Article Written By: Chris Matthews
Hank Williams (1923-1953) is regarded as being one of the greatest ever stars of country music. He had eleven number one hits in the five years leading up to his death, which was probably caused by alcohol and drugs. His songs have lived on after his death, and many have been covered by top artists in many musical genres, as well as by fellow country stars such as Johnny Cash and Patsy Cline. The Hank Williams Museum is in Montgomery, Alabama, where Hank lived from 1937 until his death.Hank Williams, christened Hiram King Williams was born in Mount Olive, Alabama in 1923. He was named after King Hiram, who was King of Tyre and supposedly one of the founders of Freemasonry.Hank was born with a mild case of spina bifida. This gave him lifelong pain, and was a factor in his later drug and alcohol abuse. At the age of 14 Hiram changed his name to Hank, and got himself noticed by the producers of the WSFA radio station in Montgomery, where the Williams family were now living. After several appearances on radio Hank was given a salary of $15 by WSFA, and hosted a fifteen minute show twice a week.He dropped out of school aged 16, and played full time with his band, the Drifting Cowboys. Unfortunately several of the original band were drafted during the war, and the replacements objected to Hank's alcoholism. In 1942 WSFA fired Hank for his drunkenness.Hank's career in country music continued throughout the war, and in 1943 Audrey Sheppard became his manager. His first hits were released in 1946 and 1947 under the Sterling Records label, after which he moved to MGM Records. His first record with MGM was a country music hit, and in 1949 his version of Lovesick Blues became a hit with mainstream music lovers. He had many more number one hits before his death.Hank died in the back of his Cadillac in January 1953 while being driven through West Virginia. His place of death is usually thought to be Oak Hill in that state. He had injected morphine/vitamin B-12 pain killers, and had several empty beer cans were found beside his body.The Hank Williams Museum, which is located in downtown Montgomery, has a large collection of memorabilia from his life, including the baby blue Cadillac which he died in. Visitors requiring accommodation in Montgomery might like to consider the Staybridge Suites Montgomery Eastchase Hotel, which is just a short drive away from the museum. Guests at this all-suite hotel have the use of excellent facilities, including a sports court, a heated pool, and a 24 hour fitness center.
This Article Has Been Published on Sun, 13 Feb 2011 and Read 96 Times