Description

Hank Williams Jr. spent years trying to duplicate his famous father's sound. But his greatest success came when he shook off that weighty mantle. Williams' new sound integrated country and southern rock, a formula that made him one of country's biggest stars of the '80s. Down the line, he proved to be influential to a new generation of rebels like Kid Rock and Uncle Kracker.

Biography

b. Randall Hank Williams Jnr., 26 May 1949, Shreveport, Louisiana, USA. The son of the most famous man in country music, Hank Williams, he was nicknamed Bocephus after a puppet on the Grand Ole Opry. Being the son of a country legend has brought financial security, but it was difficult for him to firmly establish his own individuality. His mother, Audrey, was determined that he would follow in his father's footsteps. When only eight years old, he was touring, performing with his father's songs, and even appeared on the Grand Ole Opry. He also had a high school band, Rockin' Randall And The Rockets. He signed for the same label as his father, MGM Records, as soon as his voice broke. In the 60s, Williams had country hits with "Long Gone Lonesome Blues", "Cajun Baby", a revival of "Endless Sleep", and the only version of "Nobody's Child" ever to make the country charts. He also recorded an embarrassing narration about his relationship with his father, "Standing In The Shadows". Even worse was his maudlin dialogue as Luke the Drifter Jnr., "I Was With Red Foley (The Night He Passed Away)'. He copied his father's style for the soundtrack of the film biography of his father, Your Cheatin' Heart (1964), and starred in the inferior A Time To Sing. He was just 15 years old and Connie Francis was 26 when they released a duet about adultery, "Walk On By".
In 1974, Williams Jnr. moved to Alabama where he recorded a hard-hitting album, Hank Williams Jnr. And Friends, with Charlie Daniels and other top-class southern country rockers. Like his father, he has had arguments with Audrey, gone through an unhappy marriage and overindulged in alcohol and drugs. "Getting Over You" relates to his life, and in another song, he explains that it's the "Family Tradition". On 8 August 1975, Hank Williams Jnr. fell 500 feet down a Montana mountain face. Although close to death, he made a remarkable recovery, needing extensive medical and cosmetic surgery. Half of his face was reconstructed and he had to learn to speak (and sing) all over again. It was two years before he could perform once more. Since 1977, Williams Jnr., who is managed by his opening act Merle Kilgore, has been associated with the "outlaw country music' genre. Waylon Jennings, for example, wrote Williams Jnr."s country hit "Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way?' and produced his album The New South. In 1983, he had eight albums on the US country charts simultaneously, yet was not chosen as Entertainer of the Year in the Country Music Awards. In 1985, Williams released his fiftieth album, Five-O. Williams" songs often lack distinctive melodies, while the lyrics concentrate on his macho, defiant persona. His best compositions include "Montana Cafe", "OD'd In Denver", the jazzy "Women I've Never Had" and his tale of a visit to a gay disco, "Dinosaur". "If The South Woulda Won" was criticized for being racist but, possibly, he was being sardonic. However, there was no mistaking of his tone towards Saddam Hussein in "Don't Give Us A Reason". Among his other successes are "I Fought The Law", "Tennessee Stud", "Ain't Misbehavin'" and his cri de coeur, "If Heaven Ain't A Lot Like Dixie".
Although Williams has shown a determination to move away from his father's shadow, he still sings about him. Many tribute songs by others - "If You Don't Like Hank Williams" and "Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way?" - gain an extra dimension through his interpretations. Williams himself was the subject of a tribute from David Allan Coe, who insisted that a man of six feet four inches and 15 stone should not be called "Jnr'. Williams" rowdy image did not fit in well with the clean-cut "hat acts" of the early 90s, and his record sales and air play faltered. He remains a sell-out concert draw, although a well-publicized incident during 1992 where he arrived onstage drunk, and spent most of the 20-minute performance insulting his audience, did little for his status in the Nashville community, although his father would have been proud. He has also performed live with his own son, Hank Williams III, and returned to recording in 1999 with the typically forthright Stormy.
DISCOGRAPHY: Sings The Songs Of Hank Williams (MGM 1963)***, Connie Francis And Hank Williams Jr. Sing Great Country Favorites (MGM 1964)***, Your Cheatin' Heart film soundtrack (MGM 1964)**, Ballad Of The Hills And Plains (MGM 1965)***, Father And Son - Hank Williams Sr And Hank Williams Jr. Again (MGM 1965)***, Blue's My Name (MGM 1966)***, Country Shadows (MGM 1966)***, In My Own Way (MGM 1967)***, My Songs (MGM 1968)***, A Time To Sing film soundtrack (MGM 1968)**, Luke The Drifter Jr. (MGM 1969)***, Songs My Father Left Me (MGM 1969)***, Live At Cobo Hall, Detroit (MGM 1969)****, Luke The Drifter Jr., Volume 2 (MGM 1969)***, Sunday Morning (MGM 1970)***, Singing My Songs (MGM 1970)***, Luke The Drifter Jr., Volume 3 (MGM 1970)***, with Louis Johnson Removing The Shadow (MGM 1970)**, All For The Love Of Sunshine (MGM 1970)***, I've Got A Right To Cry/They All Used To Belong To Me (MGM 1971)***, Sweet Dreams (MGM 1971)***, Eleven Roses (MGM 1972)**, with Johnson Send Me Some Lovin'/Whole Lotta Lovin' (MGM 1972)***, After You/Pride's Not Hard To Swallow (MGM 1973)***, Hank Williams/Hank Williams Jr: The Legend In Story And Song a double album in which Hank Jr. narrates his father's life (MGM 1973)***, Just Pickin' - No Singing (MGM 1973)***, The Last Love Song (MGM 1973)***, Hank Williams/Hank Williams Jr. Insights In Story And Song (MGM 1974)***, Bocephus (MGM 1975)**, Hank Williams Jr. And Friends (MGM 1975)****, One Night Stands (Warners/Curb 1977)****, The New South (Warners 1978)****, Family Tradition (Elektra/Curb 1979)****, Whiskey Bent And Hell Bound (Elektra/Curb 1979)****, Habits Old And New (Elektra/Curb 1980)***, Rowdy (Elektra/Curb 1981)****, The Pressure Is On (Elektra/Curb 1981)****, High Notes (Elektra/Curb 1982)***, Strong Stuff (Elektra/Curb 1983)***, Man Of Steel (Warners/Curb 1983)****, Major Moves (Warners/Curb 1984)****, Five-O (Warners/Curb 1985)****, Montana Cafe (Warners/Curb 1986)****, Hank Live (Warners/Curb 1987)***, Born To Boogie (Warners/Curb 1987)****, Wild Streak (Warners/Curb 1988)****, Lone Wolf (Warners/Curb 1990)**, America - The Way I See It (Warners/Curb 1990)*, Pure Hank (Warners/Curb 1991)***, Maverick (Curb/Capricorn 1992)****, Out Of Left Field (Curb/Capricorn 1993)***, Hog Wild (MCG/Curb 1995)***, AKA Wham Bam Sam (MCG/Curb 1996)**, with Hank Williams, Hank Williams III Three Hanks, Men With Broken Hearts (Curb 1996)***, Stormy (Curb 1999)****, Almeria Club (Curb 2002)****, I'm One Of You (Curb 2003)***.
COMPILATIONS: The Best Of Hank Williams Jr. (MGM 1967)***, Living Proof: The MGM Recordings 1963 - 1975 (Mercury 1974)****, 14 Greatest Hits (Polydor 1976)***, Hank Williams Jr.'s Greatest Hits (Warners/Curb 1982)***, Greatest Hits Volume Two (Warners/Curb 1985)****, The Early Years 1976-1978 (Warners/Curb 1986)***, Country Store (Country Store 1988)***, Standing In The Shadows (Polydor 1988)****, Greatest Hits Volume 3 (Warners/Curb 1989)****, The Bocephus Box: Hank Williams Jr. Collection "79 - 92 (Capricorn 1992)***, The Best Of, Volume 1: Roots And Branches (Mercury 1992)***, Hank Williams Jr."s Greatest Hits (Curb 1994)***, The Early Years Part One (Curb 1998)***, The Early Years Part Two (Curb 1998)***, The Complete Hank Williams Jr. 3-CD set (Curb 1999)***, The Bocephus Box Set (1979-1999) 3-CD box set (Curb 2000)***.
VIDEOGRAPHY: Greatest Video Hits (Warner Home Video 1992).
BIBLIOGRAPHY: Living Proof, Hank Williams Jnr. with Michael Bane.

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