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.
Cross on the Highway
Hank Williams Jr. Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I lost y two friends taken to a better world
Oh there's stop signs and there's curves
But the one we got to observe
Always bow your head and pray anytime, night or day
Whenever you see a cross on the side of the highway
Now Derrick Thomas was a champion no one can deny that
But his heart was even bigger than all his natural skill
He always helped kids in the city and you know what
I think he always will
Now my buddy Mike Tellis was a good man everyone loved him so
He took care of his dear father 'til he too was called to go
How my little girl cried when we all got the dreaded news
She said but Daddy Derrick and Mike will always be with us
Don't children always tell the truth
I never paid no attention anytime I passed one by
Oh but now I say a prayer because now I know why
There's a cross on the highway where the tragic wreck occurred
And I lost my two good friends taken to a better world
Oh there's stop signs and curves but the one we must observe
Always bow your head and pray anytime night or day
Whenever you see a cross on the highway
I saw it in the morning paper we hear it on the evening news
A mother, a child, a family life sometimes can be mighty cruel
So God help us through these troubled times
And please bless us with peace of mind
There's just a shell there in the grave for the soul has flown away
There's a cross on the highway where the tragic wreck occurred
And I lost my two good friends taken from this mean old world
Oh there's warning signs and curves but the one we must observe
Always bow your head and pray, anytime night or day
Whenever you see a cross on the highway
Always bow your head and pray, anytime night or day
Whenever you see a cross on the highway
The song "Cross on the Highway" by Hank Williams Jr. is a reflective piece about the tragedy of losing loved ones in a car accident. The first verse talks about a personal loss Williams Jr. experienced, where he lost two of his friends on the same highway. The line "taken to a better world" implies that he believes they are in a better place now, perhaps with God. He goes on to say that whenever he sees a cross on the highway, he is reminded of his friends and is moved to pray.
The second verse of the song talks about a famous football player, Derrick Thomas, who also died in a car crash. Williams Jr. speaks of his talent on the field and his compassion for children in the city. He then turns to his personal loss again, talking about his friend, Mike Tellis, who was a good man and caretaker for his father. Interestingly, Williams Jr. includes a moment where his daughter consoles him with the idea that Derrick and Mike will always be with them, demonstrating the importance of hope and faith in hard times.
Williams Jr.'s message in the song is clear: whenever we see a cross on the highway, we should take a moment to pray for the souls who were lost and for their families. The real tragedy is not the accident itself, but the loss of life and the impact it has on those left behind. The song is a reminder to cherish the moments we have with our loved ones and to keep them close in memory.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a cross on the highway where the tragic wreck occurred
At this spot on the road, there is a memorial cross placed for the people who died in a terrible accident.
And I lost y two friends taken to a better world
I feel great loss because I know that my two friends are now in a better place in the afterlife.
Oh there's stop signs and there's curves
This stretch of road has many warning signs and curves which should be obeyed for safety reasons.
But the one we got to observe
Above all the rules, we must follow the respect that is due for the people who passed away in that spot.
Always bow your head and pray anytime, night or day
Whenever you pass by a memorial cross, you should always stop, bow your head and say a prayer to honor the deceased.
Whenever you see a cross on the side of the highway
This is a reminder that we need to stay safe during our travels and also pay respect to those who lost their lives in an accident at this location.
Now Derrick Thomas was a champion no one can deny that
Derrick Thomas was a well-known athlete who was respected by many for his great accomplishments.
He led the Alabama Crimson Tide in all time total sacks
During his career, he was a top performer and made significant contributions to the Alabama Crimson Tide team.
But his heart was even bigger than all his natural skill
Despite being an accomplished athlete, Derrick Thomas had a caring and compassionate personality that endeared him to many.
He always helped kids in the city and you know what
Besides his accomplishments in sports, he was known for his charitable acts in the community.
I think he always will
Derrick Thomas' spirit of helping others will continue to live on in memories of those who knew him.
Now my buddy Mike Tellis was a good man everyone loved him so
Mike Tellis was a well-liked and respected friend of mine who always did good deeds for others.
He took care of his dear father 'til he too was called to go
Mike Tellis was a devoted son who took care of his father until he passed away.
How my little girl cried when we all got the dreaded news
This news is distressing for everyone, including my daughter who was close to Mike.
She said but Daddy Derrick and Mike will always be with us
My daughter has a positive outlook and believes that these two people are still part of our memories even though they passed away.
Don't children always tell the truth
Children, being innocent, often have an honest understanding of things that most adults don't recognize.
I never paid no attention anytime I passed one by
Before this incident, I never really noticed the memorial crosses on the side of the highway.
Oh but now I say a prayer because now I know why
Knowing the significance behind the memorial cross, I now feel compelled to stop and say a prayer when passing by.
I saw it in the morning paper we hear it on the evening news
News of accidents are reported in various media and it is important to stay aware of them for the sake of safety.
A mother, a child, a family life sometimes can be mighty cruel
Life can be full of unexpected events that can quickly change the fate of entire families.
So God help us through these troubled times
During difficult times, it is important to rely on a higher power for guidance and support.
And please bless us with peace of mind
Beyond guidance, finding a sense of inner peace during hard times is also necessary.
There's just a shell there in the grave for the soul has flown away
Once we pass away, only our physical body remains and our soul will continue to exist beyond this world.
And I lost my two good friends taken from this mean old world
It is painful to lose close friends who have been taken away from this life.
Oh there's warning signs and curves but the one we must observe
Despite other safety rules on the road, the most important thing to remember when passing a memorial cross is to pay respect and honor to those who died.
Always bow your head and pray, anytime night or day
It is never too late or too early to stop and say a prayer to pay respects to those who lost their lives in an accident.
Whenever you see a cross on the highway
The presence of a memorial cross on the road serves as a reminder to stay safe and also as an opportunity to remember those who passed away in that location.
Contributed by Nolan F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.