the host of numerous television programs, most notably on the Saturday edition of ''The Early Show'' on ...

said to him, "You used the name of one of the most hated people in all of the world to describe, ''I think'', the president." Williams replied, "Well, that is true. But I'm telling you like it is." As a result of his statements,

ESPN ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...

dropped Williams' opening song from its ''

'' broadcast of the

Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South divisio ...

versus the

Indianapolis Colts The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) South division. Since the 2008 ...

and replaced it with the

national anthem A national anthem is a patriotic musical composition symbolizing and evoking eulogies of the history and traditions of a country or nation. The majority of national anthems are marches or hymns in style. American, Central Asian, and European n ...

. Williams later said his analogy was "extreme – but it was to make a point", and "some of us have strong opinions and are often misunderstood ... I was simply trying to explain how stupid it seemed to me – how ludicrous that pairing was. They're polar opposites, and it made no sense. They don't see eye to eye and never will". Additionally, Williams said he has "always respected the office of the president ... Working-class people are hurting – and it doesn't seem like anybody cares. When both sides are high-fiving it on the ninth hole when everybody else is without a job – it makes a whole lot of us angry. Something has to change. The policies have to change". ESPN later said it was "extremely disappointed" in Williams' comments, and pulled his opening from that night's broadcast. Three days later, ESPN announced Williams and his song would not return to ''Monday Night Football'', ending the use of the song that had been part of the broadcast on both ABC and ESPN since 1989. Williams expressed defiance and indifference on his website, and said he was the one who had made the decision. "After reading hundreds of e-mails, I have made MY decision," he wrote. "By pulling my opening Oct 3rd, You (ESPN) stepped on the Toes of The First Amendment Freedom of Speech, so therefore Me, My Song, and All My Rowdy Friends are OUT OF HERE. It's been a great run." Williams' son,

, stayed neutral in the debate, telling TMZ.com that most musicians, including his father, are "not worthy" of a political discussion. After his song was pulled from ''Monday Night Football,'' Williams recorded a song criticizing Obama, ESPN and ''

'', titled " Keep the Change". He released the track on

iTunes iTunes () is a software program that acts as a media player, media library, mobile device management utility, and the client app for the iTunes Store. Developed by Apple Inc., it is used to purchase, play, download, and organize digital mul ...

and via free download at his website. The song garnered over 180,000 downloads in two days. Williams continued to make his opinions of President Obama known and during a performance at the Iowa State Fair in August 2012, he called Obama a

Muslim Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...

telling the crowd, "We've got a Muslim president who hates farming, hates the military, hates the U.S. and we hate him!"

Discography

*''

'' (1964) *''

Connie Francis and Hank Williams Jr. Sing Great Country Favorites ''Connie Francis and Hank Williams Jr. sing Great Country Favorites'' is a studio album of country duets recorded by American entertainer Connie Francis and musician Hank Williams Jr. The album was recorded May 11–13, 1964 at Owen Bradley's ...

'' (1964) *'' Ballads of the Hills and Plains'' (1965) *'' Blues My Name'' (1965) *''Country Shadows'' (1966) *'' A Time to Sing'' (1967) *''My Own Way'' (1967) *''My Songs'' (1967) *''Luke The Drifter Jr.'' (1968) *'' Songs My Father Left Me'' (1969) *''

Luke the Drifter Jr. Vol. 2 People *Luke (given name), a masculine given name (including a list of people and characters with the name) *Luke (surname) (including a list of people and characters with the name) *Luke the Evangelist, author of the Gospel of Luke. Also known as ...

'' (1969) *''

Live at Cobo Hall ''Live at Cobo Hall'' is a live album by American musician Hank Williams Jr. The full title is ''Hank Williams Jr. Live at Cobo Hall Detroit''. The album was issued by MGM Records as number SE 4644 and later re-issued by Polydor Records as 811 9 ...

'' (1969) *''Sunday Morning'' (1969) *''Removing The Shadow'' (1970) *''Luke The Drifter Jr. Vol. 3'' (1970) *''Singing My Songs: Johnny Cash'' (1970) *''I've Got A Right To Cry'' (1971) *''Sweet Dreams'' (1971) *''All For The Love of Sunshine'' (1971) *''Whole Lotta Loving'' (1972) *''Eleven Roses'' (1972) *'' After You, Pride's Not Hard to Swallow'' (1973) *''Living Proof'' (1974) *''The Last Love Song'' (1974) *''Bocephus'' (1975) *''One Night Stands'' (1977) *'' Hank Williams Jr. and Friends'' (1975) *''The New South'' (1977) *'' Family Tradition'' (1979) *''

'' (1979) *''

'' (1980) *'' Rowdy'' (1981) *''

'' (1981) *''

'' (1982) *'' Strong Stuff'' (1983) *'' Man of Steel'' (1983) *''

'' (1984) *'' Five-O'' (1985) *''

'' (1986) *'' Hank Live'' (1987) *''

'' (1987) *''

'' (1988) *''

Lone Wolf A lone wolf is a wolf not belonging to a pack. Lone wolf or Lone Wolf may also refer to: Literature *''Lone Wolf'', a book by Kathryn Lasky, part of the series called ''Wolves of the Beyond'' *''Lone Wolf and Cub'', a 1970 Japanese graphic nov ...

'' (1990) *'' Pure Hank'' (1991) *''

Maverick Maverick, Maveric or Maverik may refer to: History * Maverick (animal), an unbranded range animal, derived from U.S. cattleman Samuel Maverick Aviation * AEA Maverick, an Australian single-seat sportsplane design * General Aviation Design Burea ...

'' (1992) *''

Out of Left Field "Out of left field" is American slang meaning "unexpected", "odd" or "strange". The phrase came from baseball terminology, referring to a play in which the ball is thrown from the area covered by the left fielder to either home plate or first base ...

'' (1993) *'' Hog Wild'' (1995) *'' A.K.A. Wham Bam Sam'' (1996) *'' Three Hanks: Men with Broken Hearts'' (1996) *'' Stormy'' (1999) *''

The Almeria Club Recordings ''The Almeria Club Recordings'' is the forty-ninth studio album by American musician Hank Williams, Jr. This album was released on January 8, 2002 on the Curb Records label. He recorded most of the songs at "The Almeria Club", a club that his fath ...

'' (2002) *'' I'm One of You'' (2003) *''

'' (2009) *''

Old School New Rules The discography of all albums and singles released by Hank Williams Jr. Randall Hank Williams (born May 26, 1949), known professionally as Hank Williams Jr. or Bocephus, is an American singer-songwriter and musician. His musical style is ofte ...

'' (2012) * '' It's About Time'' (2016) * ''Rich White Honky Blues (2022)''

Awards and nominations

References

External links

* * * * (primarily under 'Williams, Hank, 1949–' without 'Jr.') {{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, Hank Jr 1949 births American blues guitarists American blues singers American country singer-songwriters American country guitarists American country rock musicians American country rock singers American rock double-bassists American rock guitarists American male singer-songwriters American Southern Rock musicians Blues rock musicians Country Music Hall of Fame inductees Country musicians from Louisiana Curb Records artists Emmy Award winners Grammy Award winners Living people Musicians from Shreveport, Louisiana Hank Williams People from Henry County, Tennessee Rock and roll musicians Singer-songwriters from Louisiana Tennessee Republicans