by Troy Tarro

Created on: March 05, 2009   Last Updated: March 10, 2009

The career of Hank Williams, Jr. can easily be divided into two distinctly separate parts and it is the distinction of these parts that makes it truly remarkable. The first half of his career is overwhelming influenced by his attempts to be just like his father and the second half, to be anything but.

Randall Hank Williams as born May 26, 1949 to Hiram (Hank) and Audrey Williams. He was born in Shreveport, Louisiana and was his father's only child at the time; his mother, Audrey had another child from a previous relationship. After the passing of his father on New Year's Eve 1952, his mother quickly forced him into a life on the stage and his stage name of Hank Williams, Jr. was adopted.

Hank Williams

There are very few entertainers that can actually be described as legendary but Hank Williams is one of those. With his band, the Drifting Cowboys, he pioneered the "rockabilly" sound. The five piece band played up tempo country music with three guitars (two standard acoustic and one steel guitar), a fiddle, and an upright bass. Drawing on Hank's influence from black street musicians, their sound was revolutionary for the 1940's. As such, early rock and roll singers as well as modern country music artists call Hank Williams one of their early influences.

Hank began his rise to fame on a radio show known as the Louisiana Hayride. His signature song was Long Gone Lonesome Blues and each week thousands would come to the auditorium to see him and millions more would tune in on the radio. The Louisiana Hayride would also go on to feature young country music performers such as Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, and Johnny Horton.

As his famed soared, Hank Williams made his first appearance on the Grand Ole Opry, a still famous country music showcase, just one month before Hank, Jr. was born. During this time, he met a local comedian named Rod Brasfield. Brasfield was a ventriloquist and had a wooden dummy named Bocephus. Hank liked his act and started closing his shows by saying, "I'm coming home, my little Bocephus," referring, in this case, to his son. The nickname stuck for Hank, Jr.'s entire career.

As his popularity soared, so did his drinking. On New Year's Eve, 1952, Hank Williams died of a drug and alcohol induced heart attack. Hank, Jr. was barely three years old and had not seen his father in over six months.

Audrey Williams

After Hank, Sr.'s death, Audrey did not want to let the legend die. Audrey had always longed for a singing career of her own, but Hank' success was

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