filmov
tv
Hank Williams w/ His Drifting Cowboys - Hey, Good Lookin' ~1951
Показать описание
I don't think there's any hope of this one being short. Hiram "Hank" Williams was born September 17, 1923 in Mount Olive, Alabama. He took a liking to music early on, sitting beside his mother while she played the organ at church and received his first musical instrument, a harmonica, at age six. The family often relocated for work until 1930 when his dad began an eight-year on and off again treatment for a brain aneurysm and was thus mostly raised by his mother. In 1933, he was sent to live with his aunt and uncle whom he would learn the very basics of the guitar from. Upon receiving his first guitar from his mother, he then took to following around an African American street performer named Rufus "Tee-Tot" Payne. He would teach Williams guitar lessons in exchange for money or meals. Combining his lessons from Payne and taking inspiration from country singers like Roy Acuff. He would lose touch with Payne in 1937 when the family moved to Montgomery, Alabama.
With this move came his decision to change his name from Hiram to Hank. He would also compete in a talent show at the Empire Theater and won first prize. Williams had a habit of playing his guitar outside of the WSFA radio studio, and with his recent win giving him some notoriety, the station producers occasionally invited him in to play and perform on-air with Dad Crysel's band. This would become his entry into the music business, prompting him to start his own band, the "Drifting Cowboys", primarily playing local gigs and events. In October 1939, he would drop out of school to focus full-time on the band and performances with his mother acting as his manager and negotiator. Sadly, even at this early age, Hank's alcoholism was showing its early signs with a sizable portion of their revenue being spent on booze.
The 1940's hit Williams pretty hard. He was medically disqualified for military service, but all his bandmates were drafted. He couldn't keep replacements because of his alcoholism, and in 1942 he was fired from WSFA for habitual drunkenness. Upon meeting his childhood hero, Roy Acuff, he was told "You've got a million-dollar voice, son, but a ten-cent brain." in regards to his substance abuse. Following the firing, he worked for a couple of shipbuilders. It was during this time he would meet and marry his first wife who vowed to help get back into music. By 1945, he was back on-air and writing more original songs than ever before, giving him some songwriting credits to go with his singing talent. In 1946, Ernest Tubb urged him to audition for the Grand Ole Opry for which he was declined. He tried the next best thing and contacted Fred Rose of Acuff-Rose Music. The impromptu audition went well and he was signed to a six song record deal with Sterling Records. These all became good sellers which prompted Rose to look for a larger label for future releases. Enter MGM Records. This contract was signed in 1947, and along with recording came big opportunities for national radio airtime as well, vastly broadening his fanbase. After solidly getting a hit a year, he was booked to perform on the Grand Ole Opry where he appeared on June 11, 1949, receiving six encores!
In 1951, he was photographed signing a motion picture deal with MGM while backstage at the Grand Ole Opry, He had his debut album release, and he would appear on TV for the first time on the Perry Como Show where he would sing today's song. In the spring of 1952, he was back on TV, appearing on The Kate Smith Evening Hour. That same year he would divorce from his wife but also meet his future second wife whom attributed to a lot of missed Opry performances. In August 1952, he was dismissed from the Opry for missing shows and habitual drunkenness (again). He went back to radio work and touring but it was always a gamble if it'd be a good performance or if Williams would show at all. At the end of 1952, he unknowingly met a convicted forger and fraudster, Horace "Toby" Marshall who claimed to be a doctor. Upon seeing him for heart problems, Marshall prescribed amphetamines, Seconal, chloral hydrate, and morphine which only exacerbated the problems. His last concert would occur on December 21, 1952.
After a failed attempt by plane to make a sold out New Years Eve concert in Charleston, West Virginia, Williams hired college student to drive him. Not being able to make the New Years Eve concert, they were going to drive to Canton, Ohio for a New Years Day concert instead, but during the early morning of January 1, 1953 at stop for gas and food, they discovered Williams had passed away in the back seat. In fact he had been dead so long, rigor mortis had already set in.
The Country Music Hall of Fame stressed that Williams became the "standard by which success is measured in country music". Alabama Even has an official Hank Williams Day even September 21.
This is "Hey, Good Lookin'", written by Williams himself and recorded March 16, 1951. It stayed at No. 1 for eight weeks in a row.
With this move came his decision to change his name from Hiram to Hank. He would also compete in a talent show at the Empire Theater and won first prize. Williams had a habit of playing his guitar outside of the WSFA radio studio, and with his recent win giving him some notoriety, the station producers occasionally invited him in to play and perform on-air with Dad Crysel's band. This would become his entry into the music business, prompting him to start his own band, the "Drifting Cowboys", primarily playing local gigs and events. In October 1939, he would drop out of school to focus full-time on the band and performances with his mother acting as his manager and negotiator. Sadly, even at this early age, Hank's alcoholism was showing its early signs with a sizable portion of their revenue being spent on booze.
The 1940's hit Williams pretty hard. He was medically disqualified for military service, but all his bandmates were drafted. He couldn't keep replacements because of his alcoholism, and in 1942 he was fired from WSFA for habitual drunkenness. Upon meeting his childhood hero, Roy Acuff, he was told "You've got a million-dollar voice, son, but a ten-cent brain." in regards to his substance abuse. Following the firing, he worked for a couple of shipbuilders. It was during this time he would meet and marry his first wife who vowed to help get back into music. By 1945, he was back on-air and writing more original songs than ever before, giving him some songwriting credits to go with his singing talent. In 1946, Ernest Tubb urged him to audition for the Grand Ole Opry for which he was declined. He tried the next best thing and contacted Fred Rose of Acuff-Rose Music. The impromptu audition went well and he was signed to a six song record deal with Sterling Records. These all became good sellers which prompted Rose to look for a larger label for future releases. Enter MGM Records. This contract was signed in 1947, and along with recording came big opportunities for national radio airtime as well, vastly broadening his fanbase. After solidly getting a hit a year, he was booked to perform on the Grand Ole Opry where he appeared on June 11, 1949, receiving six encores!
In 1951, he was photographed signing a motion picture deal with MGM while backstage at the Grand Ole Opry, He had his debut album release, and he would appear on TV for the first time on the Perry Como Show where he would sing today's song. In the spring of 1952, he was back on TV, appearing on The Kate Smith Evening Hour. That same year he would divorce from his wife but also meet his future second wife whom attributed to a lot of missed Opry performances. In August 1952, he was dismissed from the Opry for missing shows and habitual drunkenness (again). He went back to radio work and touring but it was always a gamble if it'd be a good performance or if Williams would show at all. At the end of 1952, he unknowingly met a convicted forger and fraudster, Horace "Toby" Marshall who claimed to be a doctor. Upon seeing him for heart problems, Marshall prescribed amphetamines, Seconal, chloral hydrate, and morphine which only exacerbated the problems. His last concert would occur on December 21, 1952.
After a failed attempt by plane to make a sold out New Years Eve concert in Charleston, West Virginia, Williams hired college student to drive him. Not being able to make the New Years Eve concert, they were going to drive to Canton, Ohio for a New Years Day concert instead, but during the early morning of January 1, 1953 at stop for gas and food, they discovered Williams had passed away in the back seat. In fact he had been dead so long, rigor mortis had already set in.
The Country Music Hall of Fame stressed that Williams became the "standard by which success is measured in country music". Alabama Even has an official Hank Williams Day even September 21.
This is "Hey, Good Lookin'", written by Williams himself and recorded March 16, 1951. It stayed at No. 1 for eight weeks in a row.