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Hank Williams 56 Years On

January 1st 2009 in Americana, In memoriam, Legends, Milestones

It’s been 56 years that Hiram (Hank) King Williams, the man commonly referred to as the King of Country Music and the hillbilly Shakespeare, lost his life on an unseasonably cold road somewhere between Knoxville, TN and Oak Hill, West Virginia in the back of a ’52 Cadillac being driven by a hired college freshman to a scheduled show in Canton, Ohio. The official cause of death was attributed to acute right ventricular dilation.

The only items found in the backseat of his car were a few cans of beer and the hand-written lyrics to an unrecorded song.

Williams’ final single was ominously titled “I’ll Never Get Out of This World Alive”.

Since his death many have imitated, none have surpassed.

Hank Williams and June Carter – Hey Good looking

3 comments to...
“Hank Williams 56 Years On”

Brody
wrote on January 2nd, 2009

I don’t know if you caught it in the news a while back, but here’s an interesting article written by a guy who followed Hank’s last ride and interviewed people like the driver of Hank’s Cadillac. It’s pretty lengthy in terms of internet articles, but well worth the read.

Baron Lane
wrote on January 2nd, 2009

Brody, that was awesome. Thanks for the tip!

IBWIP
wrote on January 3rd, 2009

I met the guy who drove the caddy back about 8 years ago… gave the guy a hand shake and it was the closest to Hank I will ever get. For 3/4′s of my life Hank Sr. has been the staple in my life. I could sit here for hours and try to type what Hank means to me and it wont come close to how I feel/view Hank as a man, as a song writer, and as the father of REAL country music. Thanks Baron for the post. You are doing a great job trying to help spread the word.

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