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.
Montgomery In The Rain
Hank Williams Jr. Lyrics
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Oh how can you blame me for things I ain't never done.
I used to live here and now I've come back again.
Just to stop for awhile and think how things might of been.
I had to come back to remeber the joy
And the pain and if it's alright with you before I get back on the train.
I just want to see Montgomery in the rain.
A whole lot of changes I've been through.
From the top of the town to feelin' down washing cars and shining shoes.
I once met a woman here with ways like I've never see
And we used to ramble from here to ol' New Orleans.
I had to come back to remember the joy and the pain.
But it won't be long till I'll be gone 'cause it ain't the same.
But I did want to see Montgomery in the rain.
I've just come back here to stare and ol' window pane.
For one last look before you tear it all down with your crane.
You don't have to hide your baby, you don't have go get no gun.
Don't you stare like I'm crazy just 'cause I'm Hank's only son.
I had to come back to remember the joy and the pain.
But it won't be long till I'm gone cause it ain't the same.
So if it's alright with you before I get back the train.
I'm a go out to Hank's tombstone and cry up a thunderstorm
I got to see Montgomery in the rain.
The song "Montgomery in the Rain" by Hank Williams Jr. is a haunting and reflective piece about the singer's return to Montgomery, Alabama, where he grew up. The lyrics are open to interpretation, but one can sense a longing for the past, for memories that can never be fully recaptured. Williams Jr. sings about the changes he has witnessed in his hometown, and the people he used to know who are no longer there. He feels a mixture of joy and pain, as he reflects on the happy times and the hardships of his youth.
The lines "You don't have to hide your baby, you don't have to go get no gun / Oh how can you blame me for things I ain't never done" suggest that Williams Jr. may have had some trouble with the law or with certain residents of Montgomery in the past. He is asking for forgiveness and understanding as he returns to visit the place where he grew up. The image of Montgomery in the rain is a poignant one, evoking a sense of sadness and nostalgia.
Overall, "Montgomery in the Rain" is a beautiful and melancholy song that captures the bittersweet emotions of revisiting one's childhood home. It is a reminder that no matter how much we may change or how far we may go, our past will always be a part of us.
Line by Line Meaning
You don't have to hide your baby, you don't have to go get no gun.
I am not here to cause any trouble, so there is no need to be on the defensive.
Oh how can you blame me for things I ain't never done.
I am not responsible for the changes that have occurred here, but I still feel connected to this town.
I used to live here and now I've come back again.
I spent a lot of time in this town before, and I have returned after being away for a while.
Just to stop for awhile and think how things might of been.
I want to take some time to reflect on my past experiences here and imagine how things could have turned out differently.
I had to come back to remeber the joy
I wanted to come back to experience the good times once more.
And the pain and if it's alright with you before I get back on the train.
I also need to confront the bad memories I associate with this town before I leave again.
I just want to see Montgomery in the rain.
I have a particular desire to witness this town in the rain, which may bring back memories of the past.
Around these streets and old houses,
I have seen a lot of different changes in this area.
A whole lot of changes I've been through.
I have had many personal experiences that have shaped who I am now.
From the top of the town to feelin' down washing cars and shining shoes.
I have seen both the highs and lows of this town, from the most prestigious locations to the less glamorous jobs.
I once met a woman here with ways like I've never see
I had a particularly memorable encounter with someone here that has stuck with me over time.
And we used to ramble from here to ol' New Orleans.
Together, we had some great adventures that I still think fondly of.
But it won't be long till I'll be gone 'cause it ain't the same.
I know that I cannot stay here forever because things have changed too much since I was last here.
But I did want to see Montgomery in the rain.
Despite being aware that I cannot stay, I still wanted to experience this town one last time in a specific weather pattern.
I've just come back here to stare at an ol' window pane.
I also have a specific place I want to visit and spend some time around.
For one last look before you tear it all down with your crane.
This place holds a special meaning for me, although it is not necessarily of value to others, so I want to pay my respects before it is destroyed.
Don't you stare like I'm crazy just 'cause I'm Hank's only son.
I may attract some attention because of my family's fame, but I am still just a person with emotions and connections to specific places.
So if it's alright with you before I get back the train.
I hope that my visit is not causing disturbance to the locals, but also, I want to spend some more time here before leaving.
I'm a go out to Hank's tombstone and cry up a thunderstorm
I also have a personal connection to Hank Williams and want to visit his final resting place before I leave town.
I got to see Montgomery in the rain.
Despite all the other experiences I have had in this town, witnessing it in the rain is the most memorable and personally significant to me.
Lyrics © MUSIC SALES CORPORATION
Written by: STEVE YOUNG
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind