How Did Hank Williams Impact Country Music?

722 Words2 Pages

Hank Williams Sr. had a huge impact on country music; he literally made country music what it is today. Hank grew up fast; he started in a small band with his pals. Hank later quit high school for his thought out career. He was very sure he could make fame; he started singing in small joints and coffee shops, where everybody absolutely loved him. Later, after his small gigs, he had been introduced to the radio, which was a huge deal. Making it out aright, Hank never had a lot of support. But one man named Rufus Payne was Hanks so called “Main Man.” Rufus had taught young Hank everything he knew. With all Hanks knew, he still to this day is most country artists’ main idol.
Widely considered country music’s first superstar, Hiram/Hank Williams was born September 17, 1923, in mount olive, Alabama. Williams, the third child of Lon and Lillie Williams, grew up in a household that never had much money. His father worked as a logger before entering the Veterans’ Administration hospital when young hank was just six. Father and son rarely saw each other over the next decade, with William’s mother, who ran rooming houses, moving the family to Greenville, and later, Montgomery, Alabama. (Hank Williams) Everyone knew Hank was a good guy, but like any man had his ups and his downs throughout the short life he lived. Hank grew up rough and he knew it; however nothing was going to stop this young man from doing what he set out to pursue. What he did was astonishing changing art or “so called” music. Hank redefined country music with his personal opinion on what music really was.
Hank William’s Sr. decided the start to his musical career was more needed and desired than his education. So Hank simply dropped high school to start ...

... middle of paper ...

...lliam’s career were 1950and 1951. He was one of the most successful touring acts in country music. Every one of his records charted, except for those issued as “Luke the Drifter” and his religious songs with a female artist named Audrey. His songs had matured greatly since the demos he had submitted to Molly o Day, began finding a wider market than his own recordings of them ever could. Started with “Honky Tonkin” in 1949, his songs had been covered for the pop market, but it was not until Tony Bennett covered “Cold Cold Heart” in 1951 that he had began to recognize as an important popular songwriter. From that point, there was a rush to revise his songs for the pop market. Guy Mitchell, for instance, had a hit with “I Can’t Help It If I’m Still in Love with You”, and the pair of Frankie Lane and Jo Stafford took Hey, Good looking in the pop top ten. (Hank Williams)

More about How Did Hank Williams Impact Country Music?

Open Document