Latest Release
- SEP 15, 2023
- 25 Songs
- Country Jukebox Greatest Hits, Vol. One · 1984
- That's How They Do It In Dixie - The Essential Collection · 1989
- 20 of Hank Williams' Greatest Hits · 1952
- The Greatest Country Dance Record Ever, Vol. One · 1993
- 20 of Hank Williams' Greatest Hits · 1949
- 20 of Hank Williams' Greatest Hits · 1951
- 20 of Hank Williams' Greatest Hits · 1953
- 20 of Hank Williams' Greatest Hits · 1970
- Turn Back The Years: The Essential Hank Williams Collection · 1951
- 20 of Hank Williams' Greatest Hits · 1953
Essential Albums
- Before Hank Williams, songwriters tended to say what they meant though metaphor. But after Hank Williams, they were free to say what they meant. Recorded during a brief, five-year period of a brief, 29-years-long life, the music collected on 20 of Hank Williams’ Greatest Hits was not only the wellspring of modern country, but also rock ’n’ roll—and, to a certain extent, R&B and soul. Like balsamic vinegar reduced in a pan until it develops into something at once sour, bitter, earthy, and sweet, the music on Greatest Hits—which came to life between 1947 and 1952—took the barest of artistic ingredients and managed to activate the whole of the emotional palate: For the bold (whether by nature or by liquor), there was “Hey, Good Lookin’” and “Move It On Over.” For the lovelorn (ditto the above), there was “Your Cheatin’ Heart.” Meanwhile, “Jambalaya (On the Bayou)” presaged the ensemble-cast wildness of Bob Dylan, while the imagery of “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry”—the whip-poor-will, the midnight train, the disappearing moon—remains one of music’s closest approximations of haiku. Popular song had covered this territory before—country, Broadway, Italian opera, German lieder. But none had gotten to the point as quickly or so urgently as Williams’ music. The inquest marked the singer’s death at New Year’s Day, 1953—mere months after the release of Williams’ last single, “I’ll Never Get Out of This World Alive.” Serious as he was, he always knew when to laugh.
Music Videos
- 2005
Artist Playlists
- The Bard of honky-tonk traveled a hard road.
- His raw take on country left an indelible footprint on music.
- Hard-hitting swingers and lesser-known weepers.
Singles & EPs
More To Hear
- The band's track "Anyways" is Added.
About Hank Williams
As a child, future country legend Hank Williams met Rufus “Tee Tot” Payne, a Black blues musician who offered him guitar lessons in exchange for meals or money. ∙ Williams distilled Rufus Payne’s blues, Jimmie Rodgers’ yodeling and lyric imagery, and Ernest Tubb’s honky-tonk into a unique—and highly commercial—sound. ∙ When he performed at Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry in 1949, he was called back for an unprecedented six encores. ∙ Hank’s longest-running No. 1 single, “Lovesick Blues,” stayed atop the C&W Singles chart for 17 weeks. ∙ During the last five years of his life, he recorded over 200 songs, more than half of which he wrote himself. ∙ Three songs from his final recording session—“Kaw-Liga,” “Your Cheatin’ Heart,” and “Take These Chains From My Heart”—became posthumous No. 1 hits. ∙ Williams was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, the Songwriters Hall of Fame, and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. ∙ His life was the subject of two biopics, 1964’s Your Cheatin’ Heart and 2016’s I Saw the Light. ∙ His songs have been covered by such diverse artists as Jeff Buckley, Norah Jones, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Ray Charles, Johnny Cash, and Tony Bennett.
- HOMETOWN
- Georgiana, AL, United States
- BORN
- September 17, 1923
- GENRE
- Country