Hank Williams So Lonesome

Hank Williams (19231953) is revered in the top tier of the country music pantheon and his forlorn ballads are classics in the country songbook. An inspired natural genius Williams was the complete country balladeer. Though he knew almost nothing about the technicalities of music his plaintive songsCold Cold Heart Your Cheatin Heart and Im So Lonesome I Could Cryaffirm that he knew everything about its heart. Williams was to country music what Elvis Presley was to rock n roll. With his legend already firmly established he was only twenty-nine when he died on New Year''s Day 1953 (or New Years Eve 1952?) in the backseat of his baby-blue Cadillac on the way to a concert in Canton Ohio. Interest in Williams is unflagging and myths and tall tales about his life and death continue to grow with every passing year. Although the fascinating trail of Williamss career has been a favorite subject for biographers Hank Williams So Lonesome winnows away the myths and hearsay while recounting this Alabama boys blazing rise to stardom. This close look at Williams moves beyond other books by providing new research evaluations and interviews with friends family and band members. Of the many biographies this one comes closest to being truly accurate. It focuses also upon the music itself confirming that Williams was a natural songwriter and performer like none other. This assessment analyzes the Williams legacy by reviewing both the printed and recorded music and by thorough exploration of the Williams bibliography and discography.