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.
I'm Just A Man
Hank Williams Jr. Lyrics
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and you are the lady that brings them out of me making me feel special aww that's your specialty.
'cause you let me be me and I let you be you.Hey don't that sound so easy but that is so hard to do.
Some things make me feel sad. I feel like I could cry, feeling you next to me, aww, that makes me feel alright!
I'm not made of steel and I'm not made of stone I'm not a super hero I'm made of flesh and bone.
I'm just a man I breath and I bleed yes I've got feelings.I can hear and I can see,
and you are the lady that brings them out of me making me feel special, aww, that's your specialty!
The lyrics of Hank Williams Jr.'s "I'm Just a Man" are a powerful tribute to the emotional depth of men. The song highlights the fact that men are not made of steel or stone, but rather flesh and bone, just like everyone else. The song acknowledges the fact that men have feelings too, and that it is important for them to express themselves and be true to who they are. The lyrics touch upon the idea that being vulnerable and open with someone can be difficult, but that it is ultimately the key to a fulfilling and loving relationship.
The notion of being vulnerable and open is a central theme in the song, as is the idea of accepting others for who they are. The lyrics acknowledge that this can be a difficult thing to do, but that it is important to strive for. The song also highlights the importance of having someone special in your life who can bring out these emotions and make you feel truly alive.
Overall, "I'm Just a Man" is an empowering song for men, reminding them that it is okay to have feelings and to be vulnerable. It is a great reminder to always be true to oneself and to cherish the special people in our lives who bring out the best in us.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm just a man.
I am an ordinary human being.
I breath and I bleed yes I got feelings I can hear and I can see
I am capable of experiencing and expressing emotions and sensations, just like any other person.
and you are the lady that brings them out of me making me feel special aww that's your specialty.
You have a special ability to evoke positive and strong emotions within me, making me feel unique and cherished.
'cause you let me be me and I let you be you.
Our relationship is based on mutual respect and acceptance, where we both are ourselves and are allowed to be who we truly are.
Hey don't that sound so easy but that is so hard to do.
Although it sounds simple, it can be challenging to give each other the freedom to be authentic.
Some things make me feel sad.
Certain situations or circumstances can trigger negative emotions within me.
I feel like I could cry, feeling you next to me, aww, that makes me feel alright!
Despite the hardships, being close to you makes me feel better, even to the point of tears.
I'm not made of steel and I'm not made of stone I'm not a super hero I'm made of flesh and bone.
I am not invincible or perfect; I am human and susceptible to flaws and weaknesses.
I'm just a man I breath and I bleed yes I've got feelings.I can hear and I can see,
Again, I am just an ordinary person who is capable of experiencing and expressing an array of emotions and sensations.
and you are the lady that brings them out of me making me feel special, aww, that's your specialty!
Once again, you have a special ability to make me feel important, unique and loved.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: HANK JR. WILLIAMS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind