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.
Eyes of Waylon
Hank Williams Jr. Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That was better than I was at havin' some fun
Now it's true he shows grey in his beard
Does that mean he's history, or is he a pillar and a peer
This music called country, somethin' we all make
No, it didn't just happen cause of the latest rage
Soon he was the biggest thing to come along in Nashville in those days
He sang his song called "Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way"
The 1st triple platinum in that town was hanging on his wall
Radio will play him until the end of time
Because he's a real legend not the phony kind
And I looked in the eyes of Waylon
And there I saw things that I'd never seen before
I saw a father and a brother and a friend
I saw the nights we spent while out on the road
It's not the money, it's not the fame, it's not the ladies
And the eyes of Waylon just told me so
Yes, I looked in the eyes of Waylon
There I learned things that I better know
And if I doubted there is a hillbilly heaven
The eyes of Waylon just told me so
And if I doubted there is a hillbilly heaven
The eyes of old Waylon just told me so
The song "Eyes of Waylon" by Hank Williams Jr. is a tribute to the legendary country musician Waylon Jennings. In the lyrics, Williams talks about Jennings' influence on the country music scene and his own personal relationship with him. Williams acknowledges Jennings as one of the real rounders, who was better than him at having fun. Williams also recognizes Jennings' contribution to the country music industry, and how he became the biggest thing to come along in Nashville in those days, singing "Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way," which became his signature song.
Through the eyes of Waylon, Williams sees a father, a brother, and a friend. He remembers the nights they spent together while on the road, and the lessons he learned from Jennings, which he believes are valuable. Williams emphasizes that it is not the money, fame, or ladies that define a legend, but rather the hard work and dedication they put into their music. The song ends on a hopeful note, as Williams believes that if there is a hillbilly heaven, Jennings' eyes are telling him so.
Overall, "Eyes of Waylon" is a touching tribute to a legendary musician who had a profound impact on the country music industry. It recognizes Jennings' contribution, both to the genre and to Williams' personal life, and highlights the lessons he taught others through his music and actions.
Line by Line Meaning
When it comes to real rounders, there's only one
There is only one person who is the best at having fun and living life to the fullest
That was better than I was at havin' some fun
This person was even better at having fun than the singer himself
Now it's true he shows grey in his beard
This person is getting older and might be considered past their prime
Does that mean he's history, or is he a pillar and a peer
The singer is questioning whether this person is no longer relevant or if they are a respected member of the country music community
This music called country, somethin' we all make
Country music is a genre that is made and enjoyed by everyone
No, it didn't just happen cause of the latest rage
Country music did not become popular just because it was a trendy thing at the time
Soon he was the biggest thing to come along in Nashville in those days
This person became incredibly popular in Nashville during a certain time period
He sang his song called "Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way"
This person sang a famous song about Hank Williams Jr. and whether he did things differently than other country musicians
I don't know if he did or not but I sure know what I saw
The singer is not sure whether Hank Williams Jr. did things differently, but he knows what he personally witnessed
The 1st triple platinum in that town was hanging on his wall
This person achieved incredible success and sold many albums
Radio will play him until the end of time
This person's music will continue to be played for generations to come
Because he's a real legend not the phony kind
This person is a true legend, not someone who is pretending to be one
And I looked in the eyes of Waylon
The singer had a personal encounter with Waylon Jennings
And there I saw things that I'd never seen before
The singer saw something new and meaningful in Waylon's eyes
I saw a father and a brother and a friend
The singer saw Waylon as a family member and a close friend
I saw the nights we spent while out on the road
The singer reminisced about the good times he had with Waylon while they were touring
It's not the money, it's not the fame, it's not the ladies
The important things in life are not wealth, popularity, or romantic relationships
And the eyes of Waylon just told me so
Waylon's eyes conveyed this important message to the singer
There I learned things that I better know
The singer gained important knowledge and perspective through his encounter with Waylon
And if I doubted there is a hillbilly heaven
The singer was not sure if there is an afterlife for country music legends
The eyes of old Waylon just told me so
Waylon's eyes confirmed the existence of a hillbilly heaven to the singer
Contributed by Alyssa N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.