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.
Once And For All
Hank Williams Jr. Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I've been on the road
And the keys to the city are
All I've got to show
Though it's easy to take home
The belle of the ball
I'm getting tired of it all
'Cause you're the one that
Helped me find myself
And I'm gonna love you and nobody else
You pick me up everytime I fall
And if you ever need me just gimme a call
'Cause I'm gonna love you once and for all
Now I look forward to rainy days
So I can learn more of your lovin' ways
And when I'm home and you're
The star on the stage
And until the final curtain calls
I'm gonna love you once and for all
'Cause you're the one that stuck it out
And you know that's what love's all about
I could have a woman everytime I call
But I'd rather see you
Walkin' down the hall
And I'm gonna love you once and for all
And if you ever need me just give me a call
'Cause I'm gonna love you once and for all
And I'd rather see you
Walkin' down the hall
In this song, Hank Williams Jr. talks about how he has been traveling and performing on the road, but he is growing tired of it all. He speaks about how he has achieved success in this industry but still admits that all he has to show for it are the keys to the city. He then goes on to express his love for a particular woman who helped him find himself, and he vows to love her and nobody else. He goes on to describe how he looks forward to rainy days so he can feel more of her love, and how he would rather see her walking down the hall than be with any other woman. The song speaks volumes about the importance of true love and how it trumps any amount of success that one may achieve in life.
The lyrics to this song showcase the vulnerability and emotional depth of Hank Williams Jr. despite his tough and rough exterior. They show how he longs for love and comfort and found it in a particular person who he is grateful for. The song also emphasizes how it is better to have true love than material success, which is often fleeting.
Line by Line Meaning
Time is catchin' up with me cause I've been on the road
I'm getting older and my lifestyle of constantly being on tour is starting to take a toll on me
And the keys to the city are all I've got to show
Despite my fame and success, all I have to show for it is meaningless accolades and temporary recognition
Though it's easy to take home the belle of the ball
It's easy for me to attract and be with beautiful women, but true love is more important than superficial appearances
I'm getting tired of it all
I'm growing weary of the endless cycle of touring, partying, and superficial relationships
And I'm gonna love you once and for all
I've realized that you are the one who truly understands and supports me, and I want to fully commit to loving only you from now on
'Cause you're the one that helped me find myself
You've been with me through thick and thin and have helped me discover who I truly am
And I'm gonna love you and nobody else
I'm willing to let go of my old ways and only have eyes for you
You pick me up everytime I fall
You're always there to support me and help me get back up whenever I stumble or fail
And if you ever need me just gimme a call
No matter what, I'll always be there for you because I deeply love and cherish you
Now I look forward to rainy days
I've come to appreciate the quieter times when I can spend quality time with you without any distractions
So I can learn more of your lovin' ways
I'm constantly seeking to deepen our connection and learn more about how to be a better partner to you
And when I'm home and you're the star on the stage
I'm happy to step back and let you shine, knowing that you are the true star in my life
And until the final curtain calls
I'm committed to loving you until the very end, no matter what life may throw our way
Cause you're the one that stuck it out
Through all the ups and downs, you've always been by my side and stayed committed to our relationship
And you know that's what love's all about
True love means being there for each other through thick and thin, no matter what life may bring
I could have a woman everytime I call
I may have women throwing themselves at me, but none of them compare to the love and connection I share with you
But I'd rather see you walkin' down the hall
Seeing you every day and being able to share my life with you is more valuable to me than any other woman
And if you ever need me just give me a call
I'm always here for you, no matter what, because I deeply love and care for you
Cause I'm gonna love you once and for all
Regardless of what the future may bring, my love for you is unwavering and will last a lifetime
Lyrics © BOCEPHUS MUSIC INC
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