Early Life

Hank Jr was raised by his mother Audrey Sheppard Williams after his father’s untimely death when he was only three years old. As a child, Williams Jr would often sing with his father’s band and made his stage debut at the age of eight. He attended high school in Nashville, Tennessee and after graduating, he briefly attended college before dropping out to pursue a career in music.

Personal Life

In 1972, Williams married his first wife, Gwen Yeargain. The couple had one child together, Shelton Hank Williams, after which they divorced in 1977. In 1975, he suffered a severe fall from Ajax Peak in Montana, which left him with facial paralysis and ended his career as a performer for several years. Williams married his second wife, Becky White, in 1978. The couple has two daughters, Holly and Hilary, before divorcing in 1983. In 1990, he married his third wife, Mary Jane. They have two children together, Katherine and Samuel. The couple remained married until Mary Jane’s death in 2022.

Career

Williams’ musical career began when he was a child, singing and playing guitar with his father’s band. He released his first single, “Long Gone Lonesome Blues”, in 1964. In 1964, he released his first album, Hank Williams Jr. Sings the Songs of Hank Williams. The album was a commercial success, reaching number one on the Billboard Country Albums chart.

In 1964, Williams released his second album, Your Cheatin’ Heart. The album was a tribute to his father, who had died. The album was a huge success, spending eight weeks at the top of the Country charts and selling over a million copies. The album’s success propelled Williams to stardom.

In 1964, Williams released his second album, Your Cheatin’ Heart. The album was a tribute to his father, who had died. The album was a huge success, spending eight weeks at the top of the Country charts and selling over a million copies. The album’s success propelled Williams to stardom. In the 1970s, he entered rehab for alcohol abuse and his record sales declined.

Williams released a string of successful albums throughout the 1960s and 1970s, including Hank Williams Jr. Sings the Songs of Hank Williams (1965), which won a Grammy Award; Living Proof (1972), which was certified gold; and Hank Williams Jr. and Friends (1975). He also had a number of hit singles, including “All My Rowdy Friends Are Coming Over Tonight” (1984), which was used as the opening theme song for Monday Night Football.

In the 1990s, Williams’ career rebounded with the release of Lone Wolf (1990), which was certified Gold and produced the hit singles “Ain’t Nobody’s Business” and “Good Friends, Good Whiskey, Good Lovin’”. He has continued to release new albums and tours regularly, and his latest album, Rich White Honky Blues, was released in 2022.

Discography

Awards and Nominations