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 1964 episode of ABC's The Jimmy Dean 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 off the side of Ajax Peak in Montana on August 8, 1975. After an extended recovery, he challenged the country music establishment with a blend of country, rock, and blues. 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.
From 1989 through October 2011, his song "All My Rowdy Friends Are Coming Over Tonight", refashioned as "All My Rowdy Friends Are Here on Monday Night", had been used to open broadcasts of Monday Night Football until it was pulled after Williams made controversial comments comparing President Barack Obama to Adolf Hitler. The song returned to open the show in 2017.
On August 12, 2020, Williams was selected to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
Williams' early career was guided, some say outright dominated, by his mother Audrey Williams, who many claim was the driving force that led his father to musical superstardom during the late 1940s and early 1950s. Audrey, in many ways, wished for young Hank to be nothing more than a "Hank Williams, Sr. impersonator", sometimes going as far as to have clothes designed for him that were identical to his father's stage clothes and vocal stylings very similar to those of his father.
Although Williams' recordings earned him numerous country hits throughout the 1960s and early 1970s, he became disillusioned with his role as a 'Hank Williams clone' and severed ties with his mother in order to pursue his own musical direction and tastes. After recording the soundtrack to Your Cheatin' Heart, a biography of his father, Williams, Jr. hit the charts with one of his own compositions, "Standing in the Shadows". The song signalled a move to rock and roll and other influences as he stepped from the shadow of his father.
Also during this time, Williams had his first two No. 1 songs: "All For the Love of Sunshine" (1970, featured on the soundtrack to Kelly's Heroes) and "Eleven Roses" (1972).
By the mid-1970s, Williams had finally found the musical direction that would, eventually, make him a superstar. Williams' unique blend of traditional country with southern rock and blues earned him a devoted following, although some mainstream country radio stations wouldn't touch his new songs in this blatantly untraditional sound.
While recording a series of hit songs, Williams began abusing drugs, including alcohol and eventually tried to commit suicide in 1974. Moving to Alabama, Williams began playing music with Southern rock musicians Toy Caldwell, Marshall Tucker Band and Charlie Daniels, and others.
His last major success was "There's a Tear in My Beer", a duet with his father created using electronic dubbing techniques. The song itself was written by his father, presumably, sometime between 1950 and 1953 and was recorded with Hank Williams playing just his guitar. The music video for the song combined existing television footage of Hank Williams performing and the dubbing techniques transferred the image of Hank Jr. onto the screen, so it appeared as if he were actually playing with his father. The video was an overwhelming success, both critically and commercially. It was named Video Of The Year by both the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country music. Hank Williams, Jr. would go on to win a Grammy award in 1990 for Best Country Vocal Collaboration.
Despite his slumping album sales, Hank Williams Jr. continued to be a popular concert draw during the early 1990s and continued to record, with several of his recordings during this time still managing to achieve gold status, selling 500,000 copies.
He is probably best known today as the performer of the theme song for Monday Night Football, based on "All My Rowdy Friends Are Coming Over Tonight". The opening theme became a classic, as much a part of the show as the football itself. In 1991, 1992, 1993, and 1994, Williams' opening themes for Monday Night Football would earn him four Emmy awards.
Williams opened for Super Bowl XL on February 5, 2006, on ABC and was in the stands as a Pittsburgh Steelers fan.
On April 10, 2006, CMT honored Williams with the Johnny Cash Visionary Award, presenting it to him at the 2006 CMT Music Awards.
On November 11, 2008, Williams was honored as a BMI Icon at the 56th annual BMI Country Awards. The artists and songwriters named BMI Icons have had "a unique and indelible influence on generations of music makers".
In 2011, Williams was named one of "Seven Living Legends" of his native Shreveport, Louisiana, by Danny Fox (1954–2014) of KWKH radio. Others named were Bob Griffin of KSLA and KTBS-TV and James Burton. Two others cited, Claude King and Frank Page, both died in 2013.
In 2015, Hank Williams Jr. was Inducted into The Louisiana Music Hall Of Fame.
Family Tradition
Hank Williams Jr. Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But lately, some of my kinfolks have disowned a few others and me
I guess it's because I kind of changed my direction
Lord, I guess I went and broke their family tradition
They get on me and want to know, "Hank why do you drink?"
Hank, why do you roll smoke?
Why must you live out the songs that you wrote?
Over and over everybody makes my predictions
So if I get stoned, I'm just carrying on an old family tradition
I am very proud of my daddy's name
Although his kind of music and mine ain't exactly the same
Stop and think it over, put yourself in my position
If I get stoned and sing all night long it's a family tradition
So don't ask me, "Hank, why do you drink?"
Hank, why do you roll smoke?
Why must you live out the songs that you wrote?
If I'm down in a honky-tonk some ole slick's trying to give me friction
I said leave me alone, I'm singing all night long it's a family tradition
Lord, I have loved some ladies and I have loved Jim Beam
And they both tried to kill me in nineteen-seventy-three
When that doctor asked me, "Son, how did you get in this condition?"
I said, "Hey sawbones, I'm just carrying on an ole family tradition"
So don't ask me, "Hank, why do you drink?"
Hank, why do roll smoke?
Why must you live out the songs that you wrote?
Stop and think it over, try to put yourself in my unique position
If I get stoned and sing all night long, it's a family tradition
The lyrics of "Family Tradition" by Hank Williams Jr. explore the theme of breaking away from tradition and the repercussions that come with it. Williams Jr. talks about how country music singers have a close-knit family that is always together, but some of his relatives have disowned him because he changed the direction of his music. By doing so, he broke the family tradition that everyone in his family was expected to follow.
Additionally, Williams Jr. addresses his lifestyle choices, including drinking, smoking, and staying up all night singing, which are also seen as part of the family tradition. He remarks how everyone makes predictions about his future, but he doesn't want to be held back by society's expectations. Instead, he chooses to live his life the way he wants to, following his own rules and his family's tradition.
Overall, "Family Tradition" is a song that celebrates the idea of individualism and the freedom to choose one's path in life. It's a commentary on the expectations that families often have for their children and how it can be challenging to break away from them. However, the song also recognizes the importance of honoring family traditions and staying true to one's roots.
Line by Line Meaning
Country music singers have always been a real close family
In the world of country music, singers often feel like a tight-knit community.
But lately, some of my kinfolks have disowned a few others and me
Unfortunately, some of my relatives and I have been cast out by others in our family.
I guess it's because I kind of changed my direction
I believe the reason for the family rift is because I pursued a different style of music.
Lord, I guess I went and broke their family tradition
I suppose I am responsible for disrupting the family's long-standing musical tradition.
They get on me and want to know, "Hank why do you drink?"
My family members often criticize me and demand to know why I drink so much.
Hank, why do you roll smoke?
They also question why I smoke cigarettes and marijuana.
Why must you live out the songs that you wrote?
My family is confused as to why I choose to embody the lyrics of the music I create.
Over and over everybody makes my predictions
People always seem to assume things about me, without really knowing who I am.
So if I get stoned, I'm just carrying on an old family tradition
When I use drugs, it's not a deviation from family norms, but rather an adherence to them.
I am very proud of my daddy's name
I hold my father's legacy in high regard and take pride in being associated with him.
Although his kind of music and mine ain't exactly the same
While my father's musical style differs from my own, I still appreciate him as an artist.
Stop and think it over, put yourself in my position
Before judging me, take time to consider what it's like to be me.
If I get stoned and sing all night long it's a family tradition
When I indulge in drugs and music, I'm simply following in my family's footsteps.
So don't ask me, "Hank, why do you drink?"
I'm tired of people questioning my lifestyle and habits.
Hank, why do you roll smoke?
I don't want to be constantly asked why I smoke.
If I'm down in a honky-tonk some ole slick's trying to give me friction
When I'm at a bar, there's often someone who wants to challenge me or pick a fight.
I said leave me alone, I'm singing all night long it's a family tradition
I use music as a way to escape from these situations and continue my family's musical legacy.
Lord, I have loved some ladies and I have loved Jim Beam
I've had romantic relationships with women and have also had a strong affinity for alcohol.
And they both tried to kill me in nineteen-seventy-three
In a significant moment in my life, both my love for women and my excessive drinking became dangerous to my health.
When that doctor asked me, "Son, how did you get in this condition?"
During my medical emergency, the doctor asked how my lifestyle habits led to my ailment.
I said, "Hey sawbones, I'm just carrying on an ole family tradition"
My reply to the doctor was that my behavior was just a continuation of my family's history of drinking and loving women.
Stop and think it over, try to put yourself in my unique position
Before passing judgment, pause to consider the complex factors that inform my behavior.
If I get stoned and sing all night long, it's a family tradition
I embrace my family's musical legacy, even if it means continuing certain unhealthy habits.
Lyrics © BOCEPHUS MUSIC INC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Hank Williams, Jr.
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind