I wander so aimless, life filled with sin. I wouldn't let my Dear Saviour in, then Jesus came like a stranger in the night. Praise the Lord I saw the light. Rest in Peace Hank Williams Sr. Your songs are still loved and enjoyed by millions.
I remember my dad singing this song. I was about 12 at the time. I was walking around the room trying to find Hank Sr. I thought it was Hank Sr singing the song at the house. But nope it was my dad singing the song. Dad sounded identical to Hank Sr when my dad would sing.
In 1952 we were living in Southeast Missouri, I was 8 years old and remember the radio talking about Hank's death. The next day the radio station was playing some of Hank's songs, when I heard the songs I ran into the kitchen and told mom that Hank was alive! She said no and that he had died, I told mom come into the front room and listen, he is singing on the radio right now. She tried to explain that it was only a record that the station was playing, and I said I don't understand how he could be dead but still singing, I just didn't understand what a record was. Of course we did not have a record player or tv back then, so I had no idea what a record was. R.I.P. Mr Williams, you were the greatest.
I remember when growing up listening to the radio, no TV yet. My dad told me they were records I was listening to. I thought all of those people were at the station playing & I was thinking it sure was crowded.
He truly was the “Hillbilly Shakespeare “. I’ve always found it amazingly ironic that his song that was on the charts when he died was “ I’ll never get out of this world alive.” It’s chilling.
@@jimo5564 Van Zant lived like Hank Williams but his songs were different... darker, starker and suicidal, without any humor. His writing is excellent but I don't like but a few. I'm not really familiar with all of his songs for that reason.
In-Freakin- Credible. Parts of the story I have read before, but this was by far the most thorough yet concise account. It made my blood boil a bit that people can be so crule and reckless while claiming all along to be helping. So much shining talent burned out so quickly because of the short sighted cancer of greed. It boggles the mind to whink how different the music world would be today if it were not so.
Well, Hank was so thin and fragile looking I don't know how he survived as long as he did. I am sure that the schedule these artists have to keep up with, about have to have some "help from their friends" They burn hot and fast, unfortunately their body can only hold up so long. Everyone, involved has got to have a piece of the pie and take, and take. It is so very sad.
This crushed my soul ,I heard rumors for years about Hank s death and what you related makes sense! I respect you very much for your courage in looking into this. Who knows what really goes on in any life? I can only be grateful for talented souls who touch our hearts however briefly! Thanks again for this.
As stated in the video The coroner stated that Hank appeared to have been in a fight prior to his death This was dropped once he determined that he died of a heart attack. Please read the coroner's report for more information.
Thank you for this story! I read Hank's daughter's book which I enjoyed very much to spite all the difficult things she & her father went through in their lives. Glad she was finally recognized as his blood daughter. Will always love Hank. He died a year after I was born. In that first year I'm sure I heard his music on the radio & it has been part of me ever since. Wish I could have seen him in person. He left us too soon...our hillbilly Shakespeare.
What heartbreaking news about the cruel manipulation of an iconic American. The fact that Mr Williams was treated with such disrespect and disregard for his well being was a shocker to me. Thank you for revealing to the public that Mr Williams was not just a drunken singer but someone whose talents were squandered by low life criminals. Rest In Peace you dear soul
You're right, he was mistreated. Toby Marshall got his Dr's list. for $50. from a traveling salesman. Having Hank highly addicted to chloryl hydrate. His new wife at the time, said when she arrived where his body was. Audrey had already rifled thru & emptied his pockets. Of any money, belongings, etc. Even the rings on his fingers. The conflicting stories hours prior to his death are disturbing to.
I think back then, singers and other entertainers didn't necessarily have a lot of clout. Get into the world of crooners etc( a world I don't have much interest in) and I believe you'd find name singers that were under Mob control, to the point maybe of having a heavy or two collecting a guy's takings after he'd done a show. Bad times in some ways.
Despite his human failings like all of us have he was the greatest of all the country western singers ever I still listen too him all the time and never get tired of his music
the man could sit down and write about anything and write great music also. my dad still alive at 92 years old use to play just like don helms. i think that is his name, that was hanks sr steel guitar player. back in the 1950-60s my dad played a blonde 4 neck fender stringmaster through a fender tweed amp. he worked a 40 day hour work week at the plant and on friday or saturday night he would play the clubs throughout the texas and louisiana gulf coast.
Several years ago when I was with my Mom and a brother at a music contest, they held a Hank Williams 24 hour songwriting contest. It was free to enter. You had 24 hours to write a song and the song must be performed in front of everyone when the contestants were called on to show what they had. I didn't win, nor did my Mom, but we sure had fun. The title they gave us was Mr. Right Mr. Wrong. There were eight people I think who competed that day.
I love traditional country music so much, it is as essential to me and my life as bread and water. I have met many of the biggest legends, I met George Jones, Charley Pride, Mel Tillis, Roy Clark, Willie Nelson, Ray Price, Johnny Cash, Tommy Cash, Waylon and some others. I have a small home recording studio and the walls are lined with autographed memorabilia from every single country music legend you could possibly think of. Some of the autographs I am most proud of is items signed by Mother Maybelle Carter, Lefty Frizzell, Patsy Cline, Roy Acuff, Ernest Tubb... but when people come in here and look around, the one autograph I have that people go straight to and it blows them away every time is an autographed Grand Ole Opry program signed by none other than Hank Williams Sr. It was obtained in person in 1950 by a dear friend of mine, he met Hank at the Ryman auditorium- he said Hank went out of his way to greet people that night, shake hands, sign things, talk to folks, even though you could tell that he was not feeling well. People are in such awe of Hank even nearly 70 years after his untimely passing that nobody would ever believe me that it was the real deal!! I know that the man who acquired the signature wouldn't lie, he had been a DJ in Nashville in those days, so I always knew that it was real... but I finally got tired of hearing people say "there is no way that is Hank Williams real autograph" so I took the autograph to Steve Grad, the famous authenticator for Beckett authentication services at a trade show- he examined it and authenticated it. Then, just for shits and giggles I also took it to another show about a year later and had PSA/DNA examine the signature, not only did they authenticate it, they offered to buy it!! It just goes to show you how highly this man is still regarded despite the fact that he hasn't graced the stage for 70 years.
**Hank Williams** He Wrote Most Of His Songs. A **Great** **Country Singer** With A Great, Haunting, **Deep Soul** Country Sound!!!!! His **Singing Voice** Is **Untouchable** Rest **Hank** **Williams** Rest.
Great channel man! This is the first vid of yours I’ve seen and I’m about to binge the rest of your uploads! Love that old country music I grew up with!
I've heard this before. It was well known in the 60s when the first bio was made called Your Cheating Heart starring George Hamilton was made. The doctor's name wasn't mentioned but it was actually Audrey that pushed Hank to his limit. His second marriage wasn't touched on in the movie either. His second wife later married Johnny Horton and he died shortly after the marriage. It's true Hank didn't see much of his money and he was used by everyone that came in contact with him. He got maybe a few hundred dollars a month and this was before he was fired from the Grand Old Oprey. Hank might have had underlying problems before but a horse fall injured his back and he sought out any kind of relief he could. This is a compelling post since it answers a lot of questions about Hanks state of mind that led to his early death. Though he made a lot of money for others, including Fred Rose, he saw very little pleasure from his Fame and fortune. Hank didn't kill himself,. The leeches living off him killed him.
Amen an Amen As Hank Jr wrote in his with Waylon "Back then they called him crazy Now they call him a saint The ones that called him crazy are living off his name.
The particulars of Hank's death ought never tarnish the fact that, as a country singer/songwriter, he was the greatest there ever will be. He had more hits in his short 29 years than most all other artists combined. It was reported he could sit here with us for 5 minutes, then write a hit song about the experience. My grandfather rented a room from his mother, Ms. Lilly, in Montgomery in the 40's. Pop said he hated Hank because he'd come in late and "play that damn guitar all night". He had also performed in my ex-wife's school classroom, which was half of the old gymnasium at Billingsley. For all his feats and faults, he was still King, Hiram King Williams; his very name told his story. To give the impression that Hank wasn't in control, or that he was used by his label, is simultaneously somewhat true and false and misleading. He was most certainly taken advantage of, as many young artists are, but he was also fully in control of his faculties when it came to his drinking, as well as prescription drug use. Hank was no patsy. He was not a babe in the woods. He was a Veteran when it came to Pain Management, as is evidenced in his music, 70 years later. He still helps to heal heartache and helps contribute to heartache. Hiram King Williams is the best there ever will be. Since I'm sipping bourbon and enjoying the "Hillbilly Shakespeare" as I type this, change my mind...
@@davidrice3337 good question! My impression has always been that Randall was Audrey's idea. Hank (as most all men) just wanted a Jr., but whether that is factual or not is certainly debatable. Hank, Hank Jr., Randall Hank, Bocephus, or Rockin' Randall- he said it himself in the recordings under his Tennessee gazebo, "JUST CALL ME HANK". 'Nuff said!
I remember when I was a kid the local radio station would devote New Years Day as a tribute to Hank's life. All day long my dad sat by the radio and listened to a Hank Williams music marathon.
@@CMSProductions I was/am not a songwriter but I did memorize a few of Hank's songs and although I tried to copy his intonations I could never get close. One of the best. May his music live forever. Pax
@@CMSProductions As a Disc Jockey and HUGE Country Buff In 'My Personal opinion" The Greatest Male Songwriter to date Hank Williams Sr. The Greatest Female Songwriter ever to date Cindy Walker.
Been listening to Hank for 45 years , the greatest country artist of all time . People say God rested on the 7th day , I say on the 7th day that God gave us Hank Williams . There are alot of people responsible for Hanks death , a fake doctor , promoters who were more worried about $ , then Hanks health . And Hank himself , suffering from back issues since birth , that only got worse as he got older , a fall off a horse , a fall of a stage . There wasn't alot of places back then to get the kind of help that Hank truly needed , it was much easier for those around him to put him in a sanitarium until the next road trip . It's been 69 years ago since Hanks death , and has influenced alot of music acts over the years . People still talked about Hank , artists still sing his songs , people still are discovering his music , and along as people sing & play Hanks music , he'll live forever . It's sad that his life ended so young .
29 would sure as hell be an early age to die of "natural causes" or even a "heart attack" as in myocardial Infarction. It was supicious to say the least.
My dad was a studio musician . He and my mom Knew all of them. My mom blamed Audrey. Booze and drugs. Hank Jr. And my sister ran and played back stage at the Rhyman.
as an ex musician many years ago, i used to do a lot of hanks music, the words of his songs really showed the aspects of life that many do not want to face, its so sad that he had the health issues that kept him taking those drugs.
Hank's wife, Audrey, from what I've seen before in stories about him, was a wanna be country singer who had no talent, and Hank knew it. She always wanted to sing on his shows and tried to be a star. And unless you've lived with excruciating pain like Hank did, you do not know what you would do just for some relief. I had heard that he was given too much of whatever the drug was, plus he was just worn out. Being in that shape in those below freezing temperatures was just asking too much from him. Thanks for the video.
I am glad you enjoyed the video. I agree with you on Miss Audrey. Look what she did to her seven year old son. Making him perform as if he was his father. Then the big blowup when he wanted to do his own music.
@@CMSProductionsHank Jr. Didn't deserve to be forced into music at such a young age. It's good that he's sitting comfortably now with a wonderful family and a happy life. It's a rare sight for someone brought up in fame living fast to truly settle down and find happiness in a slow life later down the line. It's nice to know Hank Jr. Is enjoying his life now.
Indeed, I do believe you're are right. I've suffered excruciating pain most of my life due to a genetic malfunction and it ain't no fun. I too tried a number of things to ease that pain to include alcohol and some drugs. And had to deal with folks who said there was nothing wrong with me as well as those who decided for me as to what I was or was not able to do. All that will indeed wear on you. I feel for Hank sr and what he had to go through and well understand it. I've meet folks who despised Hank calling him a drunk and drug addict and actually knew nothing of his background. I in turn have little respect for those individuals...they know nothing. Perhaps they should suffer likewise so they can better understand and be a little wiser and compassionate and learn a little empathy.
@@kingmonkey460 Isn't "Hank Jr." really Randall? Hirem Hank Williams was/is one of a kind! NO ONE comes close to this incredible lyrical poet! We have been so cheated thinking just how much more he would have created for the world. He was a gift to ALL music lovers and a kind man.
My dad loved Hank. Had all his records. I love his songs too. My favorites were I'm so lonesome I could cry and I saw the light. I didn't realize he was only 29. So sad what drugs can do...in any form.
Check my playlist. I have some on Waylon and Johnny. I will add Greg Allman and the Allman brothers to the list. Also if you want check out the one I did on Gram Parsons.
So sad that the people who were supposed to take care of Mr. Hank Williams ,were enablers on the drinking and drugs. Mr Williams we still remember you for your music and what could have been in the future as a wonderful Artist of music, real country music. You are a shining star up above. Rest in peace, Mr. Williams. You are not forgotten.💜
My mom loved Hank, so although I was a rock chick lol, I grew up listening to Hank, his music always reminds me of my mom who passed in 2005 at 81. It’s unfortunate they didn’t investigate deaths then like they do now, mom never believed it was a heart attack.
Your mom had great taste in music and I am sorry for your lost. Yes the more I research the death of Hank Williams the more a lot of it doesn't make sense.
The rumor mill has it that Hank Sr died at the Andrew Johnson Hotel in Knoxville, TN. It was kept hush hush, so as to avoid a media frenzy. His body was sneaked out, and later they reported that he died in his car.
@@CMSProductions he was still alive when he got in the car, the driver noticed Hank wasn't moving when they got into W. VA, he pulled over at a gas station, a man there told him he had a problem after checking on Hank, he drove to a local hospital and Hank was declared dead at that point
@@michaelsix9684 All that is true but bare in mind that they had to carry him to the car. Not because he was drunk but because of the shot the doctor had given him at the hotel.
Murder ? Nah Heart Attack ? In one sense , yeah , his heart stopped . Was it probably due to OD , with possible influence of hypothermia ? Probably . It was a different era . Death certificates for natural causes instead of from drugs was considered courtesy to the grieving family by avoiding the shame and sensationalism . In the modern era , would their have been large civil suit ? Probably . Malpractice or negligence against an actual MD for same thing ? Maybe . Deliberately causing his death at that time ? Nah With his drug and alcohol addictions , his similar end was inevitable .
He was addicted because the people around him got him addicted to the stringent chemicals they gave him. He trusted them to have his back, and they had his back alright, nobody could count knives sticking in his back even at the coroner's inquest.
My grandma owned the whole tape set. She raised me when my dad went to jail for murder and my mom let me on the side of the road at 5... love me some hank and the lost highway
You can think that you have addiction problem. When you run into Mr Opiate you realize that all other substances are a grain of sand on a beach. You can blame on a million problems. It could have been 1850 or 1950 or 2021.The doctor was the only thing that mattered to Hank Sr.A man that had everything really had nothing. A great musician that was only human.
You get it . One of the best early country songs of all time. . Yes he wrote it. Wrote Cheating Heart “ died at 29 before this song became a number one hit. So sad. He never new how popular this song became.
@@CMSProductions Thank you for sharing this important fact, pertaining to his death. I wasn't aware of this. Rest in peace our beloved angel. I've admired Hank William Sr. Since the 1960's when my late father, acquired an original Lp of his greatest hits. Since then, Hank has had a special place in my heart. I consider him one of my Artistic mentors. Kind regards from the Historic Old West Town of Tucson, Arizona. Álvaro Guevara y Vázquez, American Composer, BMI.
Excellent video. Maybe it's just me but the photo at 1:50 reminds me of another brilliant American musician, Levon Helm. Maybe it's the mischievous look on his face? Cheers from the Canadian hinterland.
Hank Williams,Hank Snow, Ernest Tubb, Bill Monroe, Earl Scruggs (among a select few others) were in constant rotation on our farm growing up thanks to my parents. Your country has exported some of the finest sounds ever heard anywhere . Thanks. *forgot Hank Snow was a canuck
Such a sad story. I am 53 fixing to 54 and I have enjoyed paint seniors music since I was just a real little girl. There will never be another musician as good as he was.
I'm only 27 years old and have been listening to old Hank ever since I first heard him back when I was only 10 or so I'm about the only young person that listens to his music he was truly a one of a kind rip Hank
Not only did Hank Williams have issues that contributed to his own death, but many closest to him treated him like a traveling Carnival attraction. Man, was he talented. I recently attended a theater musical production of Hank Williams, portrayed by Jason Petty, and he sounds eerily just like him.
I love his music. I grew up on it. My dad told me that I am related to Hank Williams Sr. The resemblance between Hank Williams and my dad is very uncanny.
At the end of the day we are all individually responsible for our own lives. If we depend too much on others (or, the Government) the outcome will often not be good. IMHO Hank Williams, Elvis Presley, and Michael Jackson are examples of people who were victims of over aggressive management, poor medical advice, and enabling family members and friends (individually or cumulatively) whose influence outweighed the advice of caring family and friends. Sad! But cautionary tales for all of us.
none of the people you cite were highly educated either, they became stars early in life, and there is no training or prep you can get to prepare you for fame, popular success in the music biz, a great songwriter in Austin - Bruce Robison told me years ago -"you don't want it to happen too fast" he wrote 3 songs that went to number one on the charts -- Angry All the Time, Traveling Soldier are 2 of his hits
@@michaelsix9684 I agree with you comment on how age, education, and an explosion of fame can make folks more susceptible to the wrong type of influence. All the more reason for a good steady trust-worthy support group.
My Uncle was in the audience in Canton Ohio for Hanks show. He said it was one of the sadist thing he witnessed was when the audience was told about Mr. Williams. Grown men were crying as well as my Uncle.
Yes it was by all reports very upsetting. At first the audience didn't believe it. Then when the whole cast came out and began singing Hank's songs the crowd broke down.
Both my parents were Hank Williams. Sr fans, and as a kid I liked his music too. Got to meet his son and namesake in Crossville, TN when I lived there. Seems Hank went the way of many singers and stars. If his fake doctor was responsible, it's a shame no one doggedly tried to prove it.
The reason they didn't go after the doctor was because they couldn't determine in which state Hank took the drugs. Because they had traveled through multiple states jurisdiction became an issue. The Federal Government didn't get involved.
Barbara Walsh, enjoyed your comment. I learned every word to Hanks songs while in the car driving from Ohio to Crossville almost every weekend growing up in the 70's. My dad's family lived there and his great grand dad George Brown was a sort of pioneer of the area. His grand dad Joe Jones died breaking up a bar fight in the 40's on a corner downtown. My great aunt and uncle lived in one of the beautiful sandstone pine interior homestead houses and we visited that often. Best memories. I took my kids in 2016 and almost could not locate the house, so much had changed. I loved passing by the old jailhouse in town. We always stopped to eat at the Black and White restaurant back then, too many memories to tell.....
One of the greatest song writers of all time. Have most all Hanks songs 🎵even to the gospel which is so spiritual. Was a great lost to the world,and your songs will live on
I wondered if the wife from Louisiana inspired the song "jambalaya"...Grew up listening to Hank sing at the grand ol oppre w/my grandparents. His music never gets old in our family. My teenage boys love his music today. Definitely missed around here. R.I.P
I almost didn’t watch this because of the title. “Murder” has specific elements and as a lawyer I know what facts are required to make such a case. Having watched this, however, I think there’s a strong possibility that the quack could have successfully been charged with manslaughter. But there’s another theory that your facts bring to mind. Recently many of us has seen the concept of “felony murder.” That is, if as a consequence of or during the commission of a felony a person is killed, then the offender may be so charged. If that quack committed a felony offense by unlawfully prescribing the drug that contributed to Hank’s death, then he was guilty of felony murder. Therefore your title isn’t misleading in that sense. Thanks. Worthwhile video.
I am glad you enjoyed the video. I especially like your take on the matter. What I could never figure out is why they carried Hank from the hotel room to the car after the doctor saw him and he wasn't taken to a hospital. Instead they tried to drive him to the next show. There has to be some negligence there.
@@CMSProductions Ordinarily when lawyers see the word “negligence” they think of civil rather than criminal liability. I don’t know the applicable law then but now Tennessee has a felony offense called criminally negligent homicide. It probably would have corresponded roughly to involuntary manslaughter which was I think the applicable offense in those days. In any event this entire case was botched from the beginning. Too bad.
I used to get my hair cut at Beasoms Barbershop in Ft. Payne, Al. Last place Hank got his hair cut. They still had the chair he got the haircut in then. Moved a few years ago, I don't know if they are still there. Really nice place and people. I grew up on Hanks music. He was amazing
What a horrific way to treat addiction. Old Hank must have felt like he was in a cage with those who surrounded him jabbing him with pointed sharp sticks. Very sad.
I'm surprised you telling his life story in great detail I remember my mom saying that someone shot him when he was on the road to another show........love to hear autobiography about actors /actresses great job !
Hank was THE BEST. There will never be another songwriter as talented. I also believe that his singing was superior on his original compositions to any singer who ever has or ever will record the same material.
I wonder why his late model Cadillac was not heated properly, unless 1950's heaters were not comparable to modern systems. It would be difficult to even drive a car in zero degree cold.
@@CMSProductions Of all the bad luck, maybe if the heater had not gone out. Like it was meant to be. He may have died in his car going up the moutnain 10 miles from me.
The cars of that time had relatively small heaters that had one air outlet at the floor of the car over the middle hump for the drive train. The air flow was controlled by a lever on the dashboard connected to a cable that opened the heater core to the radiator's hot water/antifreeze. There were usually three blower fan speeds: norm, high, & max. I don't remember any cars with heater air coming out at multi places from floor, dashboard, etc. like nowadays. BUT, if any fancy heater set up did exist, Cadillac would have had it. My dad was more a Chevrolet man.
Ya do what ya do. Such a sad ending to a Great word monger type poet. People use you till they can't. Hank got all used up. Thanks for the incredible music.
Me suscribí escuchando una pieza de Roy Williams y es el mismo canal , pero esta es la faceta investigativa del mismo , me parece muy buen canal ! 🖐😃🇲🇽ya estoy suscrito ! Muchas gracias !
...did you ever see a robin weep when leaves begin to die, like me he's lost the will to live, I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry .... Roy Acuff had him change that line to ...that means he's lost the will to live... Hank knew it would happen, sometimes he wanted it to happen. As another commenter wrote "Hank killed Hank". Suicide, possibly, murder most likely not, just an impending fact. Angles, tangents, assorted facts and speculation, like today, make for sensational stories. (No disrespect intended here, I'm not a troll. I quoted my favorite line from one of my favorite songs.)
Thank you for your comment and no disrespect taken. I agree that Hank played a role in his death. Just like Michael Jackson played a roll in his. However that said, I think that like Conrad Murray played a roll in the death of MJ so did Hank's quack doctor play a roll in his premature demise. Would it have happened eventually who is to say. I spent 5 years deep in the bottle during my thirties. I use to do just about every drug. I have been sober now for over twenty years. Hank could have turned his life around. It is possible.
I always have thought that the story they told about Hank's death didn't add up. Even if it had been true, you do NOT put a teenager in a big car to drive a superstar across state lines. That kid was irresponsible!!!!!
I remember his son saying I can't remember word for word but it was how people hated him back then for what he did now he said they talk about him and a legend
It is ort of like what is in the lyrics to the song by Hank Jr. and Waylon Jennings.. It's called the conversation. "Back then they called him crazy. Now they call him a Saint. The ones that called him crazy are living off his name."
Thank you sir I appreciated that story never knew besides the fact that he cheated on her several times that's what I read anyway it's not cast in stone something I'm sharing because I read it doesn't mean it's true it's basically here said I must say that article you just read us threw me for a loop because that is the very first time that I heard anything about it let me just say I am 52 years old when I was growing up listen to was Hank many many other country singers who can help it I grew to love it till this day I still have a passion for country music it's the best thank you again Lisa
First off Hank and Miss Audrie very much. They just couldn't live together. If the stories are correct, they cheated on each other. Lisa, you are more thank welcome. I am just glad you enjoyed it.
Good God he had two beautiful wives. In first year organic chemistry we synthesized Chloral hydrate. A very simple compound. I can honestly understand why he needed the opioids though. The affliction he had is known to be very painful. It’s a shame he didn’t have anyone around him that cared for his well-being. Just a meal ticket for them.
This popped up in my recommended, randomly. It sounded interesting, so I played it. Hearing that Hank Williams Snr. had Spina Bifida Oculta kinda knocked me back. I have that and can only imagine the pain he was in with it going undiagnosed. By the time I was 35, I have already had 75+ surgeries pertaining to it. From my experience, it's been mostly easy to hide "Oculta" if you want to and then let out when behind closed doors. It looks like that's what Hank did for his performances. He having to deal with everything in its prime/with no surgeries, it's no wonder he turned to alcohol and whatever drug he could get.
I am sorry for your illness and you will be in my prayers. Yes Hank would try anything to relieve the pain. Even if it meant trusting a con man who claimed to be a doctor.
Ahh such a sad sudden end to The King of Country He had so much more to do n give us & cut short like so many Awesome singers. Some Great pix of Hank on here to, God Bless him Thanks for the Great vid Brother, stay safe 👍
As a big Hank fan ran across this video again and watched it again . Basically grew up listening to Hank since I was 10 years old , my dad liked country music and had all the greats , Hank , Cash , Haggard , Jones , Stonewall Jackson and so many others . I listened to them all and still do today . But Hank's songs were just different for me , the first dollar I ever made cutting grass I spent on the 24 greatest hits of Hank Williams ( the album released in 1977 ) in 77 the truckers voted Your Cheatin Heart their favorite song of the year . Hank means alot of things to alot of people , he as I said before was a victim , of his own success. As I watched this again , it hit me that even his own mother seemed to care more about him making money then his health . It baffles me that he had so many people around him and he still appeared to be all alone .
Honestly, Hank was destined to die young. His habits and depression and physical pain were all consuming. He, his life, was out of control and had always been. Now, supposedly Hank was thought and said to be on a campaign to win back his spot at the Opry, but, let's be real... that was never going to happen. In fact, the very causes for his dismissal are exactly what killed him, drugs and alcohol made him undependable. Hank was still drinking and drugging, and he was forced to cancel two more upcoming shows even with the Opry's eyes upon him. So yeah, still undependable. Maybe we can spread some of the blame around for his ultimate death and maybe the authorities should have but the fraudulent doctor appears to have punished himself. All that said, it's also my opinion, his early death, magnified his genius and made him the legend he is today.
I agree with you that with the life he was living was leading him down a path to an early death. My question in all of this is, was the medical treatment he was getting a contributing factor. In particular some of the medicine he was prescribed by the con man pretending to be a doctor.
@@CMSProductions Of course the quack doctor was a contributing factor and should have been punished! How could he not have been? He had no idea what he was doing and no legal right to do it. But, no toxicology was done because the medical examiner ruled Hank's death a heart attack. Which to me seems odd, because he also found evidence of severe bruising from an unknown source or sources, as though Hank had been in a very recent fight. Needle tracks too were noted (no toxicology, really?). If only Hank had quit drinking as he had intended and promised. A clear head might have saved his life. But I'll tell you Spotlight, that we still care enough to discuss him and his fate, is indicative of his impact, greatness, legacy and legend. Through his music, he'll live forever.
I doubt that country music would be as popular as it is without him. Think of all the country music stars that were influenced by him. He deserves to have justice even if it is just on this channel
There were so much bruising that he thought he had been in a fight before dying. The other thing that doesn't make sense to me is that if the man is so weak that he has to be carried to the car. Who in their right mind wouldn't take him to the nearest hospital.
My daddy would always play Hank Williams Sr music,now your video was so interesting and surprising, but you never mentioned his son,which in my time was HANK WILLIAMS JR, LOVE TO KNOW WATS BECOME OF HIM,LOVE HIS MUSIC AMY FROM TEXAS
Hey Amy when you get a chance check out my video th-cam.com/video/6_Eucu0_gF4/w-d-xo.html . It is titled Hank Williams Jr. An Outlaw Can Survive. It was one of the first videos I did. I think you will enjoy it. And for the record I have all his albums.
The sad thing is there is always more to the story than meets the eye. Tragic stars like Hank, Elvis, Jim Morrison, Jackson, Prince and a thousand others are usually the masters of their own destiny despite how many managers, handlers, security guys, baby-sitting bandmates and shirt tail relatives they have on their payroll to look out for them - they ultimately call the shots - and by doing so are the architect of their own demise. For every legitimate doctor they have there are a half dozen or more 'quacks' who have forged and falsified credentials who are little more than dope pushers who supply them with what they need or want to satisfy their habit. Sadder still is the 'back story' - pardon the pun - which in Hank's case more often than not never gets mentioned because people who write in the blogosphere seldom take the time to do the research to pen an objective piece based on true facts and real information - instead they resort to the sensational and embellish their articles with manufactured factoids based on conjecture and rumor, adding to the mythology that surrounds famous celebrities who have met an untimely demise. It's easier to chalk it up to alcoholism and drug abuse, after all that's what stars do, right? And 99% of the time that is a correct statement. Nobody talks about Hank's injuries to his back that he suffered, when as a mere teenager he was hanging around a rodeo in his hometown of Montgomery, Alabama a bunch of rowdy half-drunk cowboys saw him and invited him over to have a drink of whisky with them. It was the 1st time alcohol ever passed his lips. He became instantly drunk, and the cowboys got such a kick out of it, they gave him more of the whisky and asked him if he wanted to be a real cowboy. Of course he did, and Hank told them so. They led him over to a chute and put him up on a horse which was a real bucking bronc that was used to having cowboys ride them until he threw them off in the arena. They told Hank to hold on and slapped the horse on the hind quarters. As they pulled the chute open the horse erupted out of the chute like an exploding volcano sending a teenage drunken Hank Williams flying out of the saddle landing square in front of the horse face down in the mud. The cowboys howled as the horse reared and snorted as it ran up on the place where Hank laid semi-conscious it reared again bring both hooves down onto Hank's back. Hank would never be pain free for the remainder of his life. Physical pain from this event along with the emotional pain from a broken heart he so often sang about would be his constant companions until he drew his last breath. Hank was taken to a hospital where it was determined that the horse had severely injured Hank's young back, having broken at least two vertebrae. He was patched up the best the doctors could do at the time - then in the mid 30's - when back surgeries were rare and only affordable by those with money and wealth and even then, at the time those surgeries on the back were extremely risky (as they still are today - just ask nearly anyone who has had a back surgery operation!) with a success rate that was considerably low. Given a back brace, and bed ridden for months Hank's back healed up crooked and was not straight by any means. From that time on until his pain racked body was lowered into the grave barely a decade and a half later, he spent his every waking hour searching for something to relieve him of his pain to get thru the day and by days end searching for something to take away the pain just enough so he could sleep. Alcohol became a constant pain killer from that day at the rodeo - and the pain killer drugs the doctors at the hospital proved to be helpful, but they were addictive and a regular prescription proved to be too costly for the poverty-stricken Williams family who were still reeling financially from the Great Depression. The pills were also less effective the longer he took them - the pain dulled for a very short time, then returned leaving him hurting worse and in need of more of the pills on a larger dosage and in a shorter period of time. The addiction process was already set in motion the moment whisky touched his lips at the behest of a half-dozen half-drunk rodeo cowboys and the deal was sealed the moment that horse stomped his back with both hooves. Hank was a victim of a bad situation compounded by bad times. This is not a new revelation but an old one that was public knowledge within a half-decade after Hank died. And one that has come to be ignored simply because there are no names or faces to associate with the tragic circumstances - therefore nobody to sue or incriminate or prosecute because nobody knows who those cowboys were, their names and faces lost to time just as the name of the brand of Whisky or the name of the bucking bronc which they sat a young, inebriated Hank upon. No lawyers can seek to indict the distillery or the horse breeder or owner of the steed. Certainly 'quack doctor' Toby Marshall was to blame for Hank's death - as well as any number of back-street dope pusher wanna-be doctors lurking in the shadows of Nashville and Shreveport and almost any town Hank appeared in - there were no shortage of them then and there is absolutely no shortage of them now. Just as Elvis had no shortage of doctors on the sly prescribing him drugs of all kinds and a string of pharmacies all over Memphis and little towns beyond town limits more than willing to fill a script from any doctor in the name of patient Presley. Just as Elvis had legitimate doctors, he also had a string of quacks he consorted with who were giving him dope on the side which the Memphis Mafia could not stop or control. In the end the people like Williams and Presley are their own worst enemy as they set up their own demise devised as a slave to a habit-trail like a hamster in a cage going round and round going absolutely nowhere until their lives are used up. It's the stuff legends are made of and sadly it's too true to be good. They make the music we love from their God given talents fueled by the real pain and heartaches brought on by wear and tear on their bodies, their broken hearts and troubled minds, always seeking for a soothing ointment or an effective pain reliever to free them from what ails them, body, mind and spirit. It's a story as old as time itself.
The cause of Hank Williams back pain, which by the way he suffered all his life, was that he was born with a form of spinal bifida. Not, to the best of my knowledge, from drunken Cowboys
@@CMSProductions And the so-called diagnosis of spinal bifida was reported from one writer in a book from 1983 'Hank Williams So Lonesome' based on comments in Rolling Stone by RS writer Chet Flippo NOT based on any real doctor's medical diagnosis OR any real facts from the autopsy. And the truth of the matter is that the author of the book (Bill Koon) even presented a case for the so-called spinal bifida 'diagnosis' being absolutely erroneous because of contradictory and inconclusive evidence that does NOT lend to a diagnosis of spinal bifida hence the FACT that there is NOTHING in Williams autopsy or his medical records that ever suggested such a diagnosis. He even admits that Hank's back injuries according to doctors who examined him and the medical examiner stated that they could have been as a result of a skating accident or the possibility of the story of his drunken rodeo ride with a horse stepping on him could have caused the injuries. The author concludes that based on HIS OPINION there is little evidence of a skating mishap or a rodeo ride resulting in the injuries, so he deduces that spinal bifida is most likely the cause - even though he admits he has no medical training to make that assumptive diagnosis and neither did Chet Flippo, who was the first to postulate the spinal bifida theory in print media. Hank Williams Jr has spoken about his father's rodeo horse injury, but he has NEVER subscribed to the idea that he had spinal bifida. It's just a theory from one writer quoting another with absolutely no hard-core medical evidence based on any doctor's statement or diagnosis. Maybe Hank did have something along that line BUT the symptoms do not all line up and there were no obvious outward signs of it on the autopsy table upon initial visual examination NOR in the internal examination when they cut Hank's body open. If it had been present the Dr's and the ME would not have missed it. But we all know facts are easy to come by these days. All you need is one tabloid writer making assumptions in a Rolling Stone article quoted by a writer in a book with a later entry on Wiki or some other website and voila, we have the facts. I'll go with the older history which has been available for decades and has never been disputed - not even by Hank Jr or any of Hank's band members NOR by any reputable writer such as Colin Escott.
if he hadn't gotten the drugs from Marshall he would have gotten them someplace else. Ultimately, Hank decided to use the drugs. No blaming him. I have chronic pain and I know.
Thank you so much for the in-depth back ground of Hanks injuries. We've been so filled with his drinking and drugs no one has really told this story the way you have. Thank You. I have after all these years a better and clearer understanding of his pain.
@@monalisanail5431 If you like to read and want to know more, I recommend the following books: "Sing A Sad Song, The Life of Hank Williams" by Roger M. Williams (no relation - 1st edition 1970 - still in print) and "I Saw the Light: The Story of Hank Williams" by Colin Escott & George Merritt 2015 (originally published as "Hank Williams: The Biography" back in 2004) Thanks for your comment.
I wander so aimless, life filled with sin. I wouldn't let my Dear Saviour in, then Jesus came like a stranger in the night. Praise the Lord I saw the light. Rest in Peace Hank Williams Sr. Your songs are still loved and enjoyed by millions.
Amen and Amen
What a power house of talent. Still prefer his songs
My dad listened to his music so much. And of course I grew to love his music also.
@@melissaward6311 Same here , I grew up listening to it. I can honestly say some of my earliest memories are of listening to his music with my Dad
I remember my dad singing this song.
I was about 12 at the time. I was walking around the room trying to find Hank Sr. I thought it was Hank Sr singing the song at the house. But nope it was my dad singing the song. Dad sounded identical to Hank Sr when my dad would sing.
In 1952 we were living in Southeast Missouri, I was 8 years old and remember the radio talking about Hank's death. The next day the radio station was playing some of Hank's songs, when I heard the songs I ran into the kitchen and told mom that Hank was alive! She said no and that he had died, I told mom come into the front room and listen, he is singing on the radio right now. She tried to explain that it was only a record that the station was playing, and I said I don't understand how he could be dead but still singing, I just didn't understand what a record was. Of course we did not have a record player or tv back then, so I had no idea what a record was. R.I.P. Mr Williams, you were the greatest.
Thank you for sharing that story. I reminds me of the first time I ever saw my mom cry. That was the day that John Kennedy was killed.
That's a great memory. Thanks for sharing that with us.
What part of Semo ?
Bless your heart.
I remember when growing up listening to the radio, no TV yet. My dad told me they were records I was listening to. I thought all of those people were at the station playing & I was thinking it sure was crowded.
He truly was the “Hillbilly Shakespeare “. I’ve always found it amazingly ironic that his song that was on the charts
when he died was “ I’ll never get out of this world alive.” It’s chilling.
True have you listened to some of his Luke the drifter songs
How about Townes Van Zant?
He is on my list. What a tragic story
@@jimo5564 Van Zant lived like Hank Williams but his songs were different... darker, starker and suicidal, without any humor. His writing is excellent but I don't like but a few. I'm not really familiar with all of his songs for that reason.
Half of his songs were about dying, not very ironic
What a shame. There will never be another Hank Williams.
I agree 100%.
Well, Hank Williams Jr did pretty good for himself. Some would say he was better than Sr.
Well, there was this guy named Hank Williams Jr. Just saying...
How about hank 3? Looks like him . Sounds like him. Lived that life and survived
@@gavinsandlin6700 it is scary how much he looks like Hank Sr. They could have been twins
In-Freakin- Credible. Parts of the story I have read before, but this was by far the most thorough yet concise account. It made my blood boil a bit that people can be so crule and reckless while claiming all along to be helping. So much shining talent burned out so quickly because of the short sighted cancer of greed. It boggles the mind to whink how different the music world would be today if it were not so.
@Minton Miller Amen and Amen Sir.
Well, Hank was so thin and fragile looking I don't know how he survived as long as he did. I am sure that the schedule these artists have to keep up with, about have to have some "help from their friends" They burn hot and fast, unfortunately their body can only hold up so long. Everyone, involved has got to have a piece of the pie and take, and take. It is so very sad.
People exploiting young talent and causing them to burn out is a tale as old as time unfortunately.
This crushed my soul ,I heard rumors for years about Hank s death and what you related makes sense! I respect you very much for your courage in looking into this. Who knows what really goes on in any life? I can only be grateful for talented souls who touch our hearts however briefly! Thanks again for this.
Thank you and I am glad you enjoyed it.
@@CMSProductions ME TOO !!
Frank, he was only around briefly, but touched our hearts for ever.
Wow , I’ve never heard this story before , I’ve always questioned how such a young man could have died . Thank you
I am glad you enjoyed it.
Yeah,since young men almost never die...yeah,right.....
@@geneeric-jones4610 you poor sad thing 😞
The original keyboard player for the Grateful Dead died from cirrhosis of the liver at age 27 due to his alcoholism.
@@aisforapple2494 so are you saying that Hank Williams died of liver problems?
My grandpa would tell me the rumors of how Mr. Williams died when I was kid. Thank you for helping me recall those memories!
Iam glad you enjoyed the video.
You diddn!t do very must research on this artical, Bank died from a terrible beating he received on the way to his destination
As stated in the video The coroner stated that Hank appeared to have been in a fight prior to his death This was dropped once he determined that he died of a heart attack. Please read the coroner's report for more information.
Thank you for this story! I read Hank's daughter's book which I enjoyed very much to spite all the difficult things she & her father went through in their lives. Glad she was finally recognized as his blood daughter. Will always love Hank. He died a year after I was born. In that first year I'm sure I heard his music on the radio & it has been part of me ever since. Wish I could have seen him in person. He left us too soon...our hillbilly Shakespeare.
I agree with you 💯 . I am glad you enjoyed the video
What heartbreaking news about the cruel manipulation of an iconic American. The fact that Mr Williams was treated with such disrespect and disregard for his well being was a shocker to me. Thank you for revealing to the public that Mr Williams was not just a drunken singer but someone whose talents were squandered by low life criminals. Rest In Peace you dear soul
Amen and Amen
You're right, he was mistreated. Toby Marshall got his Dr's list. for $50. from a traveling salesman. Having Hank highly addicted to chloryl hydrate. His new wife at the time, said when she arrived where his body was. Audrey had already rifled thru & emptied his pockets. Of any money, belongings, etc. Even the rings on his fingers. The conflicting stories hours prior to his death are disturbing to.
I think back then, singers and other entertainers didn't necessarily have a lot of clout. Get into the world of crooners etc( a world I don't have much interest in) and I believe you'd find name singers that were under Mob control, to the point maybe of having a heavy or two collecting a guy's takings after he'd done a show. Bad times in some ways.
Was He Shot@@CMSProductions?????????????
I still play Hank's music almost every day
Some of what I love is his Luke the Drifter recordings. I try to listen to them and Red Sovine every chance I get.
I always do and always will
Despite his human failings like all of us have he was the greatest of all the country western singers ever I still listen too him all the time and never get tired of his music
Same here.
Yeah could be manslaughter...sadly missed..
@@raymondcharles59 yeah
I listened to this man with my father every week till his death . I loved this time of my life I’m 63 and never forget it . God bless hank
Amen and Amen
tragedy, Hanks gone but never will be forgotten, Hank 2 and Hank 3 along with Hank1, keep it playing. all great songs & ballets. thanks.great review.
Thank you and I am glad you enjoyed it. I 💯
One of the greatest song writers and singers I ever heard. One person's opinion from Canada.
Well Daniel I will have to agree. Although Canada's own Gordon Lightfoot is damm good also.
@@CMSProductions what about Hank Snow? He was also a Canadian and a Hank Williams contemporary!
the man could sit down and write about anything and write great music also. my dad still alive at 92 years old use to play just like don helms. i think that is his name, that was hanks sr steel guitar player. back in the 1950-60s my dad played a blonde 4 neck fender stringmaster through a fender tweed amp. he worked a 40 day hour work week at the plant and on friday or saturday night he would play the clubs throughout the texas and louisiana gulf coast.
If you ask me Don Helms was one of the best steel guitar players ever.
Great memory. Thank you for sharing it with us.
Several years ago when I was with my Mom and a brother at a music contest, they held a Hank Williams 24 hour songwriting contest. It was free to enter. You had 24 hours to write a song and the song must be performed in front of everyone when the contestants were called on to show what they had. I didn't win, nor did my Mom, but we sure had fun. The title they gave us was Mr. Right Mr. Wrong. There were eight people I think who competed that day.
Thank you for sharing that storry
I am sure that was fun !!
@@CMSProductions You're welcome.
@@amberlilly4101 It really was. Thanks.
I love traditional country music so much, it is as essential to me and my life as bread and water. I have met many of the biggest legends, I met George Jones, Charley Pride, Mel Tillis, Roy Clark, Willie Nelson, Ray Price, Johnny Cash, Tommy Cash, Waylon and some others. I have a small home recording studio and the walls are lined with autographed memorabilia from every single country music legend you could possibly think of. Some of the autographs I am most proud of is items signed by Mother Maybelle Carter, Lefty Frizzell, Patsy Cline, Roy Acuff, Ernest Tubb... but when people come in here and look around, the one autograph I have that people go straight to and it blows them away every time is an autographed Grand Ole Opry program signed by none other than Hank Williams Sr. It was obtained in person in 1950 by a dear friend of mine, he met Hank at the Ryman auditorium- he said Hank went out of his way to greet people that night, shake hands, sign things, talk to folks, even though you could tell that he was not feeling well. People are in such awe of Hank even nearly 70 years after his untimely passing that nobody would ever believe me that it was the real deal!! I know that the man who acquired the signature wouldn't lie, he had been a DJ in Nashville in those days, so I always knew that it was real... but I finally got tired of hearing people say "there is no way that is Hank Williams real autograph" so I took the autograph to Steve Grad, the famous authenticator for Beckett authentication services at a trade show- he examined it and authenticated it. Then, just for shits and giggles I also took it to another show about a year later and had PSA/DNA examine the signature, not only did they authenticate it, they offered to buy it!! It just goes to show you how highly this man is still regarded despite the fact that he hasn't graced the stage for 70 years.
Ok, you can now color me jealous.
@@CMSProductions wish that there was a way to show you the signature...
I LOVE TRADITIONAL COUNTRY MUSIC VERY MUCH ALSO. YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT CHARLIE MARIE.
@@bigbadjohn8099
You can show me the signature by taking a picture with your Cell phone and send it to me.
@@CMSProductions i shall add that quote to my repertoire
**Hank Williams**
He Wrote Most Of His Songs. A **Great** **Country Singer** With A Great, Haunting, **Deep Soul** Country Sound!!!!! His **Singing Voice** Is **Untouchable** Rest **Hank** **Williams** Rest.
Amen and Amen
his son is right up there with him....that man's voice is pure solid golden...he is a song's Best Friend let me say, Love Bocephus
Great channel man! This is the first vid of yours I’ve seen and I’m about to binge the rest of your uploads! Love that old country music I grew up with!
I am glad you are enjoying it. There are more to come. I grew up with this music myself.
He took the drugs to relieve the pain. Lots of people become addicted that way.
I agree and a good point to make Puppy Eyes
No he died from alcohol poisoning
@@vsisk7229 alcohol is a drug.
@@puppyeyes9368 Yes it is,But that's not how you worded it
It's deaths like this that make me wish I could go back in time to stop it!
That makes two of us. When I think of all the music that was still left in the man. After all he was only 29 when he died.
I've heard this before. It was well known in the 60s when the first bio was made called Your Cheating Heart starring George Hamilton was made. The doctor's name wasn't mentioned but it was actually Audrey that pushed Hank to his limit. His second marriage wasn't touched on in the movie either. His second wife later married Johnny Horton and he died shortly after the marriage. It's true Hank didn't see much of his money and he was used by everyone that came in contact with him. He got maybe a few hundred dollars a month and this was before he was fired from the Grand Old Oprey. Hank might have had underlying problems before but a horse fall injured his back and he sought out any kind of relief he could. This is a compelling post since it answers a lot of questions about Hanks state of mind that led to his early death. Though he made a lot of money for others, including Fred Rose, he saw very little pleasure from his Fame and fortune. Hank didn't kill himself,. The leeches living off him killed him.
Amen an Amen As Hank Jr wrote in his with Waylon "Back then they called him crazy Now they call him a saint The ones that called him crazy are living off his name.
seems to be a real accuring thing in the music industry. theres always the ones that make the money, the performers not so much.
My Dad went to see Hank in Tulsa in late 1952. He said he walked by Hank's car and he was passed out in the backseat.
Yes the man did have problems with alcohol.
The particulars of Hank's death ought never tarnish the fact that, as a country singer/songwriter, he was the greatest there ever will be. He had more hits in his short 29 years than most all other artists combined. It was reported he could sit here with us for 5 minutes, then write a hit song about the experience. My grandfather rented a room from his mother, Ms. Lilly, in Montgomery in the 40's. Pop said he hated Hank because he'd come in late and "play that damn guitar all night". He had also performed in my ex-wife's school classroom, which was half of the old gymnasium at Billingsley. For all his feats and faults, he was still King, Hiram King Williams; his very name told his story. To give the impression that Hank wasn't in control, or that he was used by his label, is simultaneously somewhat true and false and misleading. He was most certainly taken advantage of, as many young artists are, but he was also fully in control of his faculties when it came to his drinking, as well as prescription drug use. Hank was no patsy. He was not a babe in the woods. He was a Veteran when it came to Pain Management, as is evidenced in his music, 70 years later. He still helps to heal heartache and helps contribute to heartache. Hiram King Williams is the best there ever will be. Since I'm sipping bourbon and enjoying the "Hillbilly Shakespeare" as I type this, change my mind...
Sorry I can't do it even if I wanted to.
If Hank Williams Jr is a Jr , where did the " Randall " come in - I thought it was Randal Hiram - hell I don't know
@@davidrice3337 good question! My impression has always been that Randall was Audrey's idea. Hank (as most all men) just wanted a Jr., but whether that is factual or not is certainly debatable. Hank, Hank Jr., Randall Hank, Bocephus, or Rockin' Randall- he said it himself in the recordings under his Tennessee gazebo, "JUST CALL ME HANK". 'Nuff said!
@@davidrice3337his name is Randall Hank Williams.
WOW! I learned something new and interesting today! Thank you so much for putting this all together and posting it. 😍🏆
Thank you for watching it and i am glad you enjoyed it.
I remember when I was a kid the local radio station would devote New Years Day as a tribute to Hank's life. All day long my dad sat by the radio and listened to a Hank Williams music marathon.
To bad they don't do that now. It would be a great tradition.
@@CMSProductions I agree. I miss those days so much. They do make for some fond memories, however.
Hank Williams is the very best that ever lived! I love him!
I agree. No one has come close to his song writing ability.
@@CMSProductions I was/am not a songwriter but I did memorize a few of Hank's songs and although I tried to copy his intonations I could never get close. One of the best. May his music live forever. Pax
@@rduff1999 I agree with you 100%
@@CMSProductions As a Disc Jockey and HUGE Country Buff In 'My Personal opinion" The Greatest Male Songwriter to date Hank Williams Sr. The Greatest Female Songwriter ever to date Cindy Walker.
@@billybowles658 I am not familiar with her I will have to check her out and do a video on her
Been listening to Hank for 45 years , the greatest country artist of all time .
People say God rested on the 7th day , I say on the 7th day that God gave us Hank Williams .
There are alot of people responsible for Hanks death , a fake doctor , promoters who were more worried about $ , then Hanks health .
And Hank himself , suffering from back issues since birth , that only got worse as he got older , a fall off a horse , a fall of a stage .
There wasn't alot of places back then to get the kind of help that Hank truly needed , it was much easier for those around him to put him in a sanitarium until the next road trip .
It's been 69 years ago since Hanks death , and has influenced alot of music acts over the years .
People still talked about Hank , artists still sing his songs , people still are discovering his music , and along as people sing & play Hanks music , he'll live forever .
It's sad that his life ended so young .
Amen and Amen.
Well said and true.
How many times has this happened, where unscrupulous managers and executives take advantage of an artist. Despicable!
I agree. They should have taken him to the hospital as soon as it was required to carry him to his car.
29 would sure as hell be an early age to die of "natural causes" or even a "heart attack" as in myocardial Infarction. It was supicious to say the least.
Hey Mike Dooly, you any relation to Tom? 😀 Pax
@@rduff1999 Nope, no relation.
@@mikedooly7288 you realize it was a joke referring to the Kingston trio song Tom Dooly Pax
My dad was a studio musician . He and my mom Knew all of them. My mom blamed Audrey. Booze and drugs. Hank Jr. And my sister ran and played back stage at the Rhyman.
Thank you for sharing that. It must have been cool
Too cool 😎
I grew up hearing my dad and uncle doing Hank Williams songs every Sunday afternoon.
That has to be a wonderful memory
@@CMSProductions
Yes it was a wonderful memory. I'm 70 years old now but my wife and I sit down with guitar and bass and do the same.
As hank Jr. would say, ""It's a family tradition.
I’m so glad to see so much love and admiration for Hank Williams Senior in the comment section. Fills my heart with joy! :)
Same here.
What a tragedy! I notice that even so called legitimate doctors who over prescribe dangerous drugs, never seem to go to PRISON!
Isn't that the truth.
as an ex musician many years ago, i used to do a lot of hanks music, the words of his songs really showed the aspects of life that many do not want to face, its so sad that he
had the health issues that kept him taking those drugs.
I agree. I also think it is a cautionary tale of what can happen when you trust the wrong people.
Eye opener. Good information.
I am glad you enjoyed it. Thank you for watching.
Hank's wife, Audrey, from what I've seen before in stories about him, was a wanna be country singer who had no talent, and Hank knew it. She always wanted to sing on his shows and tried to be a star. And unless you've lived with excruciating pain like Hank did, you do not know what you would do just for some relief. I had heard that he was given too much of whatever the drug was, plus he was just worn out. Being in that shape in those below freezing temperatures was just asking too much from him. Thanks for the video.
I am glad you enjoyed the video. I agree with you on Miss Audrey. Look what she did to her seven year old son. Making him perform as if he was his father. Then the big blowup when he wanted to do his own music.
@@CMSProductionsHank Jr. Didn't deserve to be forced into music at such a young age. It's good that he's sitting comfortably now with a wonderful family and a happy life. It's a rare sight for someone brought up in fame living fast to truly settle down and find happiness in a slow life later down the line. It's nice to know Hank Jr. Is enjoying his life now.
Indeed, I do believe you're are right. I've suffered excruciating pain most of my life due to a genetic malfunction and it ain't no fun. I too tried a number of things to ease that pain to include alcohol and some drugs. And had to deal with folks who said there was nothing wrong with me as well as those who decided for me as to what I was or was not able to do. All that will indeed wear on you. I feel for Hank sr and what he had to go through and well understand it. I've meet folks who despised Hank calling him a drunk and drug addict and actually knew nothing of his background. I in turn have little respect for those individuals...they know nothing. Perhaps they should suffer likewise so they can better understand and be a little wiser and compassionate and learn a little empathy.
Just like Kurt cobain and his psycho attention hower
@@kingmonkey460 Isn't "Hank Jr." really Randall? Hirem Hank Williams was/is one of a kind! NO ONE comes close to this incredible lyrical poet! We have been so cheated thinking just how much more he would have created for the world. He was a gift to ALL music lovers and a kind man.
My dad was born in Oak Hill where he was found dead. My family are all big fans of Hanks music.
I wonder what the local folk lore is about it.
Thanks for telling the truth, He just needed some good people around him
I agree and that con man doctor did him no good. How many wonderful songs did we lose.
I learned more watching this video than i have my whole life re: my favorite Country singer. Hank Sr.
Thanks
I am glad you enjoyed it. What I loved was seeing the pictures of him as a kid when I was putting it together.
My dad loved Hank. Had all his records. I love his songs too. My favorites were I'm so lonesome I could cry and I saw the light. I didn't realize he was only 29. So sad what drugs can do...in any form.
Yeah the whole story is sad all around
I LOVE THIS!! I look forward to listening to more from you.
Thank you!!
I am glad you enjoyed it. There is more to come.
@@CMSProductionsI LOVE Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash .hint, hint 😉 Do you only Country? I LOVE LOVE LOVE Greg Allman too!
Check my playlist. I have some on Waylon and Johnny. I will add Greg Allman and the Allman brothers to the list. Also if you want check out the one I did on Gram Parsons.
What was the reason, The heater didn't work in the new car,,???
So sad that the people who were supposed to take care of Mr. Hank Williams ,were enablers on the drinking and drugs. Mr Williams we still remember you for your music and what could have been in the future as a wonderful Artist of music, real country music.
You are a shining star up above. Rest in peace, Mr. Williams. You are not forgotten.💜
I agree.
I needed this. Thank you.
You're so welcome!
“I’ll never get out of this world alive”
Noone of us will. Hopefully we don't have any help leaving.
@@CMSProductions That’s why the title of his song was so poignant. And I agree, I don’t think anyone should be forced.
My mom loved Hank, so although I was a rock chick lol, I grew up listening to Hank, his music always reminds me of my mom who passed in 2005 at 81. It’s unfortunate they didn’t investigate deaths then like they do now, mom never believed it was a heart attack.
Your mom had great taste in music and I am sorry for your lost. Yes the more I research the death of Hank Williams the more a lot of it doesn't make sense.
Always thought something cold and shady happened. Sounds about right. Thanks for publishing!
I am glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for watching. There is more to come.
So sad. Probably there are many similar stories in the past that will never be discovered? It's a shame.
True
The rumor mill has it that Hank Sr
died at the Andrew Johnson Hotel in Knoxville, TN.
It was kept hush hush, so as to avoid a media frenzy.
His body was sneaked out, and later they reported that he died in his car.
I hadn't heard that. Could explain why they sent for a doctor, why he had to be carried to the car .
Andrew johnson= freemason jesuit
@@CMSProductions he was still alive when he got in the car, the driver noticed Hank wasn't moving when they got into W. VA, he pulled over at a gas station, a man there told him he had a problem after checking on Hank, he drove to a local hospital and Hank was declared dead at that point
@@michaelsix9684 All that is true but bare in mind that they had to carry him to the car. Not because he was drunk but because of the shot the doctor had given him at the hotel.
Great video. Lots of good background. Sad story of a genius.
I am glad you enjoyed it Dixieboy 568. I agree. It what happens when drugs and alcohol and genius trust the wrong people.
Murder ? Nah
Heart Attack ? In one sense , yeah , his heart stopped . Was it probably due to OD , with possible influence of hypothermia ? Probably .
It was a different era . Death certificates for natural causes instead of from drugs was considered courtesy to the grieving family by avoiding the shame and sensationalism .
In the modern era , would their have been large civil suit ? Probably . Malpractice or negligence against an actual MD for same thing ? Maybe .
Deliberately causing his death at that time ? Nah
With his drug and alcohol addictions , his similar end was inevitable .
I can agree with some of your points but with what I know not all. Thanks for taking the time to stop by.
He was addicted because the people around him got him addicted to the stringent chemicals they gave him. He trusted them to have his back, and they had his back alright, nobody could count knives sticking in his back even at the coroner's inquest.
@@Eaglerow77 sort of .
He already had legitimate severe back pain that legitimately needed medicating .
@@filianablanxart8305 oh. That's a bit of info I never knew. Thanks.
He's not "Hank Williams Sr". I hate when people call him that as if he's just another Hank Williams. He's Hank Williams, the one and only.
They call him that in deference to his son Hank Williams Jr but I see what you are saying. There is only one Hank Williams.
Bocephus is a chip off the block, a great talent also.
Jr wouldn't be half as big if his dad didn't die early
My grandma owned the whole tape set. She raised me when my dad went to jail for murder and my mom let me on the side of the road at 5... love me some hank and the lost highway
He was the greatest.
You can think that you have addiction problem. When you run into Mr Opiate you realize that all other substances are a grain of sand on a beach. You can blame on a million problems. It could have been 1850 or 1950 or 2021.The doctor was the only thing that mattered to Hank Sr.A man that had everything really had nothing. A great musician that was only human.
Well said
Well presented and interesting story. Could very possibly be the truth of the matter.
Thank you. I am glad you enjoyed it
Thank you for shedding light on his death. The one .....
It was my pleasure. Thank you for watching it and I am glad you enjoyed it.
You get it . One of the best early country songs of all time. . Yes he wrote it. Wrote Cheating Heart “ died at 29 before this song became a number one hit. So sad. He never new how popular this song became.
All in All the whole Hank Williams story is sad. Out of that sadness and lonliness came some of the best music ever.
He was the Greatest!
One of my Artistic mentors.
Rest in peace.
Sir, He was also one of my heroes. I am glad you enjoyed the video
@Alvaro Guevara Vazquez, Composer, B. M. I. I enjoy your music. I checked out a few on Face Book.
@@CMSProductions Thank you for sharing this important fact, pertaining to his death.
I wasn't aware of this.
Rest in peace our beloved angel.
I've admired Hank William Sr. Since the 1960's when my late father, acquired an original Lp of his greatest hits.
Since then, Hank has had a special place in my heart.
I consider him one of my Artistic mentors.
Kind regards from the Historic Old West Town of Tucson, Arizona.
Álvaro Guevara y Vázquez, American Composer, BMI.
@Álvaro Guevara y Vázquez, American Composer, BMI. Thank you Sir. Another thing we love is the Old West. I have even wrote western books for a while.
sure
All I know he was one of my favorite singers. Left us to soon.
I agree
Excellent video. Maybe it's just me but the photo at 1:50 reminds me of another brilliant American musician, Levon Helm. Maybe it's the mischievous look on his face? Cheers from the Canadian hinterland.
Hank Williams,Hank Snow, Ernest Tubb, Bill Monroe, Earl Scruggs (among a select few others) were in constant rotation on our farm growing up thanks to my parents. Your country has exported some of the finest sounds ever heard anywhere . Thanks.
*forgot Hank Snow was a canuck
I am glad you enjoyed it. There is more to come
Such a sad story. I am 53 fixing to 54 and I have enjoyed paint seniors music since I was just a real little girl. There will never be another musician as good as he was.
I agree
I'm only 27 years old and have been listening to old Hank ever since I first heard him back when I was only 10 or so I'm about the only young person that listens to his music he was truly a one of a kind rip Hank
I agree that he was one of a kind. The likes of which we may never see again.
You have what I like to say I have. Somebodys old soul.🤷♂️listen to other music you will find more that you like.from all types of music.
Yeah I listen to all kinds but Hank the 3rd sings like his grandfather
Not only did Hank Williams have issues that contributed to his own death, but many closest to him treated him like a traveling Carnival attraction. Man, was he talented. I recently attended a theater musical production of Hank Williams, portrayed by Jason Petty, and he sounds eerily just like him.
That sounds like it would be interesting to see.
Very good information, thank you! I always wondered what caused his death. Such a shame.
I agree. We lost a great one
I love his music.
I grew up on it.
My dad told me that I am related to Hank Williams Sr. The resemblance between Hank Williams and my dad is very uncanny.
Cool
Plus my dad had proven to me that Hank Williams is related to my family.
Hank will always be the King of country!!! George Jones is #2. Very good episode that sheds light on Hank's passing.
I am glad you enjoyed it. More to come
At the end of the day we are all individually responsible for our own lives.
If we depend too much on others (or, the Government) the outcome will often not be good.
IMHO Hank Williams, Elvis Presley, and Michael Jackson are examples of people who were victims of over aggressive management, poor medical advice, and enabling family members and friends (individually or cumulatively) whose influence outweighed the advice of caring family and friends. Sad! But cautionary tales for all of us.
I 💯 agree.
They were manipulated and victimized since they were children, usually has a tragic ending!!!
none of the people you cite were highly educated either, they became stars early in life, and there is no training or prep you can get to prepare you for fame, popular success in the music biz, a great songwriter in Austin - Bruce Robison told me years ago -"you don't want it to happen too fast" he wrote 3 songs that went to number one on the charts -- Angry All the Time, Traveling Soldier are 2 of his hits
@@michaelsix9684 I agree with you comment on how age, education, and an explosion of fame can make folks more susceptible to the wrong type of influence. All the more reason for a good steady trust-worthy support group.
My Uncle was in the audience in Canton Ohio for Hanks show. He said it was one of the sadist thing he witnessed was when the audience was told about Mr. Williams. Grown men were crying as well as my Uncle.
Yes it was by all reports very upsetting. At first the audience didn't believe it. Then when the whole cast came out and began singing Hank's songs the crowd broke down.
Both my parents were Hank Williams. Sr fans, and as a kid I liked his music too. Got to meet his son and namesake in Crossville, TN when I lived there. Seems Hank went the way of many singers and stars. If his fake doctor was responsible, it's a shame no one doggedly tried to prove it.
The reason they didn't go after the doctor was because they couldn't determine in which state Hank took the drugs. Because they had traveled through multiple states jurisdiction became an issue. The Federal Government didn't get involved.
Barbara Walsh, enjoyed your comment. I learned every word to Hanks songs while in the car driving from Ohio to Crossville almost every weekend growing up in the 70's. My dad's family lived there and his great grand dad George Brown was a sort of pioneer of the area. His grand dad Joe Jones died breaking up a bar fight in the 40's on a corner downtown. My great aunt and uncle lived in one of the beautiful sandstone pine interior homestead houses and we visited that often. Best memories. I took my kids in 2016 and almost could not locate the house, so much had changed. I loved passing by the old jailhouse in town. We always stopped to eat at the Black and White restaurant back then, too many memories to tell.....
One of the greatest song writers of all time. Have most all Hanks songs 🎵even to the gospel which is so spiritual. Was a great lost to the world,and your songs will live on
I agree. He was a genius
I wondered if the wife from Louisiana inspired the song "jambalaya"...Grew up listening to Hank sing at the grand ol oppre w/my grandparents. His music never gets old in our family. My teenage boys love his music today. Definitely missed around here. R.I.P
I am not sure who inspired "Jambalaya" I love his music too.
Your TH-cam is always a pleasure. Thanks! I heard somewhere Hank had bruise marks on his body at death. Hence a beating. To young...
yes there was talk of that and i am glad you enjoyed the video.
As a bourbon aficionado and former fall down drunk, I must say that bruises on a heavy drinker are quite common.
I almost didn’t watch this because of the title. “Murder” has specific elements and as a lawyer I know what facts are required to make such a case.
Having watched this, however, I think there’s a strong possibility that the quack could have successfully been charged with manslaughter.
But there’s another theory that your facts bring to mind.
Recently many of us has seen the concept of “felony murder.” That is, if as a consequence of or during the commission of a felony a person is killed, then the offender may be so charged. If that quack committed a felony offense by unlawfully prescribing the drug that contributed to Hank’s death, then he was guilty of felony murder. Therefore your title isn’t misleading in that sense.
Thanks. Worthwhile video.
I am glad you enjoyed the video. I especially like your take on the matter. What I could never figure out is why they carried Hank from the hotel room to the car after the doctor saw him and he wasn't taken to a hospital. Instead they tried to drive him to the next show. There has to be some negligence there.
@@CMSProductions Yes and because a doctor who has just treated someone is held to a higher standard probably criminal liability.
@@CMSProductions Ordinarily when lawyers see the word “negligence” they think of civil rather than criminal liability. I don’t know the applicable law then but now Tennessee has a felony offense called criminally negligent homicide. It probably would have corresponded roughly to involuntary manslaughter which was I think the applicable offense in those days.
In any event this entire case was botched from the beginning. Too bad.
Just wow. Poor man didn't stand a chance. Hope he is resting well now, rip sir.
Amen and Amen
I used to get my hair cut at Beasoms Barbershop in Ft. Payne, Al. Last place Hank got his hair cut. They still had the chair he got the haircut in then.
Moved a few years ago, I don't know if they are still there. Really nice place and people.
I grew up on Hanks music. He was amazing
Interesting story and I thank you for sharing it. Thank you also for watching.
What a horrific way to treat addiction. Old Hank must have felt like he was in a cage with those who surrounded him jabbing him with pointed sharp sticks. Very sad.
I agree 100%
I'm surprised you telling his life story in great detail I remember my mom saying that someone shot him when he was on the road to another show........love to hear autobiography about actors /actresses great job !
Thank you. I am glad that you enjoyed it. There are more to come.
@@CMSProductions nice like to see more
Hank was THE BEST. There will never be another songwriter as talented. I also believe that his singing was superior on his original compositions to any singer who ever has or ever will record the same material.
Amen and Amen
Thank you for sharing this
I wonder why his late model Cadillac was not heated properly, unless 1950's heaters were not comparable to modern systems. It would be difficult to even drive a car in zero degree cold.
for some reason the heater had stopped working. Yes. they were not as reliable as they are today.
@@CMSProductions Of all the bad luck, maybe if the heater had not gone out. Like it was meant to be. He may have died in his car going up the moutnain 10 miles from me.
The cars of that time had relatively small heaters that had one air outlet at the floor of the car over the middle hump for the drive train. The air flow was controlled by a lever on the dashboard connected to a cable that opened the heater core to the radiator's hot water/antifreeze. There were usually three blower fan speeds: norm, high, & max. I don't remember any cars with heater air coming out at multi places from floor, dashboard, etc. like nowadays. BUT, if any fancy heater set up did exist, Cadillac would have had it. My dad was more a Chevrolet man.
hey bud just found your channel good stuff, would like to hear ya speak on Hoyt Axton, keep it up
Hoyt is on my production list. I love his song "Della and The Dealer"
@@CMSProductions hah excellent, lightning bar blues will be in my top 5 songs of all time till the day im done
Ya do what ya do. Such a sad ending to a Great word monger type poet. People use you till they can't. Hank got all used up. Thanks for the incredible music.
Thank you and it is so true what you said
I don't see the link for the article. Thanks.
To be honest After I checked you are right I will correct that tonight
Me suscribí escuchando una pieza de Roy Williams y es el mismo canal , pero esta es la faceta investigativa del mismo , me parece muy buen canal ! 🖐😃🇲🇽ya estoy suscrito ! Muchas gracias !
Gracias por suscribirse. Me alegro de que hayas disfrutado el vídeo. Hay más por venir. Saludos desde America
HW - the greatest ever!
I met his son Randall (Hank, Jr.) twice...VERY nice guy, and a great talent as well.
I agree Hank Jr. is an amazing talent. I am amazed at how many instruments he plays.
@@CMSProductions Yes! Many!
...did you ever see a robin weep when leaves begin to die, like me he's lost the will to live, I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry .... Roy Acuff had him change that line to ...that means he's lost the will to live... Hank knew it would happen, sometimes he wanted it to happen. As another commenter wrote "Hank killed Hank". Suicide, possibly, murder most likely not, just an impending fact.
Angles, tangents, assorted facts and speculation, like today, make for sensational stories. (No disrespect intended here, I'm not a troll. I quoted my favorite line from one of my favorite songs.)
Thank you for your comment and no disrespect taken. I agree that Hank played a role in his death. Just like Michael Jackson played a roll in his. However that said, I think that like Conrad Murray played a roll in the death of MJ so did Hank's quack doctor play a roll in his premature demise. Would it have happened eventually who is to say. I spent 5 years deep in the bottle during my thirties. I use to do just about every drug. I have been sober now for over twenty years. Hank could have turned his life around. It is possible.
Thank you for this information.
I had always heard that he died of a broken heart.
Well in a sense he did.
I play Hank Sr every day. I can play almost all of his songs on guitar.
Sweet
@@CMSProductions Yep, a lot of his songs are 2, 3, or rarely 4 chords but they can be fancied up a bit
I always have thought that the story they told about Hank's death didn't add up. Even if it had been true, you do NOT put a teenager in a big car to drive a superstar across state lines. That kid was irresponsible!!!!!
I think that kid knows more than he is saying.
He ain’t said nothing,makes you think he wanted to live , if he talked he would have been found dead ,if he would have been found .
I remember his son saying I can't remember word for word but it was how people hated him back then for what he did now he said they talk about him and a legend
It is ort of like what is in the lyrics to the song by Hank Jr. and Waylon Jennings.. It's called the conversation. "Back then they called him crazy. Now they call him a Saint. The ones that called him crazy are living off his name."
Thanks so sad besides Michael Jackson and his doctor read about how Prince died
Thank you sir I appreciated that story never knew besides the fact that he cheated on her several times that's what I read anyway it's not cast in stone something I'm sharing because I read it doesn't mean it's true it's basically here said I must say that article you just read us threw me for a loop because that is the very first time that I heard anything about it let me just say I am 52 years old when I was growing up listen to was Hank many many other country singers who can help it I grew to love it till this day I still have a passion for country music it's the best thank you again Lisa
@@CMSProductions yes
First off Hank and Miss Audrie very much. They just couldn't live together. If the stories are correct, they cheated on each other. Lisa, you are more thank welcome. I am just glad you enjoyed it.
You have a fabulous voice for story telling, with a little polish you could really shine!
Thank you very much for the compliment Brian. Bring on the Pledge.
Good God he had two beautiful wives. In first year organic chemistry we synthesized Chloral hydrate. A very simple compound. I can honestly understand why he needed the opioids though. The affliction he had is known to be very painful. It’s a shame he didn’t have anyone around him that cared for his well-being. Just a meal ticket for them.
Yea I agree.
"I'm so Lonesome, I could cry" Damn that song is awesome!
it breaks your heart every time you hear it.
Awesome name Erica!!!
@@raymondjones7130Thank you. :) :)
@@EricaOats you're welcome! "Would?" By Alice in Chains is my favorite song ! check out the Singles live version of the song if you don't know it
@@EricaOats also look into Townes Van Zandt if you don't know him! Cocaine Blues, and Waitin Around to Die are 2 of my favorites!
This popped up in my recommended, randomly. It sounded interesting, so I played it. Hearing that Hank Williams Snr. had Spina Bifida Oculta kinda knocked me back. I have that and can only imagine the pain he was in with it going undiagnosed. By the time I was 35, I have already had 75+ surgeries pertaining to it. From my experience, it's been mostly easy to hide "Oculta" if you want to and then let out when behind closed doors. It looks like that's what Hank did for his performances. He having to deal with everything in its prime/with no surgeries, it's no wonder he turned to alcohol and whatever drug he could get.
I am sorry for your illness and you will be in my prayers. Yes Hank would try anything to relieve the pain. Even if it meant trusting a con man who claimed to be a doctor.
Ahh such a sad sudden end to The King of Country
He had so much more to do n give us & cut short like so many Awesome singers.
Some Great pix of Hank on here to, God Bless him
Thanks for the Great vid Brother, stay safe 👍
Back at ya brother and thanks for the kind words
As a big Hank fan ran across this video again and watched it again .
Basically grew up listening to Hank since I was 10 years old , my dad liked country music and had all the greats , Hank , Cash , Haggard , Jones , Stonewall Jackson and so many others . I listened to them all and still do today . But Hank's songs were just different for me , the first dollar I ever made cutting grass I spent on the 24 greatest hits of Hank Williams ( the album released in 1977 ) in 77 the truckers voted Your Cheatin Heart their favorite song of the year .
Hank means alot of things to alot of people , he as I said before was a victim , of his own success.
As I watched this again , it hit me that even his own mother seemed to care more about him making money then his health .
It baffles me that he had so many people around him and he still appeared to be all alone .
I agree 100 percent
yes hank died of OVERMEDICATION undoubtedly
When you give someone medication that weakens the heart then yes you are resposible.
Honestly, Hank was destined to die young. His habits and depression and physical pain were all consuming. He, his life, was out of control and had always been. Now, supposedly Hank was thought and said to be on a campaign to win back his spot at the Opry, but, let's be real... that was never going to happen. In fact, the very causes for his dismissal are exactly what killed him, drugs and alcohol made him undependable. Hank was still drinking and drugging, and he was forced to cancel two more upcoming shows even with the Opry's eyes upon him. So yeah, still undependable. Maybe we can spread some of the blame around for his ultimate death and maybe the authorities should have but the fraudulent doctor appears to have punished himself. All that said, it's also my opinion, his early death, magnified his genius and made him the legend he is today.
I agree with you that with the life he was living was leading him down a path to an early death. My question in all of this is, was the medical treatment he was getting a contributing factor. In particular some of the medicine he was prescribed by the con man pretending to be a doctor.
@@CMSProductions Of course the quack doctor was a contributing factor and should have been punished! How could he not have been? He had no idea what he was doing and no legal right to do it. But, no toxicology was done because the medical examiner ruled Hank's death a heart attack. Which to me seems odd, because he also found evidence of severe bruising from an unknown source or sources, as though Hank had been in a very recent fight. Needle tracks too were noted (no toxicology, really?). If only Hank had quit drinking as he had intended and promised. A clear head might have saved his life. But I'll tell you Spotlight, that we still care enough to discuss him and his fate, is indicative of his impact, greatness, legacy and legend. Through his music, he'll live forever.
I doubt that country music would be as popular as it is without him. Think of all the country music stars that were influenced by him. He deserves to have justice even if it is just on this channel
There were so much bruising that he thought he had been in a fight before dying. The other thing that doesn't make sense to me is that if the man is so weak that he has to be carried to the car. Who in their right mind wouldn't take him to the nearest hospital.
hank young man should not have got involved with a divorcee ... its called adutery, like president of France and president of USA and
My daddy would always play Hank Williams Sr music,now your video was so interesting and surprising, but you never mentioned his son,which in my time was HANK WILLIAMS JR, LOVE TO KNOW WATS BECOME OF HIM,LOVE HIS MUSIC AMY FROM TEXAS
Hey Amy when you get a chance check out my video th-cam.com/video/6_Eucu0_gF4/w-d-xo.html . It is titled Hank Williams Jr. An Outlaw Can Survive. It was one of the first videos I did. I think you will enjoy it. And for the record I have all his albums.
The sad thing is there is always more to the story than meets the eye. Tragic stars like Hank, Elvis, Jim Morrison, Jackson, Prince and a thousand others are usually the masters of their own destiny despite how many managers, handlers, security guys, baby-sitting bandmates and shirt tail relatives they have on their payroll to look out for them - they ultimately call the shots - and by doing so are the architect of their own demise. For every legitimate doctor they have there are a half dozen or more 'quacks' who have forged and falsified credentials who are little more than dope pushers who supply them with what they need or want to satisfy their habit.
Sadder still is the 'back story' - pardon the pun - which in Hank's case more often than not never gets mentioned because people who write in the blogosphere seldom take the time to do the research to pen an objective piece based on true facts and real information - instead they resort to the sensational and embellish their articles with manufactured factoids based on conjecture and rumor, adding to the mythology that surrounds famous celebrities who have met an untimely demise. It's easier to chalk it up to alcoholism and drug abuse, after all that's what stars do, right? And 99% of the time that is a correct statement.
Nobody talks about Hank's injuries to his back that he suffered, when as a mere teenager he was hanging around a rodeo in his hometown of Montgomery, Alabama a bunch of rowdy half-drunk cowboys saw him and invited him over to have a drink of whisky with them. It was the 1st time alcohol ever passed his lips. He became instantly drunk, and the cowboys got such a kick out of it, they gave him more of the whisky and asked him if he wanted to be a real cowboy. Of course he did, and Hank told them so. They led him over to a chute and put him up on a horse which was a real bucking bronc that was used to having cowboys ride them until he threw them off in the arena. They told Hank to hold on and slapped the horse on the hind quarters. As they pulled the chute open the horse erupted out of the chute like an exploding volcano sending a teenage drunken Hank Williams flying out of the saddle landing square in front of the horse face down in the mud. The cowboys howled as the horse reared and snorted as it ran up on the place where Hank laid semi-conscious it reared again bring both hooves down onto Hank's back. Hank would never be pain free for the remainder of his life.
Physical pain from this event along with the emotional pain from a broken heart he so often sang about would be his constant companions until he drew his last breath. Hank was taken to a hospital where it was determined that the horse had severely injured Hank's young back, having broken at least two vertebrae. He was patched up the best the doctors could do at the time - then in the mid 30's - when back surgeries were rare and only affordable by those with money and wealth and even then, at the time those surgeries on the back were extremely risky (as they still are today - just ask nearly anyone who has had a back surgery operation!) with a success rate that was considerably low. Given a back brace, and bed ridden for months Hank's back healed up crooked and was not straight by any means.
From that time on until his pain racked body was lowered into the grave barely a decade and a half later, he spent his every waking hour searching for something to relieve him of his pain to get thru the day and by days end searching for something to take away the pain just enough so he could sleep. Alcohol became a constant pain killer from that day at the rodeo - and the pain killer drugs the doctors at the hospital proved to be helpful, but they were addictive and a regular prescription proved to be too costly for the poverty-stricken Williams family who were still reeling financially from the Great Depression. The pills were also less effective the longer he took them - the pain dulled for a very short time, then returned leaving him hurting worse and in need of more of the pills on a larger dosage and in a shorter period of time.
The addiction process was already set in motion the moment whisky touched his lips at the behest of a half-dozen half-drunk rodeo cowboys and the deal was sealed the moment that horse stomped his back with both hooves. Hank was a victim of a bad situation compounded by bad times.
This is not a new revelation but an old one that was public knowledge within a half-decade after Hank died. And one that has come to be ignored simply because there are no names or faces to associate with the tragic circumstances - therefore nobody to sue or incriminate or prosecute because nobody knows who those cowboys were, their names and faces lost to time just as the name of the brand of Whisky or the name of the bucking bronc which they sat a young, inebriated Hank upon. No lawyers can seek to indict the distillery or the horse breeder or owner of the steed.
Certainly 'quack doctor' Toby Marshall was to blame for Hank's death - as well as any number of back-street dope pusher wanna-be doctors lurking in the shadows of Nashville and Shreveport and almost any town Hank appeared in - there were no shortage of them then and there is absolutely no shortage of them now.
Just as Elvis had no shortage of doctors on the sly prescribing him drugs of all kinds and a string of pharmacies all over Memphis and little towns beyond town limits more than willing to fill a script from any doctor in the name of patient Presley. Just as Elvis had legitimate doctors, he also had a string of quacks he consorted with who were giving him dope on the side which the Memphis Mafia could not stop or control. In the end the people like Williams and Presley are their own worst enemy as they set up their own demise devised as a slave to a habit-trail like a hamster in a cage going round and round going absolutely nowhere until their lives are used up. It's the stuff legends are made of and sadly it's too true to be good. They make the music we love from their God given talents fueled by the real pain and heartaches brought on by wear and tear on their bodies, their broken hearts and troubled minds, always seeking for a soothing ointment or an effective pain reliever to free them from what ails them, body, mind and spirit. It's a story as old as time itself.
The cause of Hank Williams back pain, which by the way he suffered all his life, was that he was born with a form of spinal bifida. Not, to the best of my knowledge, from drunken Cowboys
@@CMSProductions And the so-called diagnosis of spinal bifida was reported from one writer in a book from 1983 'Hank Williams So Lonesome' based on comments in Rolling Stone by RS writer Chet Flippo NOT based on any real doctor's medical diagnosis OR any real facts from the autopsy. And the truth of the matter is that the author of the book (Bill Koon) even presented a case for the so-called spinal bifida 'diagnosis' being absolutely erroneous because of contradictory and inconclusive evidence that does NOT lend to a diagnosis of spinal bifida hence the FACT that there is NOTHING in Williams autopsy or his medical records that ever suggested such a diagnosis. He even admits that Hank's back injuries according to doctors who examined him and the medical examiner stated that they could have been as a result of a skating accident or the possibility of the story of his drunken rodeo ride with a horse stepping on him could have caused the injuries. The author concludes that based on HIS OPINION there is little evidence of a skating mishap or a rodeo ride resulting in the injuries, so he deduces that spinal bifida is most likely the cause - even though he admits he has no medical training to make that assumptive diagnosis and neither did Chet Flippo, who was the first to postulate the spinal bifida theory in print media. Hank Williams Jr has spoken about his father's rodeo horse injury, but he has NEVER subscribed to the idea that he had spinal bifida. It's just a theory from one writer quoting another with absolutely no hard-core medical evidence based on any doctor's statement or diagnosis. Maybe Hank did have something along that line BUT the symptoms do not all line up and there were no obvious outward signs of it on the autopsy table upon initial visual examination NOR in the internal examination when they cut Hank's body open. If it had been present the Dr's and the ME would not have missed it. But we all know facts are easy to come by these days. All you need is one tabloid writer making assumptions in a Rolling Stone article quoted by a writer in a book with a later entry on Wiki or some other website and voila, we have the facts. I'll go with the older history which has been available for decades and has never been disputed - not even by Hank Jr or any of Hank's band members NOR by any reputable writer such as Colin Escott.
if he hadn't gotten the drugs from Marshall he would have gotten them someplace else. Ultimately, Hank decided to use the drugs. No blaming him. I have chronic pain and I know.
Thank you so much for the in-depth back ground of Hanks injuries. We've been so filled with his drinking and drugs no one has really told this story the way you have. Thank You. I have after all these years a better and clearer understanding of his pain.
@@monalisanail5431 If you like to read and want to know more, I recommend the following books: "Sing A Sad Song, The Life of Hank Williams" by Roger M. Williams (no relation - 1st edition 1970 - still in print) and "I Saw the Light: The Story of Hank Williams" by Colin Escott & George Merritt 2015 (originally published as "Hank Williams: The Biography" back in 2004)
Thanks for your comment.