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.
Born To Boogie
Hank Williams Jr. Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They tied the knot so here I am
Born on the bayou on the Texas Line
Loved in Louisiana and raised on Jambalaya
Now before I could walk I had a guitar in my hand
By the time I could talk I had my own band
Went on the road when I was eight years old
Money to burn and the girls were pretty
It didn't take me long to learn that I was born to boogie
When I was eighteen I went to Hollywood
I met Elvis, Marilyn and Johnny B. Goode
Got my guitar painted as the California sun
A red Caddilac having too much fun
Now we were playing them halls and jammin'
Then they moved it on over to M.G.M
They said this is the boy we've been telling you about
He lit a cigar and stuck his hand out
He said son have we got a deal for you
I'm gonna make you a star give you fifty thousand too
I told him my Momma didn't raise no fool
I'll take your money, I'll make you a movie
But I can tell ya' right now I was born to boogie
Well my name is Bocephus I drink whiskey by the gallon
And I never back down and I love a good challenge
What I do now is what I did then
I like to get down with all my rowdy friends
Now I can be sweet and I can be mean
I still got my hat and I still wear my jeans
My shades are chrome, my guitar steel
If you think I won't then believe me I will
Get down on you baby because I ain't no rookie
I was put here to party and I was born to boogie
Hank Williams Jr.'s song Born To Boogie is an autobiographical piece in which he describes his upbringing and his passion for music. He talks about his parents meeting in Alabama and himself being born on the Texas-Louisiana border, but raised on Louisiana-style Jambalaya. He claims that music has been a part of his life since before he could walk because he was already playing the guitar as an infant. By the time he was a teenager, he was touring and performing, and he quickly learned that his music and charisma were enough to attract the attention of fans and women. Williams also recalls his time in Hollywood, where he met famous stars such as Elvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe, and Johnny B. Goode. He remembers how he painted his guitar and bought a red Cadillac, soaking up the Californian atmosphere as he did so.
Despite these experiences, Williams maintains that he was always true to his roots, and he never let fame go to his head or get in the way of his love for music. He describes himself as the kind of man who drinks whiskey by the gallon and is always up for a challenge. He has a wild side but still maintains his sense of style with his hat, jeans, shades and steel guitar. The song's message is that Hank Williams Jr. was born to boogie and that he'll always be true to his roots, no matter what.
Line by Line Meaning
Well my momma met my daddy down in Alabama
My parents met each other in Alabama.
They tied the knot so here I am
They got married and I was born.
Born on the bayou on the Texas Line
I was born near the border of Texas and Louisiana.
Loved in Louisiana and raised on Jambalaya
I grew up in Louisiana and enjoyed eating Jambalaya.
Now before I could walk I had a guitar in my hand
I started playing guitar at a very young age.
By the time I could talk I had my own band
I formed my own band at a very young age.
Went on the road when I was eight years old
I started touring at the age of eight.
When I turned fifteen I was stealing the show
I became very popular and was the center of attention.
Money to burn and the girls were pretty
I had a lot of money and was surrounded by a lot of attractive women.
It didn't take me long to learn that I was born to boogie
I quickly realized that I was meant to play music and perform.
When I was eighteen I went to Hollywood
I moved to Hollywood when I was eighteen.
I met Elvis, Marilyn and Johnny B. Goode
I met famous musicians like Elvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe, and Chuck Berry.
Got my guitar painted as the California sun
I had my guitar painted to represent the sunny state of California.
A red Caddilac having too much fun
I drove around in a red Caddilac and had a lot of fun.
Now we were playing them halls and jammin'
I was performing in various venues and jamming with other musicians.
Then they moved it on over to M.G.M
I started working with MGM studios.
They said this is the boy we've been telling you about
The studio executives were impressed with me and my work.
He lit a cigar and stuck his hand out
The executive offered me a deal and shook my hand.
He said son have we got a deal for you
The executive offered me a lucrative deal.
I'm gonna make you a star give you fifty thousand too
The executive promised to make me famous and gave me a lot of money.
I told him my Momma didn't raise no fool
I told the executive that I was not foolish and would not be taken advantage of.
I'll take your money, I'll make you a movie
I agreed to take the money and make a movie.
But I can tell ya' right now I was born to boogie
I knew that my true calling was to play music and perform.
Well my name is Bocephus I drink whiskey by the gallon
My nickname is Bocephus and I enjoy drinking a lot of whiskey.
And I never back down and I love a good challenge
I am not one to give up easily and enjoy taking on a good challenge.
What I do now is what I did then
I am still doing the same thing I did when I was younger.
I like to get down with all my rowdy friends
I enjoy partying and hanging out with my wild friends.
Now I can be sweet and I can be mean
I have different sides to my personality.
I still got my hat and I still wear my jeans
I still dress the same as I did when I was younger.
My shades are chrome, my guitar steel
I wear chrome sunglasses and play a steel guitar.
If you think I won't then believe me I will
If someone doubts me, I will prove them wrong.
Get down on you baby because I ain't no rookie
I will impress and surprise people because I am not inexperienced.
I was put here to party and I was born to boogie
I believe that I was born to entertain and play music.
Lyrics © BOCEPHUS MUSIC INC, BMG Rights Management
Written by: HANK JR. WILLIAMS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind