Hank Williams Centennial Birthday Celebration begins today - Alabama Today

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Friday, September 15, 2023

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Hank Williams Sr. was born 100 years ago Sunday in Mount Olive, Alabama, in Butler County. Williams is considered by many to be the father of modern country music.

A three-day birthday celebration kicks off in Montgomery today at the Davis Theater. The event is presented by the Hank Williams Museum in Montgomery from September 15 to 17, 2023.

The Day 1 celebration begins on Friday, September 15, at 6:30 p.m. The doors open at 5:30 p.m. at the Troy University’s Davis Theatre. Friday night’s performance stars: Rhonda Vincent & The Rage, David Ball, and David Church.

The Day 2 celebration begins on Saturday, September 16, at 2:00 p.m. The doors open at 1:00 p.m. at Troy University’s Davis Theatre. Day 2 stars: Leona Williams and Ron Williams with the Perley Curtis Band; Andy Norman and the Jukebox All Stars Band; and others.

The Day 3 celebration will be held on Sunday, September 17, at 2:00 p.m. The doors open at 1:00 p.m. at Troy University’s Davis Theatre, starring Gene Watson, Jason Petty, and Zachariah Malachi & The Nashville Counts.

This weekend, there will also be concerts in front of the blue Cadillac featuring Dalton McSwain, Larry Darnell, Trent Hudson, Gaynell Moore, David Paul Nowlin, Dewey Bass, and Alan Boyd.

Williams’ mother gave him a guitar when he was eight years old, but his musical influence came from a local blues street singer, Rufus’ Tee Tot’ Payne. His mother moved the family to Montgomery, AL, in 1937, where she opened a boarding house. Here, Hank formed a band called the Drifting Cowboys and landed a regular spot on a local radio station, WSFA, in 1941.

Hank married Audrey Mae Sheppard in 1944. In 1946, they visited Nashville to meet Fred Rose, one of the heads of Acuff-Rose Publishing. Rose liked Williams’ songs and asked him to record two sessions for Sterling Records, which resulted in two successful singles. Williams signed a contract with MGM Records in 1947. Rose became the singer’s manager and record producer.

Hank William was an extremely successful performer with dozens of hit singles, and he was also an incredibly successful songwriter who wrote everything from sacred hymns to tales of broken hearts and troubled love to rousing dance tunes. Hank’s songs and performances were legendary even before his death at the age of 29 in 1953. Hank was buried in Montgomery. More than 25,000 mourners attended.

Williams was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1961.

To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.

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