You know why Hank fits the stereotype of what you think old country music is? It’s because Hank Williams built the bridge that future country was paved on
I played "I'm so lonesome I could cry" for my father as he was passing away and since then, Hank has been tremendously hard to listen to. Love his music though. RIP Pop
I'm sorry for you loss. Isn't it amazing how music is like that? You associate music to certain times, places, & things that have happened (good & bad).
Have you ever heard this song sung by Terry Bradshaw. The Steeler QB that won 4 Super Bowls in the 1970's? If not do your self a favor and listen to it. Please reply and let me know what you think of it.
"I'm So Lonesome, I Could Cry" is probably the most lyrically perfect song that's ever been written... Hank was considered "The Hillbilly Shakespeare" because he used incredibly simple words to paint incredibly graphic images. Modern Country music has NOTHING on that of the late 1940s through the early Sixties... In the period, those Artists melded Black Blues, Jazz and Jump music, Hillbilly and Hawaiian, the music of Central Europe... You name it. Somewhere along the line, every Genre unfortunately became really homogeneous and the influences of other cultures that was so prevalent in the early days went out the window.... Which, in my opinion, kind of wrecked music and changed it from a true Art Form that brought us Mere Mortals all closer together, to just another THING that was purposely manufactured by The Powers That Be, to further divide us.
Listen to his voice and notice he has perfect pitch and never has a flat note. And pay attention to the words. . Hank was known as The Hillbilly Shakespeare because of his excellent and clever use of the language.
Yeah, that guy's "reaction" was a bit lame. On the other hand, Hank is something that doesn't open up properly the first time you hear him. At least to modern listeners who are used to different kind of music. And also worth noticing is that Hanks' performance was made before Elvis started to shake his hips. The music performances were not that wild those days.
@@illustriousag5755 Maybe but when when he was tagged with that nickname, Country music was known more as hillbilly music than country. And Hank was just about as hillbilly as they came. You will hear the term often in early Country music.
Spot on brother , he mastered the uncommon lyrics with the perfect words, then he set the woods on fire with a pitchfork and a deck of cards, the original d.j
I think this is similar to when people read "Jane Eyre" today and don't know the history of it. They think, oh, it's the stereotypical Gothic novel. Well, yes, it is. Because once it was published everyone carried on in that vein. What Mr. Williams did was bring brilliantly articulate lyrics into his writing. He also sang off meter. But I think the most poignant part of what makes this song so good is that he was writing about his wife, Audrey. He loved her and he loved her little girl Lycretia like she was his own daughter. But Audrey was a stone, cold bitch. And yes, he did cheat on her but that was also a two way street. Hank Williams became one of the most influential artists in country music and had a huge catalog of work but his national fame really only lasted about three years. He died at age 29 from the ravages of heart disease, alcohol and drugs. If you would like more understanding of his popularity, "Hank Williams: the Biography" by Colin Scott is a really good book. It goes into not only his life but music theory and structure with the songs...much more than I as a civilian really understand. Thank you for the channel, I always enjoy your postings.
I wouldn’t say Hank is the single most important figure in popular music history but I would say he is in country music as a whole but in overall music, he’s up there.
Hank had a way with words, and could turn a phrase into a picture. In "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" there's a line "The Silence of a falling star lights up a purple sky" He was a wordsmith.
"I saw the Light"- What is amazing about Hank is the shear number of songs he wrote that became big hits for other singers as well considering he died at 29!
This music brings back memories of being at my grandparents house. My grandpa would get drunk on cheap beer and listen to country music and sing along with it. He was a really bad singer but when he was drunk he thought he was a super star...
He was so influential, that not only was he a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame, but also the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Native American Music Hall of Fame, the Recording Academy Grammy Hall of Fame, Alabama Music Hall of Fame, and I think the Songwriters Hall of Fame... Pretty damn impressive for a guy who was still in his 20's when he died.
Hank Williams is a country music legend and icon. People still reference him in modern country music. There is a fairly new movie with Tom Hiddleston on Hank Williams’ life that I thought was pretty good.
Hank Sr died at 29. His musical career was very very short yet he has one of the most impressive catalogs out there. His writing was way ahead of his time. So many great songs by him. Some of my favorites are; Six More Miles To The Graveyard, I’m so lonesome I could cry, if you loved me half as much as I love you, you win again, your gonna change or I’m gonna leave, I can’t help it if I’m still in love with you, some day you’ll call my name. Literally so many songs to choose from. Most are good. Most are sad.
My daddy passed away in August 2018. He loved Hank Williams and Hank Williams Junior. My sister used to ride in the floorboard of my daddy’s convertible Cadillac back in the early 70s. My daddy would play a Hank William’s song called “Hey Hey Goodlooking.” As a family we chose to pick out songs that were our songs for our daddy. This song was my sisters. It’s a good song you might want to check it out.
It wasn’t just his singing that was phenomenal….he had a God-given talent for writing! They didn’t believe he actually wrote all these songs. So they gave him a pencil, a piece of paper, & 15 minutes. He wrote Your Cheating Heart!! OMGOSH!!! His banner song!!
Hank lived a painful, short life. He was plagued with health issues which included chronic back pain that pushed him to alcohol addiction and drug use like many do. And also a woman, there's always a woman in the story, who tried to help him back up and he fell hard for her but she didn't feel the same way. As you said, just coming to this music now makes it hard to go back and realize that this is where a lot of country music was born. Growing up I heard my momma play many of the old country stars so it's a little like home. Rumor has it that when he was trying to get a record deal, a producer told him that if he's a songwriter, write him a song. The producer left the room and came back a while later and Hank sang this song for him which he wrote right there in his office. Like so many artists, pain and hurt fuel the deep emotions that drive the music and it touches us.
That was part of the movie " Your Cheatin' Heart" where Hank visited Fred Rose, and the song was " I Can't Help it If I'm Still in Love with You". I was about 6-7 and I remember it, good movie!
Let's not forget how mean his wife, Miss Audrey, was to him. She was one of the reasons why he drank so much, that and the back pain. He was born with Spina bifida and couldn't be operated on where lived.
@@JeffreyTappan-bb8rr yes sir. I believe i mentioned the back pain and that he had hurt and pain from a woman which all fueled his alcoholism. I preferred not to insult his legacy and mention his other addictions.
It was surreal watching this live performance for the first time about 6 years ago. Because I grew up my whole life (29 years) listening to him, and I only ever saw pictures or short clips without audio. So it make him seem so real, in a weird way, when I saw and heard him speaking live for the first time. Made me badly wish I could jump through the screen and be there in person.. and possibly do something to save him.
Any time I go back to 30's, 40's, 50's country or blues music I'm mostly listening to the incredible voices. Lots of voices that would never make the radio today, but that are no less moving for being unique.
Music today is manufactured. Then it was all talent and guts. The Grand Ole' Oprey was the heart of music royalty. Even more than Hollywood or Broadway.
Hank Williams IS country music. An incredibly prolific and gifted songwriter, he wrote classics such as this song, I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry (my favorite, and one you should definitely listen to), Hey Good-Lookin', Kaw-Lija, Your Cheatin' Heart, I Saw The Light, Jambalaya, Why Don't You Love Me Like You Used To Do, and so many more! You'll be amazed to see the list of all the songs this man wrote before he passed away at the age of 29. I doubt very many of today's country singers will write songs that singers 70-80 years from now will still be singing.
I cannot believe you did Hank Williams Sr., thank you. I have thought several times I would love to hear you react to him, and never thought you actually would. Thanks for being open to all genre's. Hank really is so much more than a twangy voice, so much more.
Music Royalty that addiction took away at way to young of an age. Hank Jr. is also a legend. And Hank lll is a whole different world. He has like 5 bands grandpa’s country all the way to death metal.
So Lonesome I could cry is the first Hank Williams song I ever heard, at 13 and made me fall in love with his music. I am 60 now and listen to a bunch of different genres, and still have random verses of his spring into my head. They are straight out of his heart into mine.
Hank Williams is fantastic 👏 The father of country music 🎶 he had some beautiful gospel songs as well. Totally agree genres change over time Hank Williams will have been an old time influence on many a country singer .
Hank is the King of Country Music , nobody has had more influence or have achieved more in a short 5 year career. Hank did in 5 years what it took other great artists decades to do . Gone but never to be forgotten .
So country evolved from this , probably Jimmy Rogers was first. Being the Father of a movement is the pinnacle. In other words you wouldn't have today if he hadn't started it. Died young, wrote 500 songs among them " I saw the Light" my favorite, Have you listened to Hank Williams Jr? Well this is his father. Hank Williams is deeply honored in country music, everybody that sings it has deep respect for this man.
Ray Charles recorded a lot of Hank's songs. I was a year old when he died at age 29. As a toddler, I could not read, but I could still pick his record out and play on my mama's 78 Victrolla. He was one of the greatest writers of all time
He was in physical pain most of his life his spine had a flaw of some kind , breathtakingly articulate , my favorite is ' the angel of death ' though I realize it may not be to everybody .
Literally at the beginning , ground zero for what became known as Country Music , were the recording sessions in Bristol in summer of 1929 . From those sessions emerged two acts that were not only highly sucuessful , but massively influenced everyone that came after . The Carter Family , and Jimmie Rodgers . That generation was among the Influences of Hank Sr , who was the greatest ever for Singing And Songwriting . Cash was obviously great , and on the all time short list of Singing And Songwriting, along with his contemporary , Merle Haggard .
He died in the little town of Oak Hill, WV. The driver actually stopped for some food. He checked to see if Hank wanted something and found him already dead but took him to the local hospital anyway. I know because my husband came from Oak Hill. It is kind of a local legend.
Hank Williams, Sr. was the country singer-songwriter that made country-western music a nationally appreciated genre. He was the first country superstar and was known as the King of Country Music. He died at the age of 29. The particular song Cold, Cold Heart was the first country-pop crossover song when it was picked up by Tony Bennett for whom it also made a lot of money. It's one of Hank's biggest hits, along with Your Cheatin' Heart, Hey Good Lookin', I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry (Also a big crossover for such artists as BJ Thomas in the 1960s), and many others. Songs such as Mind Your Own Business landed Hank a place in the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame. Many old Blues artists labeled Hank's style of country The White Man's Blues.
I think I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" is an amazing acknowledgement of being alone and dreading the future. Hank Williams may not have been sophisticated but he was very savvy about the angst of modern life. By modern, I mean post-Depression and post-WWII. He died when he was 29. Try to imagine the songs he could have written had he lived another 29 years.
Hank lives on his voice and lyrics. "I'm so Lonesome I Could Cry" has a walking bass line, and he did have a touch with melody beyond the more droning ballads, like this one, which i love. He basically set the standard for the 2:30 single, with a solo on fiddle, and usually steel or electric guitar later. So much of why he is loved isn't just in his songs. It's his history, and his impact on the entire world of Music that make him really special. One of the earliest inductees into the Rock & Roll HOF. Died at age 29.
Oh the young. Glad you are finally hearing something of American "folk" (not the genre folk music) sounds. But can't believe a person who knows so much of analyzing voice has never heard of Hank Williams. So much better than most musicians today who are popular with this generation. Words not over whelmed by loud instruments but rather the two working together in harmony. But glad you approved. Means so much to the millions who loved his voice. My favorite of his 'Caligula' and 'Hey, Good Looking'. When I was young I didn't appreciate country music of the day associating it with ignorance and poverty. Country was the story of the people of the time. Although, I wasn't a country fan, preferring Classical, because my folks liked it, I did learn though two songs. Once at a lunch counter, when I was maybe 6 or seven, "Hey, Hey, Good Looking" was playing and I guess I was singing along because the counter person turned the radio off and offered me $1 to sing the song. I did. Speaking of not knowing older music-- one day during lunch period I was In my classroom when a young man came in and asked with some astonishment what I was listening to. It was some 50s music " rock"( (which I didn't much care for until I got older). I told him and asked him if he liked it and he said very much and sat down to listen. This was a child of the rap culture.
Absolutely adore Hank Williams. I got introduced to him through Lovesick Blues, which even with its flaws (in part due to an EXTREMELY rushed studio session where no one else wanted to do the song), pulled me in. The feeling he could put into songs with two chords! I'm surprised but happy to see, in the comments, in 2021, so many others sharing a similar love for his music
Favorite specific songs by Hank Williams: I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry, Your Cheatin' Heart, Move It On Over, Jambalaya, Kaw-Liga, Hey Good Lookin', I Saw the Light. The nasally delivery and primitive recording quality might put you off but his words are eloquent.
Check out his "unreleased recordings" from the Mother's Best Flour radio show that he made for WSM 650 AM, Nashville, Tennessee in 1951. They have the best sound quality ever of the artist. For example, check out Hank Williams' rendition of "Cool Water".
Tear in my beer - my grandfather played it for us as kids and it means so much to to me I conveys the heart break that men don’t show because “ men shouldn’t cry”
you gotta remember this was a time when tv was a new thing and not everybody in America had one yet. that was considered a luxury item and still pretty gimmicky. most Americans in that day were still listening to cheap mantle clock radios and America was still feeling the tail end of the grate depression a time of healing
This song is entirely relatable, to me at least, and doubtless to a host of others. Having been in the position of loving someone who could not reciprocate due to a horrific past experience, the wall she put up was too high to climb and too thick to breach. As it's been said, " Hurt people hurt people." Hank sings it as someone who must have been there, who experienced it all and can't understand why he can't break through despite his best efforts. If you've never been down that road, it may be a bit difficult to grasp it, but as far as my experience goes, he nailed it perfectly.
Good? Today's artists would be lucky to have that much feeling in their music. Try his song: I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry or I Saw The Light! He was genius!
Hank Williams Sr was one of the best country singers, he paved the way for future country and western singer as they used to be called. I'm So Lonesome I could Cry, Hey Hey Good Lookin, he was a true country and western pioneer.
Hank Sr is basically the father of country music and was heavily influenced my southern blues. But this man has so many hits its crazy. Some of his "Luke the drifter" stuff was considered rock and they put him in the rock hall of fame. Lost highway, your cheating heart, no no joe, kalighja, I saw the light, hey good looking, and so many more. My personal favorites are lost high way and blue eyes crying in the rain. But blue eyes is a rare track
Thank you man for playing one of the late and Hank Williams greatest songs. In his short life he wrote over twenty thousand songs. He also was a disabled person he suffered from spina beafada.
Hank truly paved the way for music for the past 100 years. his flairs of rock n roll years before it started, his voice sucked you in because its so emotional with lyrics so relatable that you cant turn a ear. in that time he was bound to be somebody he was to undeniably himself. his songs will probably be heard for another 100 years.
It’s got a lot to do with industry ruining the genre. There’s a reason people in the underground are starting to get so big aka upchurch, acal, struggle etc etc. yes they sound different than this but just like upchurch said being country takes a certain attitude and that’s something industry doesn’t have. So if anyone asks me underground is nothing more than the outlaws of the old days doing it their way.
My folks and their friends always listened to this kind of music when I was growing up in the 60s and 70s! Love me some Hank, also Farron Young and Marty Robbins
The song is obviously dated but for the day and age this was considered "top notch" so to speak.. oh and that instrument was making that loud twang sound that was being played like a keyboard is a steel guitar I believe.
Yes , that was a ( non- pedal ) Steel Guitar . This instrument was the first electric instrument , pre dating the " regular " electric guitar . At the time of this filming , Don Helms was the steel guitarist in Hank's band , but Jerry Byrd played on many of Hank's iconic early recording sessions .
Hank Williams was one of the best song writers of his era. He could be asked to write a song about a certain subject and in 15 minutes he’d have the song and melody written. Loved his music. Thanks for introducing all these music genres you’re not familiar with. I’m a new subby
I live ten minutes from the location this video was produced. They give tours of the studio, It was a weekly radio program (later it was televised) during the 50s-60s. Roy Acuff and Minnie Pearl were the hosts of the program and Roy built his house on the property in his advanced years so he could greet the studio audience on show nights. The transformation of the country genre from the 1950s to the present has changed drastically. Listen to Hank William's son he goes by the same name Hank Williams JR. his songs Born to Boogie or A country boy can survive.
I grew up in the rural Midwest in the 1950s listening to Hank Williams. He was my father's favorite singer. He's the emblematic country singer of the late 40s-50s; he set a tone and style that influenced everyone who came after him. As a child, I hated it. I'd leave the room when his songs came on the radio. I couldn't listen to any of it. It wasn't until the 1970s that I re-discovered Hank Williams and developed some appreciation for his music. At the same time I ran across Willie Nelson, Li'l Jimmy Dickens, Faron Young, Patsy Cline and a few other classic country artists. It's still not a genre that I 'love', especially today's 'country-western' is just not my thing at all, but I have to admit there's something special about old school country artists like Hank.
At about 4:25 you heard something and asked, "What's that?". Well, that, my friend, is an instrument called a steel guitar. It's a very intricate part of the country music heritage.
You know why Hank fits the stereotype of what you think old country music is? It’s because Hank Williams built the bridge that future country was paved on
So true!
Yes. Exactly.
I always loved the Ray Charles covers of his hits as well. They were , themselves, hits.
not the stereotype, the essence
Archetype is the word here. Hank is that.
Hank Williams....one of the saddest and most tragic ends to an artists life. 11 number ones hits and dead by 29. RIP Hank, King of Country Music.
I played "I'm so lonesome I could cry" for my father as he was passing away and since then, Hank has been tremendously hard to listen to. Love his music though. RIP Pop
Sorry for your loss. Hank is by far the best country singer imo
Yall's videos always put a smile on my face and I still watch them till this day, cool seeing you on vids like this Mike.
Was just watching your videos today man, hope you are doing well.
Yo, I didn't know you were a Hank fan. AGP was a really cool, down to Earth guy. A southern legend, just like Hank.
I'm sorry for you loss. Isn't it amazing how music is like that? You associate music to certain times, places, & things that have happened (good & bad).
"I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" is as pure poetry as ever been written.
Have you ever heard this song sung by Terry Bradshaw. The Steeler QB that won 4 Super Bowls in the 1970's? If not do your self a favor and listen to it. Please reply and let me know what you think of it.
Waylon’s version of “I’m so Lonesome” is pretty good too!
"I'm So Lonesome, I Could Cry" is probably the most lyrically perfect song that's ever been written...
Hank was considered "The Hillbilly Shakespeare" because he used incredibly simple words to paint incredibly graphic images.
Modern Country music has NOTHING on that of the late 1940s through the early Sixties... In the period, those Artists melded Black Blues, Jazz and Jump music, Hillbilly and Hawaiian, the music of Central Europe... You name it.
Somewhere along the line, every Genre unfortunately became really homogeneous and the influences of other cultures that was so prevalent in the early days went out the window.... Which, in my opinion, kind of wrecked music and changed it from a true Art Form that brought us Mere Mortals all closer together, to just another THING that was purposely manufactured by The Powers That Be, to further divide us.
Listen to his voice and notice he has perfect pitch and never has a flat note. And pay attention to the words. . Hank was known as The Hillbilly Shakespeare because of his excellent and clever use of the language.
Yeah, that guy's "reaction" was a bit lame. On the other hand, Hank is something that doesn't open up properly the first time you hear him. At least to modern listeners who are used to different kind of music. And also worth noticing is that Hanks' performance was made before Elvis started to shake his hips. The music performances were not that wild those days.
Dang I think Southern Shakespeare would be a better name
@@illustriousag5755 Maybe but when when he was tagged with that nickname, Country music was known more as hillbilly music than country. And Hank was just about as hillbilly as they came. You will hear the term often in early Country music.
Spot on brother , he mastered the uncommon lyrics with the perfect words, then he set the woods on fire with a pitchfork and a deck of cards, the original d.j
Alice so true he WAS the best and still IS the best. Greetings from MN in Love and Peace to you and yours. Mimi. Peace
This song changed music forever as did Hank. The single most important figure in popular music history.
I think this is similar to when people read "Jane Eyre" today and don't know the history of it. They think, oh, it's the stereotypical Gothic novel. Well, yes, it is. Because once it was published everyone carried on in that vein. What Mr. Williams did was bring brilliantly articulate lyrics into his writing. He also sang off meter. But I think the most poignant part of what makes this song so good is that he was writing about his wife, Audrey. He loved her and he loved her little girl Lycretia like she was his own daughter. But Audrey was a stone, cold bitch. And yes, he did cheat on her but that was also a two way street.
Hank Williams became one of the most influential artists in country music and had a huge catalog of work but his national fame really only lasted about three years. He died at age 29 from the ravages of heart disease, alcohol and drugs.
If you would like more understanding of his popularity, "Hank Williams: the Biography" by Colin Scott is a really good book. It goes into not only his life but music theory and structure with the songs...much more than I as a civilian really understand.
Thank you for the channel, I always enjoy your postings.
@@VoodooAngel63 I have blessed to hear stories from Don helms. Hank was as he said humble to a fault. Never carried himself better than anyone.
@@VoodooAngel63 thank you for the book recommendation I'm going to try to find it.
Agree.
I wouldn’t say Hank is the single most important figure in popular music history but I would say he is in country music as a whole but in overall music, he’s up there.
Hank had a way with words, and could turn a phrase into a picture.
In "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" there's a line "The Silence of a falling star lights up a purple sky"
He was a wordsmith.
Elvis Presley called "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" the saddest song he had ever heard.
I second that
The moon went behind the clouds to hide its face and cry
Beautiful song!
I agree.he had great songs.
Hank Williams wrote some of the best songs of all-time. He was a genius, known far and wide as "The Hillbilly Shakespeare."
Hank Williams - Jambalaya, Lonesome Whistle, Cheatin’ Heart, Long Gone Lonesome Blues and I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry.
Agreed. Move It On Over is another great Hank song.I honestly don't think he made a bad song.
@@minigirl6379 "Move over skinny dog 'cos the fat dogs movin in" , always makes me smile
Yes!! ❤️❤️❤️
+1
I would not pick "Cold, Cold Heart" as the best choice for a first listen to Hank Williams. Any of the above songs would be a better first listen.
Hard to hear that this was one of the most broken men to ever walk the earth,and he hid it with a smile and up beat tunes
"I saw the Light"- What is amazing about Hank is the shear number of songs he wrote that became big hits for other singers as well considering he died at 29!
Love Hank Williams music, especially Cold, Cold Heart and I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry. Such sadness. Thank you for listening to Hank Williams' music.
Lost Highway is a must from this man. His catalog is vast, very vast, but Lost Highway is that top shelf.
If you don't feel the holy ghost from "I saw the light" then you are nuts
Im partial to mansion on the hill
I think his biggest hitter is Someday you’ll call my name and I won’t answer. Also Lovesick Blues
@@china_sickness7005 I agree although he didn't write Someday You'll Call My Name and it was only a demo. His voice is superb on this song
Lost Highway is a fantastic "road not taken" song. He was great!
Never be another Hank. He sang so naturally from the soul.
Hank jr
This music brings back memories of being at my grandparents house. My grandpa would get drunk on cheap beer and listen to country music and sing along with it. He was a really bad singer but when he was drunk he thought he was a super star...
Ain't we all! 😂
@@Mcseeker86 😅
i do that now! lol
That there is why they have karaoke bars across the world. Everyone's a superstar when they're drunk...to their own ears, anyway.
@@michellewest4796 😅 Ain't that the truth!
He was so influential, that not only was he a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame, but also the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Native American Music Hall of Fame, the Recording Academy Grammy Hall of Fame, Alabama Music Hall of Fame, and I think the Songwriters Hall of Fame... Pretty damn impressive for a guy who was still in his 20's when he died.
Hank Williams is a country music legend and icon. People still reference him in modern country music. There is a fairly new movie with Tom Hiddleston on Hank Williams’ life that I thought was pretty good.
If there was one singer that I could bring back to life, I’d definitely bring back Hank. 2nd to him is Johnny Cash
Hank Williams III should have been in that movie he really sounds like his grandfather singing and talking more than anyone.
They ruined that movie by not using the original music. A good movie still, but lackluster sonically
Hank Sr died at 29. His musical career was very very short yet he has one of the most impressive catalogs out there. His writing was way ahead of his time. So many great songs by him. Some of my favorites are; Six More Miles To The Graveyard, I’m so lonesome I could cry, if you loved me half as much as I love you, you win again, your gonna change or I’m gonna leave, I can’t help it if I’m still in love with you, some day you’ll call my name. Literally so many songs to choose from. Most are good. Most are sad.
My daddy passed away in August 2018. He loved Hank Williams and Hank Williams Junior. My sister used to ride in the floorboard of my daddy’s convertible Cadillac back in the early 70s. My daddy would play a Hank William’s song called “Hey Hey Goodlooking.” As a family we chose to pick out songs that were our songs for our daddy. This song was my sisters. It’s a good song you might want to check it out.
@phantasm Thank you!!!
My daddy love Hank! My daddy passed in January 2019. He gave me my love of old school country music
Today's country does not sound like the pure country. I love Hank's songs!!
Just shows progression of the world and music.
The life of Loretta Lynn will blow your mind. Her song “Coal-miner’s Daughter. Is really awesome!!!!
I second that. Coal Minor's Daughter is brilliant.
"Progress" suggests "improvement." There's just change.
I have always been a huge advocator that Coal Miners Daughter is probably the best country music song of all time..
@@namaandra it is certainly up near top but I worry that it is becoming forgotten.
They consider LL AS A Female HW...have followed her my entire life..."Love Is the Foundation" is my favorite song...Loretta Lynn is a classy lady...
It wasn’t just his singing that was phenomenal….he had a God-given talent for writing!
They didn’t believe he actually wrote all these songs. So they gave him a pencil, a piece of paper, & 15 minutes. He wrote Your Cheating Heart!! OMGOSH!!! His banner song!!
Hank lived a painful, short life. He was plagued with health issues which included chronic back pain that pushed him to alcohol addiction and drug use like many do. And also a woman, there's always a woman in the story, who tried to help him back up and he fell hard for her but she didn't feel the same way. As you said, just coming to this music now makes it hard to go back and realize that this is where a lot of country music was born. Growing up I heard my momma play many of the old country stars so it's a little like home. Rumor has it that when he was trying to get a record deal, a producer told him that if he's a songwriter, write him a song. The producer left the room and came back a while later and Hank sang this song for him which he wrote right there in his office. Like so many artists, pain and hurt fuel the deep emotions that drive the music and it touches us.
That was part of the movie " Your Cheatin' Heart" where Hank visited Fred Rose, and the song was " I Can't Help it If I'm Still in Love with You".
I was about 6-7 and I remember it, good movie!
Let's not forget how mean his wife, Miss Audrey, was to him. She was one of the reasons why he drank so much, that and the back pain. He was born with Spina bifida and couldn't be operated on where lived.
@@JeffreyTappan-bb8rr yes sir. I believe i mentioned the back pain and that he had hurt and pain from a woman which all fueled his alcoholism. I preferred not to insult his legacy and mention his other addictions.
The man wrote songs at the snap of a finger. That was his true gift. Wrote a well-known gospel song. Gotta listen to more of his stuff.
Hank's career lasted under 5 years. He put a lot into those years.
His stardom was late forties to his death in '53. But NO he was on the road a long long time.
It was surreal watching this live performance for the first time about 6 years ago. Because I grew up my whole life (29 years) listening to him, and I only ever saw pictures or short clips without audio.
So it make him seem so real, in a weird way, when I saw and heard him speaking live for the first time. Made me badly wish I could jump through the screen and be there in person.. and possibly do something to save him.
Any time I go back to 30's, 40's, 50's country or blues music I'm mostly listening to the incredible voices.
Lots of voices that would never make the radio today, but that are no less moving for being unique.
Music today is manufactured. Then it was all talent and guts. The Grand Ole' Oprey was the heart of music royalty. Even more than Hollywood or Broadway.
Hank Williams IS country music. An incredibly prolific and gifted songwriter, he wrote classics such as this song, I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry (my favorite, and one you should definitely listen to), Hey Good-Lookin', Kaw-Lija, Your Cheatin' Heart, I Saw The Light, Jambalaya, Why Don't You Love Me Like You Used To Do, and so many more! You'll be amazed to see the list of all the songs this man wrote before he passed away at the age of 29. I doubt very many of today's country singers will write songs that singers 70-80 years from now will still be singing.
I cannot believe you did Hank Williams Sr., thank you. I have thought several times I would love to hear you react to him, and never thought you actually would. Thanks for being open to all genre's. Hank really is so much more than a twangy voice, so much more.
The hank Williams biography to get an understanding of the music and style where it revolved from I did and it opened my mind very much
Music Royalty that addiction took away at way to young of an age. Hank Jr. is also a legend. And Hank lll is a whole different world. He has like 5 bands grandpa’s country all the way to death metal.
Hank Williams is in the Rock-N-Roll Hall of Fame.
So Lonesome I could cry is the first Hank Williams song I ever heard, at 13 and made me fall in love with his music. I am 60 now and listen to a bunch of different genres, and still have random verses of his spring into my head. They are straight out of his heart into mine.
I reckon Im dumbedassed!! When I hear "Im so lonesome I
could Cry." it dont make me cry,
dont make me sad.,.Just a very
pretty song.
he has written so many songs that many are still being sang today..One of the greatest song writers and one of the best writers to express feelings...
Hank Williams is fantastic 👏 The father of country music 🎶 he had some beautiful gospel songs as well.
Totally agree genres change over time Hank Williams will have been an old time influence on many a country singer .
Hank is the King of Country Music , nobody has had more influence or have achieved more in a short 5 year career.
Hank did in 5 years what it took other great artists decades to do .
Gone but never to be forgotten .
💜 I Saw the Light!
My favorite Hank Williams song is the last song he ever recorded called "I'll never get out of this world alive"
So country evolved from this , probably Jimmy Rogers was first. Being the Father of a movement is the pinnacle. In other words you wouldn't have today if he hadn't started it.
Died young, wrote 500 songs among them " I saw the Light" my favorite, Have you listened to Hank Williams Jr? Well this is his father. Hank Williams is deeply honored in country music, everybody that sings it has deep respect for this man.
Not only country, modern folk and rock too. Take a listen to Move It On Over among the first steps towards rock n roll...
Hank Williams brought Country Music to Mainstream wasn't for him Country Stars today wouldn't have Jobs
Hank Williams III is doing some pretty wild Outlaw Country too
...what can I say that hasn't already been said here on this forum and the reaction Mr L himself....Thanks ..enjoyed!
We gotta get him reacting to some Marty Robbins
Yes!
This!
Ray Charles recorded a lot of Hank's songs.
I was a year old when he died at age 29. As a toddler, I could not read, but I could still pick his record out and play on my mama's 78 Victrolla. He was one of the greatest writers of all time
Wow!!!! My grandmother’s music…it takes me back. He is singing about his wife. He was a sad sad man.
his music was so genuine and powerful that all these years later, he still reaches young people like me
He was in physical pain most of his life his spine had a flaw of some kind , breathtakingly articulate , my favorite is ' the angel of death ' though I realize it may not be to everybody .
Hear that Lonesome Whistle Blow is one of my favorites. A must listen.
The greatest EVER. His voice will rip your heart right out.
I LOVE Hank Williams Sr.This has always been a favorite. I enjoyed it, very much. Thank You.
Along with Johnny Cash the most influential country artist ever. Great reaction. Check out I'm So Lonesome I Could Die
If youre talking influence… Gotta throw jimmie rodgers on that list too.
@@adrock1011 I'll buy that. Sadly Jimmy is largely forgotten today, even by me it seems. Johnny And Hank are just the ones that spring to mind first
@@fredbarnes2049 i definitey agree
Literally at the beginning , ground zero for what became known as Country Music , were the recording sessions in Bristol in summer of 1929 .
From those sessions emerged two acts that were not only highly sucuessful , but massively influenced everyone that came after .
The Carter Family , and Jimmie Rodgers .
That generation was among the Influences of Hank Sr , who was the greatest ever for Singing And Songwriting .
Cash was obviously great , and on the all time short list of Singing And Songwriting, along with his contemporary , Merle Haggard .
@@filianablanxart8305 once youre down in texas… bob wills is still the king
Love you Hank. You are the best. Greetings from Minnesota. You are loved by all the angels. God bless you. Greetings from Minnesota. Blessings.
And imagine...he did all this before we lost him at age 29 😔
Didn't he pass new years day in 53
yes he did
He was alive starting the car trip on NYE , but dead when his driver stopped for gas in the early morning hours .
He died in the little town of Oak Hill, WV. The driver actually stopped for some food. He checked to see if Hank wanted something and found him already dead but took him to the local hospital anyway. I know because my husband came from Oak Hill. It is kind of a local legend.
Or a least Discovered Dead .
That song always puts a little pain in my heart and a lump in my throat. I dearly love to listen to ole Hank.
I love Hank Sr. He's one of the best. I love Move It On Over.
Hank Williams, Sr. was the country singer-songwriter that made country-western music a nationally appreciated genre. He was the first country superstar and was known as the King of Country Music. He died at the age of 29. The particular song Cold, Cold Heart was the first country-pop crossover song when it was picked up by Tony Bennett for whom it also made a lot of money. It's one of Hank's biggest hits, along with Your Cheatin' Heart, Hey Good Lookin', I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry (Also a big crossover for such artists as BJ Thomas in the 1960s), and many others. Songs such as Mind Your Own Business landed Hank a place in the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame. Many old Blues artists labeled Hank's style of country The White Man's Blues.
I think I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" is an amazing acknowledgement of being alone and dreading the future. Hank Williams may not have been sophisticated but he was very savvy about the angst of modern life. By modern, I mean post-Depression and post-WWII. He died when he was 29. Try to imagine the songs he could have written had he lived another 29 years.
I absolutely love Hank, my mom would dance with me listening to his music. I'm 64, treasure's memory ...
The song is about compensating for the shortcomings of a previous ex, and breaking through the guard of a woman with 10 foot walls to protect herself
Hank lives on his voice and lyrics. "I'm so Lonesome I Could Cry" has a walking bass line, and he did have a touch with melody beyond the more droning ballads, like this one, which i love. He basically set the standard for the 2:30 single, with a solo on fiddle, and usually steel or electric guitar later. So much of why he is loved isn't just in his songs. It's his history, and his impact on the entire world of Music that make him really special. One of the earliest inductees into the Rock & Roll HOF. Died at age 29.
I love how timeless the themes of country music are.
I love when people hear a steal guitar for the first time.... what is that he said! its definitely got a distinct sound
I love that you want to learn. And hank sr is definitely someone who defined and influenced the genre
Oh the young. Glad you are finally hearing something of American "folk" (not the genre folk music) sounds. But can't believe a person who knows so much of analyzing voice has never heard of Hank Williams. So much better than most musicians today who are popular with this generation. Words not over whelmed by loud instruments but rather the two working together in harmony. But glad you approved. Means so much to the millions who loved his voice. My favorite of his 'Caligula' and 'Hey, Good Looking'. When I was young I didn't appreciate country music of the day associating it with ignorance and poverty. Country was the story of the people of the time. Although, I wasn't a country fan, preferring Classical, because my folks liked it, I did learn though two songs. Once at a lunch counter, when I was maybe 6 or seven, "Hey, Hey, Good Looking" was playing and I guess I was singing along because the counter person turned the radio off and offered me $1 to sing the song. I did. Speaking of not knowing older music-- one day during lunch period I was In my classroom when a young man came in and asked with some astonishment what I was listening to. It was some 50s music " rock"( (which I didn't much care for until I got older). I told him and asked him if he liked it and he said very much and sat down to listen. This was a child of the rap culture.
My favorite upbeat hank Williams song
Jumbelia . Just makes me feel good to sing it
Absolutely adore Hank Williams. I got introduced to him through Lovesick Blues, which even with its flaws (in part due to an EXTREMELY rushed studio session where no one else wanted to do the song), pulled me in. The feeling he could put into songs with two chords! I'm surprised but happy to see, in the comments, in 2021, so many others sharing a similar love for his music
just finding your page because of this video. I love hank so much. Could not pick a favorite he has too many good songs
Favorite specific songs by Hank Williams: I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry, Your Cheatin' Heart, Move It On Over, Jambalaya, Kaw-Liga, Hey Good Lookin', I Saw the Light. The nasally delivery and primitive recording quality might put you off but his words are eloquent.
Check out his "unreleased recordings" from the Mother's Best Flour radio show that he made for WSM 650 AM, Nashville, Tennessee in 1951. They have the best sound quality ever of the artist. For example, check out Hank Williams' rendition of "Cool Water".
Tear in my beer - my grandfather played it for us as kids and it means so much to to me I conveys the heart break that men don’t show because “ men shouldn’t cry”
FINALLY! LUKE THE DRIFTER!!!!!!
I am now 80, back in the late I use to this music on an old half moon radio, Hank was one of my favorites.
you gotta remember this was a time when tv was a new thing and not everybody in America had one yet. that was considered a luxury item and still pretty gimmicky. most Americans in that day were still listening to cheap mantle clock radios and America was still feeling the tail end of the grate depression a time of healing
Hank Williams is the is the very pinnacle of country music. Try reacting to Im so lonesome i could cry or Your cheating heart
Kaw Liga by Hank and the cover by Charley Pride are both worth a listen.
Seriously, read up on Hank Sr, he was an insane talent with personal demons.
Ken Burns’ documentary on Country Music made me fall in love with Hank Williams and his music.
@@cynthiaforsythe8989 that show is great!
Yes, love this song by both. I also love Jambalaya as well.
I enve you your young and there is a world of Music you haven't heard awaiting your discovery. God bless.
Uh oh. Hank Sr is basically considered the god source of country.
When you refer to God it should be capitalized.
This song is entirely relatable, to me at least, and doubtless to a host of others. Having been in the position of loving someone who could not reciprocate due to a horrific past experience, the wall she put up was too high to climb and too thick to breach. As it's been said, " Hurt people hurt people." Hank sings it as someone who must have been there, who experienced it all and can't understand why he can't break through despite his best efforts. If you've never been down that road, it may be a bit difficult to grasp it, but as far as my experience goes, he nailed it perfectly.
Good? Today's artists would be lucky to have that much feeling in their music. Try his song: I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry or I Saw The Light! He was genius!
Mrboyd thanks for listening to this music and opening your mind and heart. You are an inspiration to music lovers.
You should check out his son hank Williams Jr.- A country boy can survive
His son hank williams jr sings, and hank Williams the 3rd also sings , hank Williams jr family tradition song seems pretty accurate😉😎
@@lao5960 hank 3's son is making music too. Look up son of sin.
Hank Williams Sr was one of the best country singers, he paved the way for future country and western singer as they used to be called. I'm So Lonesome I could Cry, Hey Hey Good Lookin, he was a true country and western pioneer.
Hank Sr is basically the father of country music and was heavily influenced my southern blues. But this man has so many hits its crazy. Some of his "Luke the drifter" stuff was considered rock and they put him in the rock hall of fame. Lost highway, your cheating heart, no no joe, kalighja, I saw the light, hey good looking, and so many more. My personal favorites are lost high way and blue eyes crying in the rain. But blue eyes is a rare track
Thank you man for playing one of the late and Hank Williams greatest songs. In his short life he wrote over twenty thousand songs. He also was a disabled person he suffered from spina beafada.
Damn this is so fun. Alonesome is also a very beautiful song from Williams, will be blast if you did that.
Hank truly paved the way for music for the past 100 years. his flairs of rock n roll years before it started, his voice sucked you in because its so emotional with lyrics so relatable that you cant turn a ear. in that time he was bound to be somebody he was to undeniably himself. his songs will probably be heard for another 100 years.
“Lost Highway” is one of my favorites of his. Also Waylon Jennings has no bad songs, two great ones are “Freedom to Stay” and “The Last Letter.”
Lost Highway is my favorite as well.
hank williams best song which he wrote is " I saw the Light"
It’s got a lot to do with industry ruining the genre. There’s a reason people in the underground are starting to get so big aka upchurch, acal, struggle etc etc. yes they sound different than this but just like upchurch said being country takes a certain attitude and that’s something industry doesn’t have. So if anyone asks me underground is nothing more than the outlaws of the old days doing it their way.
I’m a young guy and I listen to Hank, Johnny Cash, and Merle Haggard way more than any modern country
My folks and their friends always listened to this kind of music when I was growing up in the 60s and 70s! Love me some Hank, also Farron Young and Marty Robbins
My favorite peice by him, if I have to choose, is "Howlin' At The Moon". But he wrote at least 95-98% of his own songs!
In relatively short amounts of time reportedly ( 15 minutes to several weeks
Hank Williams Sr. is a Ultimate Legend in Country and Western music (aka-Luke The Drifter)
Try "Howling At The Moon" and/or "Settin' The Woods On Fire" Hank had funny and happy go Lucky songs too. Not only sad tear jerkers... 😁
Setting the woods on fire. Fun song reminds me of my parents.
My late father was a big fan and would play hank Williams when he needed to relax he wrote some songs under the name of Luke the drifter
The song is obviously dated but for the day and age this was considered "top notch" so to speak.. oh and that instrument was making that loud twang sound that was being played like a keyboard is a steel guitar I believe.
Yes , that was a ( non- pedal ) Steel Guitar . This instrument was the first electric instrument , pre dating the " regular " electric guitar .
At the time of this filming , Don Helms was the steel guitarist in Hank's band , but Jerry Byrd played on many of Hank's iconic early recording sessions .
This song will still be playing in a hundred years. Hank will always e played and sung Another good one is I’m so lonesome I could cry
"Still" by Bill Anderson is another golden oldie.
This is not a stereotype of Country Music. This is the prototype, a deep root of the genre.
My grandfather used to sing Hey Good Lookin to me that Hank Williams song.
How could you have missed all this great music.
Hank Williams was one of the best song writers of his era. He could be asked to write a song about a certain subject and in 15 minutes he’d have the song and melody written. Loved his music. Thanks for introducing all these music genres you’re not familiar with. I’m a new subby
I live ten minutes from the location this video was produced. They give tours of the studio, It was a weekly radio program (later it was televised) during the 50s-60s. Roy Acuff and Minnie Pearl were the hosts of the program and Roy built his house on the property in his advanced years so he could greet the studio audience on show nights. The transformation of the country genre from the 1950s to the present has changed drastically. Listen to Hank William's son he goes by the same name Hank Williams JR. his songs Born to Boogie or A country boy can survive.
I grew up in the rural Midwest in the 1950s listening to Hank Williams. He was my father's favorite singer. He's the emblematic country singer of the late 40s-50s; he set a tone and style that influenced everyone who came after him. As a child, I hated it. I'd leave the room when his songs came on the radio. I couldn't listen to any of it. It wasn't until the 1970s that I re-discovered Hank Williams and developed some appreciation for his music. At the same time I ran across Willie Nelson, Li'l Jimmy Dickens, Faron Young, Patsy Cline and a few other classic country artists. It's still not a genre that I 'love', especially today's 'country-western' is just not my thing at all, but I have to admit there's something special about old school country artists like Hank.
At about 4:25 you heard something and asked, "What's that?". Well, that, my friend, is an instrument called a steel guitar. It's a very intricate part of the country music heritage.
I have Hank permanently in the CD player in my car. I listen to him every day and I still really feel his music. I absolutely love Hank Williams