Hank Williams mighta been "old school" but I loved him. My memories of his music date back to ages 3 & 4. Anytime my mother got pissed at my father he'd sing Hanks tunes to her, from Poor Kaw-liga to Yer cheetin heart, or Hey good lookin' an it never failed to make her smile (Plus all he had was a hot-shot Ford & a two dollar bill).
He & Patsy Cline were my favorites out of "really old people like over 25 an shit" musicians.
I'm pretty lucky to have lived in a day & age where I can still hear their beautiful singing. My Grandmother was born in 1902 and she said that in her day you couldn't keep a song longer than a memory and that to me is pretty sad.
His early career:
In July 1937, the Williams and McNeil families opened a boarding house on South Perry Street in downtown Montgomery. It was at this time that Hiram decided to informally change his name to Hank, a name which he said was better suited to his desired career in country music.
After school and on weekends, Williams sang and played his Silvertone guitar on the sidewalk in front of the WSFA radio studios. He quickly caught the attention of WSFA producers, who occasionally invited him to come inside and perform on air. So many listeners contacted the radio station asking for more of the "Singing Kid" that the producers hired him to host his own fifteen-minute show, twice a week for a weekly salary of fifteen dollars.
In August 1938, Lon Williams was temporarily released from the hospital, and he showed up unannounced at the family's home in Montgomery. Lillie was unwilling to let him reclaim his position at the head of the household, so he stayed only long enough to celebrate Hank's birthday in September before he returned to the medical center in Louisiana. It was the first time Hank had seen his father in over eight years, and even after the reunion, he felt as though he had grown up without a father. (Lon and Lillie were subsequently divorced in July 1942.)
Williams' successful radio show fueled his entrance to a music career. His generous salary was enough for him to start his own band, which he dubbed the Drifting Cowboys. The original members of the band were guitarist Braxton Schuffert, fiddler Freddie Beach, and comic Smith "Hezzy" Adair. Arthor Whiting was also a guitarist for The Drifting Cowboys. The Drifting Cowboys traveled throughout central and southern Alabama, performing in clubs and at private parties. Hank dropped out of school in October, 1939, so that the Drifting Cowboys could work full time.
Lillie Williams stepped up to be the Drifting Cowboys' manager. She began booking show dates, negotiating prices, and driving them to some of their shows. Now free to travel without Hank's school schedule taking precedence, the band was able to tour as far away as western Georgia, and the Florida Panhandle. Meanwhile, Hank returned to Montgomery every weekday to host his radio show.
The American entrance into World War II in 1941 marked the beginning of hard times for Hank Williams. All his band members were drafted to serve in the military, and many of their replacements refused to continue playing in the band because of Hank's worsening alcoholism. His idol, Grand Ole Opry star Roy Acuff, warned him of the dangers of alcohol, saying "You've got a million-dollar voice, son, but a ten-cent brain."[2] Despite Acuff's advice, Williams continued to show up for his radio show intoxicated, so in August 1942, WSFA fired him due to "habitual drunkenness."
His later career:
Williams had 11 number one hits in his career—"Lovesick Blues", "Long Gone Lonesome Blues", "Why Don't You Love Me?", "Moanin' the Blues", "Cold, Cold Heart", "Hey Good Lookin'", "Jambalaya (On the Bayou)", "I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive", "Kaw-Liga", "Your Cheatin' Heart", "Take These Chains From My Heart"—as well as many other top-ten hits.
More [here] on Wiki
(could only find a cover version, but it's good)
Real version...
"MGM 78 Of Hank Williams Kawliga played on my wind-up victrola. This is my second attempt at making a video for youtube. Like I said on my first clip, I've got a lot of 78s, and I hope to post them all soon to share with everyone. They are an amalgamation of all types of timeless music." <--posted from althazarr on YouTube, "Thanx Bro!"
(My favorite!)
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