Williams, Hank, Jr., 1949-

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Randall Hank Williams (born May 26, 1949), known professionally as Hank Williams Jr. or Bocephus, is an American singer-songwriter and musician. His musical style has been described as a blend of rock, blues, and country. He is the son of country musician Hank Williams and the father of musicians Holly Williams and Hank Williams III, and the grandfather of Coleman Williams. He is also the half brother of Jett Williams.

Williams began his career following in his famed father's footsteps, covering his father's songs and imitating his father's style. Williams' first television appearance was in a December 1963 episode of The Ed Sullivan Show, in which at age fourteen he sang several songs associated with his father. Later that year, he was a guest star on Shindig!

Williams' style evolved slowly as he struggled to find his own voice and place within country music. This was interrupted by a near-fatal fall while climbing Ajax Peak in Montana on August 8, 1975. After an extended recovery, he rebuilt his career in the country rock scene. As a multi-instrumentalist, Williams' repertoire of skills includes guitar, bass guitar, upright bass, steel guitar, banjo, dobro, piano, keyboards, saxophone, harmonica, fiddle, and drums. In 2020, Williams Jr. was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
referencedIn John Eldon Thayer collection of motion picture memorabilia, 1916-1979. Harvard Theater Collection, Houghton Library, Harvard College Library, Harvard University
referencedIn Stewart, Jimmy. Hank Williams collection, 1948-1955. Alabama Department of Archives and History
referencedIn Eugene Earle Collection, 1939-1980s University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Library. Southern Folklife Collection.
contributorOf Robert F. "Bob" Menasco Collection Center for Popular Music, Middle Tennessee State University
referencedIn Stewart, Robert, Mrs. Hank Williams collection, ca.1950-1978. Alabama Department of Archives and History
creatorOf Williams, Hank, 1949-. Ballad of the moonshine : [from] The moonshine war / lyrics and music by Hank Williams, Jr. Library of Congress
creatorOf Burdette, Alan R. (Alan Ray). [United States, Indiana, Bloomington, "Whigmaleerie: an odd and fanciful contrivance," 1990] [sound recording] / collected by Archives staff. Indiana University, Archives of Traditional Music
referencedIn Southern Folklife Collection Artist Name File, 1940-2005 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Library. Southern Folklife Collection.
Role Title Holding Repository
Relation Name
memberOf Country Music Hall of Fame corporateBody
associatedWith Earle, Eugene. person
associatedWith Stewart, Jimmy. person
associatedWith Stewart, Robert, Mrs. person
associatedWith Thayer, John Eldon, 1899-1980 person
childOf Williams, Hank, 1923-1953 person
Place Name Admin Code Country
Shreveport LA US
Nashville TN US
Subject
Motion picture music
Occupation
Activity

Person

Birth 1949-05-26

Americans

English

Information

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Ark ID: w62911md

SNAC ID: 87981283