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.
All For The Love Of Sunshine
Hank Williams Jr. Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The flowers are blooming, it's a beautiful day
There's a girl with a heart as big as the sky
She's sunshine and I know why
All for the love of sunshine
The Lord smiled down on this life of mine
And sent me the love of sunshine
Though sunshine can always make my days seem bright
Sunshine can warm up a cold, cold night
I know my sunshine was sent from above
An angel that's filled with love
All for the love of sunshine
All for the love of sunshine
The Lord smiled down on this life of mine
And sent me the love of sunshine
Through winter, the springtime, the summer and fall
The moonlight, the starlight, she outshines them all
In a world filled with fear, with pain and such harm
My sunshine can't be so warm
Now I live, all for the love of sunshine
All for the love of sunshine
The Lord smiled down on this life of mine
And sent me the love of sunshine
All for the love of sunshine
All for the love of sunshine
The Lord smiled down on this life of mine
And sent me the love of sunshine
All for the love of sunshine
All for the love of sunshine
The lyrics of Hank Williams Jr.'s song All For The Love Of Sunshine are an ode to the positivity and light that a certain person brings into the singer's life. The opening verse describes how the darkness in the singer's world has been 'cleared away' and how a girl with a heart as big as the sky is the sunshine that he needs. The chorus of the song repeats the line 'All for the love of sunshine', emphasizing the importance of this person's presence in his life.
The following verses describe how the love of sunshine can warm up the singer's days and nights, and how he believes that his sunshine was sent from heaven. In the last verse, the lyrics suggest that this love can overpower the fear and pain in the world, and the singer lives all for the love of sunshine. Overall, the song paints a picture of a person who brings immense joy and warmth into the singer's life, and how he is incredibly grateful for this love.
Line by Line Meaning
The darkness of my world was all cleared away
My life was filled with darkness and sadness, but it all vanished when my sunshine came into my life and brightened everything up.
The flowers are blooming, it's a beautiful day
Every day feels like a beautiful day now that my sunshine is in my life. Everything around me is blooming and flourishing.
There's a girl with a heart as big as the sky
The person I love, my sunshine, has a heart that is so big and pure, it's like the limitless sky.
She's sunshine and I know why
She is like the sun shining so brightly, illuminating my life and making everything better. I know why I love her so much.
All for the love of sunshine
Everything I do is for the love and happiness of my sunshine. She is my reason for living.
The Lord smiled down on this life of mine
I feel blessed and fortunate that God has bestowed His mercy and kindness upon me. He has given me the gift of my sunshine.
And sent me the love of sunshine
God has sent me the person I love the most, my sunshine, to make my life brighter and better.
Though sunshine can always make my days seem bright
My sunshine has the power to brighten up even the darkest and gloomiest of days. She brings warmth and light to my life.
Sunshine can warm up a cold, cold night
Even on the coldest and loneliest of nights, my sunshine is there for me, bringing me warmth and comfort.
I know my sunshine was sent from above
I firmly believe that God has sent my sunshine to me as a gift from heaven. She is my angel on earth.
An angel that's filled with love
My sunshine is not just any ordinary person, she is like an angel who is full of love and kindness. She gives so much love to me and to the world.
Through winter, the springtime, the summer and fall
No matter what season it may be, my sunshine is always there with me, bringing joy and happiness to each moment.
The moonlight, the starlight, she outshines them all
My sunshine is so bright and beautiful that even the moon and stars pale in comparison to her radiance.
In a world filled with fear, with pain and such harm
The world we live in can be a scary and painful place, but with my sunshine by my side, I feel more hopeful and less afraid.
My sunshine can't be so warm
My sunshine is like a warm blanket on a cold night, providing me with comfort and security.
Now I live, all for the love of sunshine
My life is now centered around the love and happiness of my sunshine. She is my reason for waking up every morning and living each day to its fullest.
All for the love of sunshine
Everything I do, every breath I take, is all for the love and happiness of my sunshine. She means the world to me.
The Lord smiled down on this life of mine
I feel blessed and grateful that God has given me a life filled with joy and love, all thanks to my sunshine.
And sent me the love of sunshine
God has truly blessed me with the person I love the most, my sunshine. She is the light of my life.
All for the love of sunshine
One last time, I reiterate that everything I do is for the love and happiness of my sunshine. She is the center of my world.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@evis7
Wow !
Never seen this footage before but can he sing and play that guitar.
Perfect rhythm.
Man , the apple didn't fall far from the tree.
Beautiful lyrics sung with such feeling.
A country treasure.
I can't stop listening to it.
Living proof is another gem of his.
He makes the new country sound thin and hollow.
Thank you Hank.
Your dad and you and Johnny Horton, Don Gibson and George Jones and Jim Reeves , Merle Haggard and Waylon Jennings and Johhny Cash and Patsy Cline and Kitty Wells are the heart and soul of country music.
I know I have missed some but you all tug at our heartstrings like few ever have.
God bless you all.
@ohk9772
I’m 25... all my older coworkers call me a rusty soul, my younger co workers call me old. I simply say I love good music.. this is good music
@sherricooley2572
You are not alone, I always said my son was an old soul. He has always loved old thing and old music. My cousin’s kids love good old country music too. Old and rusty is a good thing.
@WhosoeverBelieveth
Amen. 🎵😊🎶
@fordsrestorations970
Till this day when I am on a hard task or got something serious , I just start singing "All For the Love of sunshine!!!"
@kingporter67
This was Hank Williams Jr best ever country hit song!!
@coreydavidson5392
People sometimes forget he had #1 hits in 1970 and 1972 long before the albums 'Family Tradition' and 'Whisky Bent and Hell Bound,' made him a massive star. They came out in '79, but really formed the basis for his immense 80's popularity.
@wilmoney4619
The songs this man wrote. Wow.
@ronniejackson9901
Damn this is probably his best song. Wow
@tippimail1
He's 74 today-i play this every year on his BD.
@ronniejackson9901
@@tippimail1 Happy Birthday Mr. Williams