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.
A-EEE
Hank Williams Jr. Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She's is pretty as she can be and got a beautiful body,
And when she makes love to me I can't help but hollar A-EEE!
They say that I'm a crazy cajun always rantin' and a ravin'.
But they don't know what they're missing if they ain't never had her kissin'.
In the car or in the shower I'm thinkin' of every hour
And sometimes I get this urge to just hollar 'cause I love her.
I jumped up in a bar one night when I was feeling alright.
Well he threw me into the jail I guess he didn't like my Louisiana yell,
But a man come and bailed me out and said in his mind there was no doubt.
That I could be a big star probably get myself a brand new car.
I says you mean your going to pay me just to hear me hollar A-eee!
Yes he said that's right son!We're gonna make a million.
So we went to Nashville town.I made a record and it played all around.
From then on they were Number 1,but I wasn't having no fun.
I miss my Cajun Baby and all that good A-eee!
So I went on back to Louisian' to find my girl and have a love again,
'Cause after all she's the one you see that made it all happen to me.
She's my soul and inspiration and soon her love I'll be tasting.
Oh she's drivin' me crazy with all of her A-eee!
She's got soft finger tips and a warm red ruby lips.
Well she's 24 in the waste and 36 and 38
And she's as pretty as she can be.She's got a beautiful body
And that's all that matters to me. Me and my baby and A-eee!
The lyrics to Hank Williams Jr.'s song A-EEE are quite straightforward and represent the artist's love for his Cajun girlfriend. The first verse emphasizes the physical features of his girlfriend's body, particularly her waist and bust size, but also mentions her soft fingers and warm lips which suggests he has an emotional connection with her beyond just her physical attributes. He also talks about how beautiful she is and how he can't help but yell out A-EEE when they make love. In the second verse, he speaks about how people consider him to be a "crazy cajun", but they don't know what they're missing out on if they haven't experienced his girlfriend's love. He talks about how he thinks about her all the time, even in the car or in the shower, and how he gets an urge to yell out her name because he loves her so much.
The final verse is unique, as it describes how he got his big break with his A-EEE shout. Despite being thrown in jail for yelling out in public, someone bailed him out and offered to make him a big star by paying him to yell like that on a record. The song became a hit, but he realized he wasn't having any fun because he was away from his Cajun girlfriend. So he went back to Louisiana to find her and continue his love with her.
Line by Line Meaning
She's got soft finger tips and a warm red ruby lips.
Describing the physical features of the singer's partner
She 24 in the waist and 36 and 38.
Further description of the singer's partner's physique
She's is pretty as she can be and got a beautiful body,
Yet another description of the singer's partner, emphasizing her beauty
And when she makes love to me I can't help but hollar A-EEE!
Expressing the exhilaration and pleasure the singer experiences during physical intimacy with his partner
They say that I'm a crazy cajun always rantin' and a ravin'.
Describing how others perceive the singer's behavior
But they don't know what they're missing if they ain't never had her kissin'.
Suggesting that those who criticize the singer do not understand the joy he experiences with his partner
In the car or in the shower I'm thinkin' of every hour
Indicating that thoughts of the singer's partner are always on his mind
And sometimes I get this urge to just hollar 'cause I love her.
Describing how the singer's feelings for his partner make him want to express himself joyfully
I jumped up in a bar one night when I was feeling alright.
Recalling a specific incident when the singer expressed his joy vocally
Let out a great big A-EEE and the sheriff said come with me.
Describing the consequences of the singer's outburst
Well he threw me into the jail I guess he didn't like my Louisiana yell,
Speculating on the reason for the sheriff's action
But a man come and bailed me out and said in his mind there was no doubt.
Indicating that someone believed in the singer's talent
That I could be a big star probably get myself a brand new car.
Expressing the possibility of the singer achieving success
I says you mean your going to pay me just to hear me hollar A-eee!
Reflecting the singer's disbelief at the idea of turning his joy into a career
Yes he said that's right son!We're gonna make a million.
Emphasizing the potential for success in the music industry
So we went to Nashville town.I made a record and it played all around.
Describing the singer's success in the music industry
From then on they were Number 1,but I wasn't having no fun.
Expressing the singer's dissatisfaction with his newfound fame
I miss my Cajun Baby and all that good A-eee!
Acknowledging that the source of the singer's joy is his partner
So I went on back to Louisian' to find my girl and have a love again,
Describing the singer's decision to return to his home state and reunite with his partner
'Cause after all she's the one you see that made it all happen to me.
Attributing the singer's success to his partner's love and inspiration
She's my soul and inspiration and soon her love I'll be tasting.
Stressing the importance of the singer's partner to his happiness and creativity
Oh she's drivin' me crazy with all of her A-eee!
Reaffirming the singer's joyful and passionate feelings towards his partner
Me and my baby and A-eee!
Concluding the song with a joyful declaration of the singer's love for his partner
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ben Bush
Very underrated song, and recorded when he was only 21 I believe.
frances stinehart
i love his music from his early days
Rock Reynolds
Never heard this before. This is GREAT! Hank Jr DID have some great stuff BEFORE "Family Tradition".
Ronda Gardner
One of Hanks best ever
Georgiaboy 97
AYYYYEEEEE pure country right here! Comin from the Great State of Georgia bygod! They don't make em like this no more!
Garrett Garrett
I’m 15 and cant find one buddy that listens to the good ole music
Kid Canada
have been looking for this song for a while thx great upload
Tom Anderson
Don’t understand why I cant find. This one on Spotify. Been looking forever.
LT1HILLINGHOE
Ummm...no...the reference to the 1970's has not been removed. Why would it be? It is from the 70's. Have a nice life, Junior.
LT1HILLINGHOE
Jesus was 33 years old when he died on the cross. The year was 33 A.D. Guess that kind of explains who is right and who is wrong. You can count that on your fingers too, if you like. 1970 was the first year of the 1970's.