7A: Hank Williams
Hank Williams was born in Mount Olive, Alabama, in 1923. (Question 1 — Can you find Alabama on the map? What states are on either side of Alabama?)
Most of his fans were poor people – people who lived in the mountains and country, who liked “hillbilly music.”
Hank was one of the most important and influential country singers ever. Some people called him “the Hillbilly Shakespeare.” (William Shakespeare was a poet and writer who lived in the 1500-1600s. Many consider him the greatest writer ever.)
Hank had a hard life. His dad worked for the railroad. They didn’t have much money. Hank had a birth defect called spina bifida, so his back always hurt.
When he was twelve, Hank met a blues musician named Rufus “Tee-Tot” Payne. They became friends. Tee-Tot taught Hank how to play guitar. The first song he taught Hank was “My Bucket’s Got a Hole in It.” Here’s Hank singing it years later. How would you describe his voice?
This video tells a bit more about Hank’s early life and career (0:00-3:20).
Did you notice those fancy suits – with the rhinestones and cool embroidery? Many country-music stars wore suits like those at the time. They’re called “Nudie Suits,” named after the man who created them, Nudie Cohn.
Hank was prolific – which means he produced a lot of work. Over five years, he recorded 225 songs, of which he wrote 128.
He never learned to read music, but he wrote great lyrics. He wrote sad, sad songs. He said he just wrote about his life experiences. Here’s a video of other musicians talking about and singing those songs (0:00-1:51).
Discussion — Why do you think some people like to hear sad songs?
One of his most popular was “Lovesick Blues.”
Over the years, many artists have recorded his songs. Here is Ryan Adams in 2001 with his version of “Lovesick Blues.” Still sad, isn’t it?
Lastly, here is another popular song called “Why Don’t You Love Me.” Listen for two things: First, listen for the steel guitar and fiddle. These are two of the most popular instruments in country music. Also, notice how many words he rhymes with “do.”