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Hank Williams music biography continued...

on September 17, 1923, Williams took to music early and sang and played his guitar on the sidewalk in front of WSFA, a Montgomery radio station, as a teen. He quickly caught the attention of WSFA producers, who occasionally invited him to come inside and perform on air. So many listeners contacted the radio station asking for more of the "Singing Kid" that the producers hired him to host his own fifteen-minute show, twice a week for a weekly salary of fifteen dollars. In 1943, Williams met Audrey Shepard, and the couple was married a year later. Audrey also became his manager as Williams's career was rising and he became a local Montgomery celebrity. In 1946, Williams recorded two singles for Sterling Records, "Never Again" (1946) and "Honky Tonkin'" (1947), both of which were successful. Williams soon signed with MGM Records, and released "Move It On Over", a massive country hit. In August 1948, Williams joined The Louisiana Hayride, broadcasting from Shreveport, Louisiana, propelling him into living rooms all over the southeast. After a few more moderate hits, Williams released his version of Rex Griffin's "Lovesick Blues" in 1949, which became a huge country hit and crossed over to mainstream audiences.



Williams would go on to record eleven number-one hits in his short career, including "Lovesick Blues", "Long Gone Lonesome Blues", "Why Don't You Love Me?", and "Cold, Cold Heart." In the late 40s, however, William's turbulent marriage was rapidly disintegrating, and he developed a serious problem with alcohol, morphine and other painkillers prescribed for him in an effort to ease his severe back pain caused by congenital spina bifida. In October 1952, Williams was fired from the Grand Ole Opry and told not to return until he was sober. He died of what many consider a drug-related heart attack on January 1, 1953 at the age of 29. He left behind a legacy that can only be described as monumental, doing more for music in his brief lifetime than nearly any other country artist.