Cut from rural stock, Williams, the third child of Lon and Lillie Williams, grew up in a household that never had much money. You wrote only what you felt boil up inside you. Advance ticket sales totaled $3,500. [57] On June 11, 1949, Williams made his debut at the Grand Ole Opry, where he became the first performer to receive six encores. [37] On March 21, Robert Travis of the State Crime Bureau determined that Marshall's handwriting corresponded to that of Dr. Cecil W. Lemmon on six prescriptions written for Williams. Buy newspaper front pages, posters and more. Their son, Randall Hank Williams (now known as Hank Williams Jr.), was born on May 26, 1949. Since Williams' parents were both followers of Freemasonry,[7] Williams was named after Hiram I. [91] Carr later drove on until he stopped for fuel at a gas station in Oak Hill, West Virginia, where he realized that Williams had been dead for so long that rigor mortis had already set in. [16] Williams' father was frequently relocated by the lumber company railway for which he worked, and the family lived in many southern Alabama towns. Jett did not learn that she was Williams' daughter until the early 1980s. Instead of performing, Williams died 70 years ago today, on Jan. 1, 1953. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. Father and son rarely saw each other over the next decade, with Williams' mother, who ran rooming houses, moving the family to Greenville and later Montgomery, Alabama. When he played on his guitar, he played on the heart-strings of millions, pastor Henry Lyons of Highland Avenue Baptist Church told the crowd gathered on Perry Street. In ways that must have seemed unimaginable to this poor country boy, Williams' life quickly changed. His salary was enough for him to start his own band, which he dubbed the Drifting Cowboys. It provided the title for the 1964 biographic film of the same name, which starred George Hamilton. On New Year's Day 1953, he took his seat in the back of his 1952 powder blue Cadillac. As his driver, college student Charles Carr, barreled toward a concert venue in Canton, Ohio, Williams' health took a turn for the worse. The Pulitzer Prize jury awarded him a posthumous special citation in 2010 for his "craftsmanship as a songwriter who expressed universal feelings with poignant simplicity and played a pivotal role in transforming country music into a major musical and cultural force in American life". His substance abuse problems continued to spiral out of control as he moved to Nashville and officially divorced Sheppard. [36] So many listeners contacted the radio station asking for more of "the singing kid", possibly influenced by his mother, that the producers hired him to host his own 15-minute show twice a week for a weekly salary of US$15 (equivalent to $300 in 2021). He remained hospitalized for eight years, rendering him mostly absent throughout Williams' childhood. The marriage was always turbulent and rapidly disintegrated, and Williams developed serious problems with alcohol, morphine, and other painkillers prescribed for him to ease the severe back pain caused by his spina bifida occulta. [23] Despite his medical condition, the family managed fairly well financially throughout the Great Depression. If he came to this conclusion (of suicide), he still had enough prestige left as a star to make a first-class production of it whereas, six months from now, unless he pulled himself back up into some high-class bookings, he might have been playing for nickels and dimes on skid row. Ultimately, the completion of the album included recordings by Alan Jackson, Norah Jones, Jack White, Lucinda Williams, Vince Gill, Rodney Crowell, Patty Loveless, Levon Helm, Jakob Dylan, Sheryl Crow, and Merle Haggard. [89] Dr. P. H. Cardwell injected Williams with two shots of vitamin B12 that also contained a quarter-grain of morphine. [19] In 1935, they settled in Garland, Alabama, where Lillie opened a new boarding house; they later moved with Williams' cousin Opal McNeil to Georgiana, Alabama,[20] where Lillie took several side jobs to support the family despite the bleak economic climate of the Great Depression. They are in a bedroom in the home of Lillie (Hank Williams's mother) on North McDonough Street in Montgomery, Alabama. [34] [19] Carr's account of how he discovered that Williams was dead outside Oak Hill is challenged by Dr. Leo Killorn, a Canadian intern at Beckley hospital, West Virginia, fifteen miles from Oak Hill, who claims that Carr drove up to the hospital and asked him to see Williams. Also, the Drifting Cowboys were at the time backing Ray Price, while Williams was backed by local bands. That night, the singers body was taken back to Montgomery. Marshall stated that Williams told him that he had decided to "destroy the Hank Williams that was making the money they were getting". Date Of Birth : [32] During the same year, he participated in a talent show at the Empire Theater. Carr and Williams checked out of the hotel, but the porters had to carry Williams to the car as he was coughing and hiccuping. [88] The two arrived at the Andrew Johnson Hotel in Knoxville, Tennessee, and Carr requested a doctor for Williams, who was affected by the combination of the chloral hydrate and alcohol he had consumed on the way to Knoxville. A 3-CD selection of the tracks, restored by Joe Palmaccio, was released by Time-Life in October 2008 titled The Unreleased Recordings. What began with Williams writing material for singer Molly O'Day eventually gave way to a record contract with the recently created MGM label. He won the first prize of $15, singing his first original song "WPA Blues". One famous person of Williams, Jr.'s . About 3,000 friends of the family shuffled through his mothers living room on Montgomerys North McDonough Street where Williams body was lain in state that Saturday night. [31], The president of MGM told Billboard magazine that the company got only about five requests for pictures of Williams during the weeks prior to his death, but over 300 afterwards. The original members were guitarist Braxton Schuffert, fiddler Freddie Beach, and comedian Smith "Hezzy" Adair. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1961, the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1970, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987, and the Native American Music Awards Hall of Fame in 1999. From The Montgomery Advertiser. In 2010 the Pulitzer Prize board awarded Williams a special citation for his craftsmanship as a songwriter who expressed universal feelings with poignant simplicity and played a pivotal role in transforming country music into a major musical and cultural force in American life.. Williams was pronounced dead a short while later. The popular song "My Bucket's Got a Hole in It" became a hit for Hank Williams in 1949. Williams was an American singer-songwriter and musician regarded as one of the most significant country music artists of all time. Roy Acuff, along with a host of countrys biggest stars, performed I Saw The Light., MONTGOMERY, AL - JANUARY 4: Guitar themed flower arrangements adorn the gravesite of country singer Hank Williams as he is laid to rest at the Oakwood Cemetary Annex on January 4, 1953 in Montgomery, Alabama. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. On the evening of December 30, 1952, the restless, rail-thin 29-year-old tossed and turned in bed at his home in Montgomery, Ala. A quick study, Williams learned how to play folk, country and, thanks to an African-American street musician named Rufus Payne, the blues. Hiram "Hank" Williams died on January 1, 1953, at the age of 29. In addition, her relationship with Williams' mom proved complicated. was honored with a Grammy nomination for Best Historical Album. He attributed the decision to Williams' declining career: "Most of his bookings were of the honky-tonk beer joint variety that he simply hated. As if straight out of a country song, it was revealed decades later that Williams had fathered a daughter, Jett, who was born shortly after his death. [59] On May 21, he had been admitted to North Louisiana Sanitarium for the treatment of his alcoholism, leaving on May 24. [141] The original acetates made their way to the possession of Jett Williams. [77] The next day, two public ceremonies were held at the New Orleans Civic Auditorium, where 14,000 seats were sold for each. The first celebration, in 1954, featured the unveiling of a monument at the Cramton Bowl that was later placed at the gravesite of Williams. [114] Many artists of the 1950s and 1960s, including Elvis Presley,[115] Bob Dylan, Tammy Wynette, David Houston, Jerry Lee Lewis, Merle Haggard,[116] Gene Vincent,[117] Carl Perkins,[118] Ricky Nelson, and Conway Twitty[119] recorded Williams' songs during their careers. Around this time Williams released more hit songs, such as "My Son Calls Another Man Daddy", "They'll Never Take Her Love from Me", "Why Should We Try Anymore", "Nobody's Lonesome for Me", "Long Gone Lonesome Blues", "Why Don't You Love Me", "Moanin' the Blues", and "I Just Don't Like This Kind of Living". [33], He never learned to read music; instead he based his compositions in storytelling and personal experience. [5] He was the third child of Jessie Lillybelle "Lillie" (ne Skipper) (18981955) with Elonzo Huble "Lon" Williams (18911970). Meanwhile, "Weary Blues From Waitin'" reached No. The identity of her famous father remained a mystery to her until her early twenties. Most of the material was written by Williams himself, in some cases with the help of Fred Rose and his son Wesley. [139] On October 22, 1975, a federal judge in Atlanta, Georgia, ruled Horton's marriage to Williams was valid and that half of Williams' future royalties belonged to her.[140]. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. 4. [39] Oklahoma Governor Johnston Murray revoked the parole of Horace Raphol "Toby" Marshall, who returned to prison to complete his forgery sentence.[40]. After school and on weekends, Williams sang and played his Silvertone guitar on the sidewalk in front of the WSFA radio studio. [47] As a result of the new variety of his repertoire, Williams published his first songbook, Original Songs of Hank Williams. Over the next several years he churned out a number of other big hits, including "Cold, Cold Heart," "Your Cheatin' Heart," "Hey Good Lookin'," "Lost Highway," and I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive." His life and music received a fresh look in 2019 with Ken Burns' 16-hour documentary, Country Music, which prominently featured the icon in an episode titled "The Hillbilly Shakespeare.". Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. [81] A relationship with a woman named Bobbie Jett during this period resulted in a daughter, Jett Williams, who was born five days after Williams died. [69] On November 14, 1951, Williams flew to New York with his steel guitar player Don Helms where he appeared on television for the first time on The Perry Como Show. Encyclopedia of Alabama - Biography of Hank Williams Sr. Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum - Biography of Hank Williams, Alabama Music Hall of Fame - Biography of Hank Williams, Hank Williams - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up), Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum (1987). Under the name of Dr. C. W. Lemon he prescribed Williams with amphetamines, Seconal, chloral hydrate, and morphine.[6]. The result of the original autopsy indicated that Williams died of a heart attack. Hiram "Hank" Williams (September 17, 1923 January 1, 1953) was an American singer, songwriter, and musician. He had 2 stepmothers and a mother. Williams had an agreement giving his first wife half of the royalties, but allegedly there was no clarification that the deal was valid after his death. Fearful that disc jockeys and jukebox operators would hesitate to accept these unusual recordings, Williams used this alias to avoid hurting the marketability of his name. Montgomery, Alabama Hank Williams was country music's first megastar. [12] Stamey and Janney found some empty beer cans and the unfinished handwritten lyrics to a song yet to be recorded in the Cadillac convertible. Finally, after not hearing from the singer for two solid hours, the driver pulled the car over in Oak Hill, West Virginia, at 5:30 in the morning. Instead, Williams died 67 years ago, on Jan. 1, 1953. Celebrity Births Deaths and Ages Hank Williams Sr. [33] In 1943, Williams met Audrey Sheppard at a medicine show in Banks, Alabama. Hank Williams, byname of Hiram Williams, also called the Hillbilly Shakespeare, (born September 17, 1923, Georgiana, Alabama, U.S.died January 1, 1953, Oak Hill, West Virginia), American singer, songwriter, and guitarist who in the 1950s arguably became country music 's first superstar. Killorn stated that the fact that Carr told him it was Hank Williams caused him to remember the incident. [Part 1]", "Hank Williams Sr. makes his Grand Ole Opry debut", "The Year's Top Country and Western Records", "Hank Williams' last ride: Driver recalls lonesome end", Huber, Patrick, Goodson, Steve & Anderson, David 2014, Haislop, Neil, Lathrop, Tad & Sumrall, Harry 1995, "1985 Inductee: Lifework Award for Performing Achievement", "Hank Williams Wins Again, And Inspires Countless Covers | uDiscover", "Hank Williams receives additional Grammy Recognition as "Lovesick Blues" inducted into Grammy Hall of Fame", "The Beatles' catalogue wins 'Best Historical Album' Grammy", "Hank Williams: Native American group Inducts Him", "The 2010 Pulitzer Prize Winners Special Awards and Citations", "Hilary Williams Details Her Brush with Death in 'Sign of Life', "New exhibit explores Hank Williams' family legacy", "Hilary Williams on Triumphant New Album 'My Lucky Scars,' Family Legacy", "Country Singer Hank Williams Jr.'s Daughter, 27, Killed in Tennessee Car Crash", "The Hank Williams Lineage Continues with Hank3's Son "IV", "Nashville Skyline: Hank Williams' Life After Death", "The Lost Notebooks of Hank Williams to be released in October", "Nashville Skyline: Johnny Cash and Hank Williams: Got Some More Music Here", "Hear a newly discovered Hank Williams performance", "Six Decades Later, A Long-Lost Hank Williams Recording Resurfaces", "Newly Discovered Hank! Malinin found hemorrhages in the heart and neck and pronounced the cause of death as "insufficiency of [the] right ventricle of [the] heart." Defending his position, he claimed that Williams possibly committed suicide. While living in Georgiana, Williams met Rufus "Tee-Tot" Payne, a street performer. Carr drove through the night as Williams declined his offer to stop for food. The local record shops sold out of all of their records, and customers were asking for all records ever released by Williams. Williams dropped out of school in October 1939 so that he and the Drifting Cowboys could work full-time. 7. The ceremony featured Ferlin Husky interpreting "I Saw the Light". His childhood was also shaped by his spinal condition, spina bifida, which set him apart from other kids his age and fostered a sense of separation from the world around him. [24] During the ceremony, Ernest Tubb sang "Beyond the Sunset" followed by Roy Acuff with "I Saw the Light" and Red Foley with "Peace in the Valley. The recordings, which Legacy Entertainment acquired in 1997, include live versions of Williams' hits and his cover version of other songs. Marshall had been previously convicted for forgery, and had been paroled and released from the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in 1951. Marshall gave Cunningham a list of his patients, including Hank Williams. He showed up unannounced at the family's home in Montgomery. The world he seemed to identify most with was the musical sounds that poured out of the radio and emanated from church choirs. Alabamians mourned the death of their Hank, expressing themselves to newspapers, radio stations and to relatives staying at the home of the stars mother, that report continued. A friend of the family denied his claims, but singer Billy Walker remembered that Williams mentioned to him the presence of men in the house being led upstairs. A line of thousands filled two-and-a-half city blocks as the funeral procession carried Hank to Oakwood Cemetery. [80] In June 1952, Williams moved in with his mother, even as he released numerous hit songs such as "Half as Much" in April, "Jambalaya (On the Bayou)" in July, "You Win Again" in September, and "I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive" in November. In 1951, Williams hosted a 15-minute show for Mother's Best Flour on WSM radio. [16], The circumstances of Williams's death are still controversial. [8] He was of English and Welsh ancestry,[9][10][11][12] and he was also of Muscogee, Choctaw, and Cherokee descent. Carr requested a doctor for Williams, who was feeling the combination of the chloral hydrate and alcohol he consumed on the way from Montgomery. [42] He continued to show up for his radio show intoxicated, so in August 1942 the WSFA radio station fired him for "habitual drunkenness". Stars of the Grand Ole Opry were expected along with thousands of fans to bid farewell to Williams. Probably taught his first chords by Payne, Williams began playing the guitar at age 8. Williams was born with a mild undiagnosed case of spina bifida occulta, a disorder of the spinal column, which gave him lifelong paina factor in his later abuse of alcohol and other drugs. [73] That same year, Williams had a brief extramarital affair with dancer Bobbie Jett, with whom he fathered a daughter, Jett Williams. [122] On April 12, 2010, the Pulitzer Prize Board awarded Williams a posthumous special citation that paid tribute to his "craftsmanship as a songwriter who expressed universal feelings with poignant simplicity and played a pivotal role in transforming country music into a major musical and cultural force in American life". What we do know is that Williams died when he was just 29 years old. Because Williams may have left no will, the disposition of the remaining 50 percent was considered uncertain; those involved included Williams' second wife, Billie Jean Horton and her daughter, and Williams' mother and sister. Red Foley, Roy Acuff, and Ernest Tubb, among others, sang Williamss gospel-influenced I Saw the Light at his funeral, which was attended by thousands. The investigating officer in Oak Hill declared later that Carr told him that he had pulled over at the Skyline Drive-In restaurant outside Oak Hill, and found Williams dead. The fall reactivated his old back pains. Shortly thereafter he became a regular on the newly created Louisiana Hayride radio program based in Shreveport, Louisiana. A doctor injected Williams with two shots of vitamin B12 that contained morphine. They hit it off, and Williams asked Sheppard to marry him almost immediately. There was desire, burden, fear, ambition, reverse after reverse, bitter disappointment, joy, success, sympathy, love for people. Picking up the guitar for the first time at the age of eight, Williams was just 13 when he made his radio debut. The album, named The Lost Notebooks of Hank Williams, was released on October 4, 2011. Williams said he did not, and those are believed to be his last words. His son, Hank Williams, Jr., a successful country performer in his own right (like Williamss grandson, Hank Williams III), sang Williamss songs in the film biography Your Cheatin Heart (1964). 29, January 1st 1953. Picking up the guitar for the first time at the age of eight, Williams was just 13 when he made his radio debut. The album included unreleased songs. Why was Hank Williams an alcoholic? Lillie Williams became the Drifting Cowboys' manager. Having only recently recorded what would become some of his best-loved songs -- including Kawliga and Your Cheatin Heart -- Williams performed his final concert in Austin, Texas on Dec. 19, 1952. His song "Your Cheatin' Heart" was written and recorded in September 1952, but released in late January 1953 after his death. The court rejected claims made by PolyGram Records and Legacy Entertainment in releasing recordings Williams made for the Mother's Best Flour Show. 'The Garden Spot Programs' 1950", "Hank Williams' 'The Garden Spot Programs' Named Best Historical Album at the 2015 Grammy Awards", "Tom Hiddleston played country icon Hank Williams in biopic", "File Action to Untangle Hank Williams Estate", "Mother's Best, Hank's Best: A Conversation With Jett Williams and the Students", "The Year's Top Country & Western Artists/The Year's Top Country & Western Records", "PBS 'Country Music' - Native stories of Hank Williams Sr., Loretta Lynn and Peter La Farge", "Native American Music Awards Hall of Fame", "Country Music by Ken Burns Episode 3 The Hillbilly Shakespeare", Listing of all Hank Williams's songs and alternatives, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hank_Williams&oldid=1142672396, Special Awards and Citation for his pivotal role in transforming country music, This page was last edited on 3 March 2023, at 19:34. The prolific musician and performer wrote songs such as "Your Cheatin' Heart," drank too much whiskey, had family problems. It was swelling in him like a great body of water behind a massive dam, Lyons said. I told Carr that Williams looked dead but I did not press the point when Carr explained that Williams had been given two sedatives, Kitts was quoted as saying. "[44], He worked for the rest of the war for a shipbuilding company in Mobile, Alabama, as well as singing in bars for soldiers. Meanwhile, between tour schedules, Williams returned to Montgomery to host his radio show. Williams remains a beloved albeit tragic figure in country music and his work continues to influence musicians to this day. Widely considered country music's first superstar, Hiram "Hank" Williams was born September 17, 1923, in Mount Olive, Alabama. [84], A man named Lewis Fitzgerald (born 1943) claimed to be Williams' illegitimate son; he was the son of Marie McNeil, Williams' cousin. [123] Several members of Williams' descendants became musicians: Hank Williams Jr., daughter Jett Williams, grandsons Hank Williams III and Sam Williams, and granddaughters Hilary Williams[124] and Holly Williams are also country musicians. Despite his relatively brief career, he is one of the most celebrated and influential musicians of the 20th century, especially in country music. [131] In 1993, a double-disc set of recordings of Williams for the Health & Happiness Show was released. His mother was Audrey, and his step mothers were Bobbie Jett, who had his stepsister, and Billie Gean who was a widow just months after she married Williams, Sr. (Williams para.14). (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)Getty Images. All rights reserved (About Us). He denied any responsibility in both deaths. The Georgiana . Best Answer. On . Hank Williams became one of America's first country music superstars, with hits like "Your Cheatin' Heart," before his early death at 29. In 1953, months after Hank Sr.'s death, Williams paid his second wife, Billie Jean Jones, $30,000 to relinquish the title of "Hank Williams's Widow". [101] Released in July, "I Won't Be Home No More" went to No. He sang "Cold, Cold Heart", "Hey Good Lookin''", "Glory Bound Train" and "I Saw the Light" with other cast members, and a duet, "I Can't Help It (If I'm Still in Love with You)" with Anita Carter. Keillor, Garrison. The day after Williams died, The Montgomery Advertiser recalled Williams as a former peanut vendor who learned to play guitar at age 6. Heart failure and hard living did him in. The local record shops reportedly sold all their Williams records, and customers were asking for all records ever released by Williams. The song was number one on the country charts for six weeks. His father worked as a logger before entering the Veterans Administration hospital when young Hank was just six. He was very kind, and said Oak Hill General Hospital was six miles on my left," and that would place him in Mount Hope. Carr stopped at a small all-night restaurant and asked Williams if he wanted to eat. [86] Fitzgerald was interviewed, and he suggested that Lillie Williams operated a brothel at her boarding house in Montgomery. [22] At a chance meeting in Georgiana, Williams met U.S. Representative J. Lister Hill while Hill was campaigning across Alabama. [134] Gimarc contacted Williams' daughter Jett, and Colin Escott, writer of a biography book on Williams. In June, he divorced Audrey Williams,[2] and on August 11, Williams was dismissed from the Grand Ole Opry for habitual drunkenness. Prior to that, duplicates were made and intended to be published by a third party. Lyons recalled how Hank rose from being a shoeshine boy to star of the stage. He was only 29. The unfinished lyrics were later returned to Sony/ATV, which handed them to Bob Dylan in 2008 to complete the songs for a new album. By the end of 1952, Williams had started to suffer heart problems. His mother subsequently demanded that the school board terminate the coach; when they refused, the family moved to Montgomery, Alabama. He was scheduled to perform a few gigs on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day to see in. [109] When Downbeat magazine took a poll the year after Williams' death, he was voted the most popular country and Western performer of all timeahead of such giants as Jimmie Rodgers, Roy Acuff, Red Foley, and Ernest Tubb.[110]. Williams later credited him as his only teacher. [90], At around midnight on January 1, 1953, when the two crossed the Tennessee state line and arrived in Bristol, Virginia, Carr stopped at a small all-night restaurant and asked Williams if he wanted to eat. "[25] An estimated 15,000 to 25,000 people passed by the silver coffin, and the auditorium was filled with 2,750 mourners. In 2011, Williams' 1949 MGM number one hit, "Lovesick Blues", was inducted into the Recording Academy Grammy Hall of Fame. Both women had been using the description professionally. Hank Williams in his coffin. Carr called the Charleston auditorium from Knoxville to say that Williams would not arrive on time owing to the ice storm and was ordered to drive Williams to Canton, Ohio for the New Year's Day concert there. Liquored up and abusing morphine, he collapsed in a hotel room in Knoxville, Tennessee. [137], Williams was portrayed by English actor Tom Hiddleston in the 2016 biopic I Saw the Light, based on Colin Escott's 1994 book Hank Williams: The Biography. While he was medically disqualified from military service after suffering a back injury caused by falling from a bull during a rodeo in Texas, his band members were all drafted to serve. Cardwell injected Williams with two shots of vitamin B12 that also contained a quarter-grain (16.2 mg) of morphine. [102], Williams has been called "the King of Country Music" in popular culture. The song, backed by "Kaw-Liga", was No. [52] Rose signed Williams to a six-song contract, and leveraged this deal to sign Williams with Sterling Records. [77], During his last recording session on September 23, 1952, Williams recorded "Kaw-Liga", along with "Your Cheatin' Heart", "Take These Chains from My Heart", and "I Could Never be Ashamed of You". In Knoxville, Tennessee, the two stopped at the Andrew Johnson Hotel. "I think he had a profound sadness in him," says Marc Abraham, writer and director of I Saw The Light. Long plagued by alcoholism, Williams fell ill at the Andrew Johnson Hotel in Knoxville on the last night of 1952. [106], On February 8, 1960, Williams' star was placed at 6400 Hollywood Boulevard on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Hank jr. was three years old when his father died in 1959. He acknowledged that in previous testimony he had falsely claimed to be a physician. [5] He met Horace Raphol "Toby" Marshall in Oklahoma City, who claimed to be a doctor. As the titles of some of Williams' songs suggest, heartbreak and turmoil were never that far from his life. [70], In November 1951, Williams fell during a hunting trip with his fiddler Jerry Rivers in Franklin, Tennessee. They began to fill the auditorium hours before the afternoon funeral. Instead of performing, Williams died 70 years ago today, on Jan. 1, 1953. Another researcher decided it could have happened at any of the gas stations near Mount Hope. That all changed in 1949 with the release of "Lovesick Blues," a throwaway rendition of an old show tune he'd pushed to tape at the end of a recording session. He died in the back seat of his Cadillac while being driven to a gig on New Year's Day 1953. 1 on the country charts for six weeks. 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