Celebrate Hank Williams' 99th birthday Saturday in Montgomery
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
Downtown Montgomery is turning into a huge party for one of its favorite sons this weekend: Hank Williams Museum is celebrating its namesake’s 99th birthday.
It starts Saturday at Hank and Audrey’s gravesite at the Oakwood Cemetery Annex, with music at 8:45 a.m. by the Sheppard Family from Banks. There’s also a graveside service with wreaths.
After that, the fun and tributes shift to the Hank Williams Museum, 118 Commerce St., with more from the Sheppard Family, plus the Dewey Bass Band of South Carolina, Arty Hill of Maryland, Woodie and Becky Hill of Oklahoma, and Dalton McSwain of Georgia. It’s a $15 admission for ages 12 and up. For ages 5-11, it’s $5.
The evening wraps up just down the street with a finale at Commerce BeerWorks, 166 Commerce St., sponsored by Hiram (named after Hank) whiskey bar.
Williams, who died 70 years ago at 29, left a legacy of country music that included songs like, “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry,” “I Saw The Light,” “Cold Cold Heart,” “You’re Cheatin’ Heart,” and many dozens more.
The museum is already preparing for next year’s century celebration. They’re releasing 2023 Hank Williams 100 calendars, which are $15 and available for preorder.
Follow the museum online at thehankwilliamsmuseum.net.
Hank history
His real name is Hiram King Williams.
He was born Sept. 17, 1923, in Mount Olive, Alabama (near Georgiana in Butler County).
Hank was born with spina bifida, a painful lifelong condition of the spinal column.
He had a sister, Irene.
Hank’s father, Elonzo, served in World War I and came home with shell shock. Elonzo was hospitalized and would not play a major role his children's lives.
In 1930, Irene and her children lived in Georgiana, where Hank was influenced musically by blues street singer Rufus "Tee Tot" Payne.
Hank's family would move to Greenville in 1934.
In 1937, when he was 13, Hank's mother, Lillie, moved the family to Montgomery and opened a boarding house.
Hank formed his band, The Drifting Cowboys, in Montgomery.
He and Audrey were married on Dec. 15, 1944, in Andalusia.
He signed with MGM Records in 1947, and released "Move It On Over."
Hank released a series of major hits over the next five years. He recorded 225 songs, 128 of which he wrote. Eleven of his recordings became No. 1 hits.
His son, Hank Williams Jr., was born May 26, 1949.
Hank was a star on the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville from 1949 to 1952.
Hank died on Jan. 1, 1953, at age 29 while traveling to a scheduled concert in Canton, Ohio.
Three days later, on Jan. 4, 1953, Hank was buried in Montgomery, with more than 25,000 mourners present.
Two days after his funeral, Hank's daughter, Jett Williams, was born.
In 1961, Hank was one of the first three inductees into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
In 2010, he was awarded a posthumous Pulitzer Prize for his songwriting craftsmanship and for his role in transforming country music into a major musical and cultural force.
Contact Montgomery Advertiser reporter Shannon Heupel at sheupel@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Celebrate Hank Williams' 99th birthday Saturday in Montgomery
