Fans Of Song writers Hank Sr. Jr. And III

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Hank Williams Sr.
Hank Williams (September 17, 1923 � January 1, 1953) was an American singer-songwriter and musician who has become an icon of country music and one of the most influential musicians and songwriters of the 20th century. A leading pioneer of the honky tonk style, he had numerous hit records, and his charismatic performances and succinct compositions increased his fame. His songbook is one of the backbones of country music, and several of his songs are pop standards as well. He has been covered in a range of pop, gospel, blues and rock styles. His death at the age of twenty-nine helped fuel his legend. His son (Randall) Hank Williams, Jr., nicknamed 'Bocephus', his daughter Jett Williams, and his grandchildren Hank Williams III, Holly Williams, and Hilary Williams are also professional singers.

[edit] Birth
Hiram Williams was born in 1923, in the small unincorporated town of Mount Olive, about eight miles southwest of Georgiana, Alabama. He was named after Hiram I of Tyre, but his name was misspelled as "Hiriam" on his birth certificate.[1] He was born with a mild undiagnosed case of spina bifida occulta, a disorder of the spinal column, which gave him life-long pain�a factor in his later abuse of alcohol and drugs. His parents were Elonzo Huble Williams, known as "Lon," or "Lonnie", a train conductor for a regional lumber company and World War I veteran, and Jessie Lillybelle Williams, known as "Lillie." He had an older half sister (from his father's first marriage) named Irene. He also had a still-born brother, named Robin.

[edit] Early childhood
During his early childhood, the Williams family moved frequently throughout southern Alabama as his father's job required. In 1930, when Williams was seven years old, his father began suffering from face paralysis. At a Veterans Affairs clinic in Pensacola, Florida, doctors determined that the cause was a brain aneurysm, so they sent Elonzo Williams to the VA Medical Center in Alexandria, Louisiana. Lonnie remained hospitalized for eight years and was therefore mostly absent throughout Hank's childhood.

In 1931, Lillie Williams settled her family in Georgiana, Alabama, where she worked as the manager of a boarding house. She managed to find several side jobs to support her children, despite the bleak economic climate of the Great Depression. She worked in a cannery and served as a night-shift nurse in the local hospital. Hiram and Irene also helped out by selling peanuts, shining shoes, delivering newspapers, and doing other simple jobs. With the help of U.S. Representative J. Lister Hill, the family began collecting Lon's military disability pension. Despite Lon's medical condition, the Williams family managed fairly well financially throughout the Depression.

[edit] Preteen years
In 1933, Hank Williams moved to Fountain, Alabama, to live with his uncle and aunt, Walter and Alice McNell. Meanwhile, his cousin Opal McNell moved in with the Williams family in Georgiana to attend the high school there. In Fountain, ten-year-old Williams became close friends with his cousin J.C. McNell, who was six years older. There he learned some of the trades and habits that would dominate the rest of his life. His Aunt Alice taught him to play the guitar, and his cousin J.C. taught him to drink whiskey.

In the fall of 1934, the Williams family moved to Greenville, Alabama, a larger town about fifteen miles to the north of Georgiana. Where Lillie then opened a boarding house next to the Butler County courthouse. In 1937, Williams got into a rough fight with his physical-education coach. Furious with the coach, his mother demanded that the school board fire him. When the school board refused to take action, she decided to move the family to Montgomery.

[edit] Career

[edit] Early career
In July, 1937, the Williams and McNell families opened a boarding house on South Perry Street in downtown Montgomery, a city much larger than any they had ever lived in. 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, Hank 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.

[edit] Drifting Cowboys
Hank's 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."

[edit] Later career
Williams had eleven number-one hits in his short 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 10 hits.

[edit] 1940s
In 1943, Williams met Audrey Shepard, and the couple was married a year later. Audrey also became his manager as Williams's career was rising and he became a local celebrity. In 1946, Williams recorded two singles for Sterling Records, "Never Again" (1946) and "Honky Tonkin'" (1947), both of which were successful. Williams soon signed with MGM Records, and released "Move It On Over", a massive country hit. In August 1948, Williams joined The Louisiana Hayride, broadcasting from Shreveport, Louisiana, propelling him into living rooms all over the southeast. After a few more moderate hits, Williams released his version of Rex Griffin's "Lovesick Blues" in 1949, which became a huge country hit and crossed over to mainstream audiences. That year, Williams sang the song at the Grand Ole Opry, where he became the first performer to receive six encores. In addition, Hank brought together Bob McNett (guitar), Hillous Butrum (bass), Jerry Rivers (fiddle) and Don Helms (steel guitar) to form the most famous version of the Drifting Cowboys; also that year, Audrey Williams gave birth to Randall Hank Williams (Hank Williams, Jr.). 1949 also saw Williams release seven hit songs after "Lovesick Blues", including "Wedding Bells", "Mind Your Own Business", "You're Gonna Change (Or I'm Gonna Leave)" and "My Bucket's Got a Hole in It".

[edit] Luke the Drifter
In 1950, Williams began recording as Luke the Drifter, an appellation given to Williams for use in identifying his more moralistic and religious-themed recordings, many of which are recitations rather than his usual crooning. Fearful that disc jockeys and jukebox operators would become hesitant to accept these non-traditional Williams recordings, thereby hurting the marketability of Williams's name, the name Luke the Drifter was employed to cloak the identity of the artist � though the source of the recordings was quite evident. Around this time, Williams released more hit songs, such as "My Son Calls Another Man Daddy", "They'll Never Take Her Love from Me", "Why Should We Try Anymore?", "Nobody's Lonesome for Me", "Long Gone Lonesome Blues", "Why Don't You Love Me?", "Moanin' the Blues" and "I Just Don't Like This Kind of Livin'". In 1951, "Dear John" became a hit but the B-side, "Cold, Cold Heart", has endured as one of his most famous songs, aided by the #1 pop version by Tony Bennett in 1951 being the first of many recordings of Williams's songs in a non-country genre. ("Cold, Cold Heart" has subsequently been covered by Guy Mitchell, Casino Steel, Teresa Brewer, Dinah Washington, Lucinda Williams, Cowboy Junkies, Frankie Laine, Jo Stafford, and Norah Jones, among others). That same year, Williams released other hits, including the enduring classic "Crazy Heart".

Despite Hank's numerous country hits, the legend of Hank Williams seems to rest in the duality of his writings. On one hand, Hank would sing about having a rowdy time ("Honky Tonkin'") or drifting aimlessly ("Lost Highway"), but would then sing religious songs of remorse, most particularly, the title track to the album "I Saw The Light."

[edit] Personal life
Hank Williams's life would become unmanageable due to his success. His marriage, always turbulent, was rapidly disintegrating, and he developed a serious problem with alcohol, morphine and other painkillers. Much of this abuse came from attempts to ease his severe back pain. In 1952, Hank and Audrey separated and he moved in with his mother, even as he released numerous hit songs, such as "Half as Much", "Jambalaya (On the Bayou)", "Settin' the Woods on Fire", "You Win Again" and "I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive". Williams's drug problems continued to spiral out of control as he moved to Nashville and officially divorced his wife. A relationship with Bobby Jett during this period resulted in a daughter, Jett, who would be born just after his death.

In October 1952, Williams was fired from the Grand Ole Opry. Told not to return until he was sober, he instead rejoined the Louisiana Hayride. On October 18, 1952, he married Billie Jean Jones Eshlimar. A ceremony was held at the New Orleans Municipal Auditorium and 14,000 people bought tickets to attend. Soon after, the Drifting Cowboys decided to part ways with Williams. Their departure was due to Hank drinking more than a show would pay.

[edit] Death
On January 1, 1953, Williams was due to play in Canton, Ohio, but he was unable to fly due to weather problems. He hired a chauffeur and before leaving the old Andrew Johnson Hotel in Knoxville, Tennessee, injected himself with B12 and morphine. He then left in a Cadillac, though contrary to popular belief, he did not have a bottle of whiskey with him. He was trying to get his career back on track by proving to promoters that he could be sober and reliable. The only items found in the backseat of Hank's car were a few cans of beer and the hand-written lyrics to an unrecorded song. He also stopped at the Burger Bar (located in Bristol,VA) (which is still currently open and running as it was on that day.) and ate his last meal at this place before the later events of his death. This place sells burgers with names of his songs to commemorate him.

When the seventeen year-old chauffeur Charles Carr pulled over at an all-night service station in Oak Hill, West Virginia, he discovered that Williams was unresponsive and becoming rigid.[3] Upon closer examination, it was discovered that Hank Williams was dead. He was twenty-nine. Controversy has since surrounded Williams's death with some claiming Williams was dead before leaving Knoxville.[4]

Williams's final single was ominously titled "I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive". Five days after his death, his illegitimate daughter by Bobbie Jett (Jett Williams) was born. His widow, Billie Jean, married country singer Johnny Horton in September of that year (1953).

[edit] Legacy and influence

A life-size statue of Williams stands in downtown Montgomery, Alabama, where he began his music careerHis son Hank Williams, Jr., daughter Jett Williams, grandson Hank Williams III, and granddaughters Hilary Williams and Holly Williams are also country musicians.

Williams ranked #2 in CMT's 40 Greatest Men of Country Music in 2003. His son, Hank, Jr., ranked #20 on that same list.

Hank Williams's remains are interred at the Oakwood Annex in Montgomery, Alabama. His funeral was said to have been far larger than any ever held for a citizen of Alabama and is still, as of 2005, the largest such event ever held in Montgomery. As of 2007, more than fifty years after Williams's death, members of his Drifting Cowboys continue to tour and bring his music to generations of fans.

In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked him #74 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.[5] The website "Acclaimedmusic" collates recommendations of albums and recording artists. There is a year-by-year recommendation for top artists. For the period 1940�1949, Hank Williams is ranked as number 1 for his song "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry".

In February 2005 the Tennessee Court of Appeals upheld a lower court ruling stating that Hank Williams's heirs�son Hank Williams Jr. and daughter Jett Williams�have the sole rights to sell his old recordings made for a Nashville, Tennessee radio station in the early 1950s. The court rejected claims made by Polygram Records and Legacy Entertainment in releasing recordings Williams made for the Mother's Best Flour Show, a program that originally aired on WSM-AM. The recordings, which Legacy Entertainment acquired in 1997, include live versions of Williams's hits and his cover version of other songs. Polygram contended that Williams's contract with MGM Records, which Polygram now owns, gave them rights to release the radio recordings. Jett Williams stated on her website in August 2007 that the "Mother's Best" recordings should be released in 2008.[6]
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Hank Williams Jr.

Hank Williams, Jr., (born Randall Hank Williams, May 26, 1949) is an American country singer-songwriter and musician. His musical style is often considered a blend of southern rock, blues, and traditional country. The son of country music pioneer Hank Williams, he is the father of Hank Williams III, Holly Williams, Hillary Williams, Samuel, and Katie Williams.

Though he began his career imitating his famed father, Williams' style slowly evolved until he was involved in a near fatal fall that changed his personal and professional life forever. After an extended recovery, he challenged the country music establishment with a revolutionary blend of country, rock, and blues. After much critical and popular success in the 1980s, Williams earned considerable recognition and enjoyed substantial popularity. He is now considered a sort of elder statesman of country music.

A multi-instrumentalist, Williams can play electric guitar, acoustic guitar, bass guitar, upright bass, steel guitar, banjo, piano, keyboards, harmonica, fiddle, and drums.[2]

Born Randall Hank Williams in Shreveport, Louisiana, his famous father bestowed upon him the nickname Bocephus (named after Grand Ole Opry comedian Rod Brasfield's ventriloquist dummy). He was raised by his mother Audrey after his father's death in 1953. As a child, a huge array of contemporary musicians visited him, influenced, and taught him various music instruments and styles. These influences include: Johnny Cash, Fats Domino, Earl Scruggs, Jerry Lee Lewis and many, many more. He began performing when he was eight years old, and in 1963, he made his recording debut with "Long Gone Lonesome Blues," one of many of his father's classic songs.

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[citation needed]. Audrey, in many ways, promoted young Hank Jr. as little more than a Hank Williams impersonator, sometimes going as far as to have clothes designed for him that were identical to his father's stage clothes, and encouraging vocal stylings very similar to those of his father.

[edit] A change in musical direction
Although Williams's recordings earned him numerous country hits throughout the 1960s and early 1970s with his role as a "Hank Williams clone", he became disillusioned 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 (Of a Very Famous Man)". The song signalled a move to rock and roll and other influences, as he tentatively began to step out of the proverbial 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 began to pursue musical direction that would, eventually, make him a superstar. While recording a series of moderately successful songs, Williams began to heavily abuse drugs and alcohol, and eventually attempted suicide in 1973.[citation needed] Upon moving to Alabama in an attempt to re-focus both his creative energy and his troubled personal life, Williams began playing music with Southern rock musicians Waylon Jennings, Toy Caldwell, Marshall Tucker Band and Charlie Daniels and others. Hank Williams Jr. and Friends, what is often called his "watershed" album, was the product of these then-groundbreaking collaborations.

[edit] Injury and recovery
On August 8, 1975, Williams was severely injured while climbing Ajax Mountain near Missoula, Montana.

The accident shattered every bone within his face and exposed his brain to the open air. It would eventually take nine major surgeries to reconstruct his face. His recovery took two years. In order to hide the numerous scars, Williams adopted the look that would become his trademark: a thick, full beard, cowboy hat, and dark sunglasses. Upon his return to the recording studio, Williams worked with Waylon Jennings on the album entitled The New South. Williams did not, however, reach the charts again until the late 1970s, with Bobby Fuller's "I Fought the Law", "Family Tradition" and "Whiskey Bent and Hell Bound." Williams' unique blend of traditional country western music with southern rock and blues earned him a devoted following, although mainstream country radio stations would not touch his new songs in this blatantly untraditional sound.

[edit] Acceptance by country music establishment

Williams' career began to hit its peak after the Nashville establishment gradually--and somewhat reluctantly--accepted his new sound. His popularity had risen to such levels that he could no longer be overlooked for major industry awards. He was extremely prolific throughout the 1980s, sometimes recording and releasing two albums a year. Family Tradition, Whiskey Bent and Hell Bound, Habits Old and New, Rowdy, The Pressure is On, High Notes, Strong Stuff, Man of Steel, Major Moves, Five-0, Montana Cafe, and many others resulted in a long string of hits. In 1987 and 1988, Williams was named Entertainer Of The Year by the Country Music Association. In 1987, 1988, and 1989, he won the same award from the Academy of Country Music. The pinnacle album of his acceptance and popularitiy was Born to Boogie. During the 1980s, Williams became a country music superstar known for catchy anthems and hard-edged rock-influenced country.

His last major hit was "There's a Tear in My Beer," a duet with his father, that was created using electronic dubbing techniques. The song itself was written by his father, 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 both a critical and commercial success. 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.

He is probably best known today as the performer of the theme song for Monday Night Football, based on his 1984 hit, "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's opening themes for Monday Night Football would earn him four Emmy awards.

In 2004, Williams was featured prominently on CMT Outlaws.

He has also made a cameo appearance along with Larry the Cable Guy, Kid Rock, and Charlie Daniels in Gretchen Wilson's music video for the song "All Jacked Up", whose album has been released. He and Kid Rock also appeared in Gretchen Wilson's "Redneck Woman" video.

Williams donated $125,000 to Hurricane Katrina relief efforts in Biloxi, Mississippi on October 14, 2005.[citation needed]

On December 26, 2005 Hank Williams, Jr opened for Monday Night Football on ABC for the last time. In 2006, the series moved to Disney corporate sibling, ESPN.

For MNF's 2006 debut on ESPN, Williams Jr. re-recorded the MNF opening theme with an all-star jam band that included Little Richard, ?uestlove, Joe Perry, Clarence Clemons, Rick Nielsen, Bootsy Collins, Charlie Daniels, Steven Van Zandt and others.

On January 7, 2006, Hank Williams, Jr opened up for two games on ABC for the NFL Playoffs.

Hank Williams Jr. visited with Randal McCloy Jr., the only survivor of the Sago Mine accident, on Wednesday, January 11, 2006, in Morgantown, West Virginia. Williams travelled to the hospital after learning that McCloy was a fan of his music. "It just hit me like a ton of bricks because I had a big mountain fall in the 1970s, and they said I wouldn't live," Williams told Pittsburgh TV station KDKA. "It really, really affected me, and I said, 'I've just got to go there and meet the family."

The Tennessee Court of Appeals has upheld a lower court ruling stating that Hank Williams's heirs�son Hank Williams Jr. and daughter Jett Williams�have the sole rights to sell his old recordings made for a Nashville radio station in the early '50s. The court rejected claims made by Polygram Records and Legacy Entertainment in releasing recordings Williams made for the Mother's Best Flour Show, a program that originally aired on WSM-AM. The recordings, which Legacy Entertainment acquired in 1997, include live versions of Williams's hits and his cover version of other songs. Polygram contended that Williams's contract with MGM Records, which Polygram now owns, gave them rights to release the radio recordings.

Hank Williams, Jr. opened for Super Bowl XL which was aired February 5, 2006 on ABC. Williams Jr 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. Williams joins an elite circle of gifted performers to have received this prestigious mark of distinction, including Loretta Lynn (2005), Reba McEntire (2004), Johnny Cash (2003).

In August of 2006 a petition was started online to place Hank Williams, Jr. into the Country Music Hall of Fame.

On February 17, 2007, Hank Williams, Jr. filed for divorce from his fourth wife, Mary Jane, whom he married 16 years previously.

Hank Williams Jr. sold the majority of his compound outside Missoula in 2007. He kept a small plot of land and now stays in his guesthouse when he is in Montana. He also resides in the small town of Paris, Tennessee and owns a hunting cabin in rural Pike County, Alabama.

In April 2006, Williams, Jr. was arrested in connection with an alleged assault on a waitress in a Memphis hotel. Williams, Jr was released without bond and the case went before a Grand Jury. [1] However, the case was later dropped.[3]
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Hank Williams III

Shelton Hank Williams (December 12, 1972) is an American musician. He is sometimes credited as Hank III or even III. The three is often represented by a modified version of Raymond Pettibon's Black Flag logo.

The grandson of Hank Williams, Sr. and the son of Hank Williams Jr, both country music legends, the younger Williams' music alternates between somewhat traditional country, and a more aggressive music that touches on punk rock and elements of various heavy metal styles. His music is difficult to classify concisely, but has been described as hard-twang, cowpunk, altcountry, hellbilly, and honky punk.[1]

Hank III enjoys an extremely loyal grassroots fan base and much of his success can be attributed to his taper-friendly stance of his frenetic live tours, which have been his main promotional vehicle.

Williams spent much of his early career playing drums in punk rock bands.

In 1996, mounting child support payments led Williams to capitalize on his family name and sign a contract with Nashville, Tennessee music industry giant Curb Records. Three Hanks: Men With Broken Hearts was issued shortly thereafter, which spliced together recordings to make it seem that three generations of Williams men were singing alongside one another. Upon first meeting Hank III, Minnie Pearl, a friend of Hank Williams Sr., reportedly said "Lord, honey, you're a ghost," as she was astonished by his striking resemblance to his grandfather.

Williams' first solo album, Risin' Outlaw, was released in September 1999 to respectable sales and strong reviews. While his name (and his uncanny vocal and physical resemblances to his grandfather) could have guaranteed Williams a thriving country audience, he had little patience for the often predictable Nashville sound, nor for even the minimal constraints on behavior his promoters required. His opinions on this subject are well summed up in the songs "Trashville" and "Dick in Dixie" Lovesick, Broke and Driftin' was released in 2002.

Known for his relentless touring, Williams' live shows typically follow a "Jekyll and Hyde" format of a country set followed by a hellbilly set, and then an Assjack set. He plays country and hellbilly with his "Damn Band" and produces a very different sound with Assjack, which is a punk rock band. The lineup for Assjack includes the addition of supplemental vocalist, Gary Lindsey, bassist JoeBuck switching from upright to electric bass, and the departure of his fiddle and slide guitar players. In the past, The Damn Band/Assjack also featured fiddle-player extraordinaire Michael "Fiddleboy" McCanless, who would play both sets, adding traditional violin for country set of the concert before plugging his instrument into an amplifier and distortion unit for later sets. Another former band member was guitarist Duane Denison, previously with The Jesus Lizard, who left The Damn Band and Assjack in January 2001 and later that year formed Tomahawk.

Williams had a great deal of trouble with Curb Records. He expressed dissatisfaction with his debut, and reportedly the label was unwilling to release his appropriately named This Ain't Country LP, nor allow him to issue it on another record label. In response, Williams began selling t-shirts stating "F**k Curb." Also during this era, Williams played bass guitar in Superjoint Ritual, a now defunct band led by with former Pantera vocalist Phil Anselmo. Joe Fazzio, former drummer for Superjoint Ritual, has toured with Hank III as well as contributing to his album Lovesick, Broke and Driftin'.

In late 2004, Thrown Out of the Bar was slated for release, but Curb opted not to issue it. Williams and label executive Mike Curb would be in and out of court for the next year before a judge ruled in favor of Williams in the spring of 2005, demanding that Curb release the album. Shortly thereafter, Williams and Curb came to terms, and Williams dropped his "F**k Curb" campaign. Bar was reworked into Straight to Hell, released on Curb�s rock imprint, Bruc, which featured a cover of "Pills I Took," originally by Those Poor B******s.

Battles with Wal-Mart had delayed the release of Straight to Hell, which was released on February 28, 2006 as a two-disc set in two formats: a censored version (for Wal-Mart), and an uncensored version, which was the first major-label Country album to bear a parental advisory warning. One of the songs, "Pills I Took", was written by a little-known Wisconsin group called Those Poor B******s who originally released the song on their 2004 CD Country Bullshit[2].

Currently, Hank III is touring in support of Straight to Hell, and has been overheard claiming that a rock record, presumably under the moniker of Assjack, will finally see the light of day in less than a year, followed by a new country album. He has also played drums for Arson Anthem, formed with Anselmo and Mike Williams from EYEHATEGOD.[3]

As Stated in a Youtube interview, Hank is currently working on a new album, for now Hank calls it "Damn Right & Rebel Proud" and has some of the same type of songs on it as Straight to Hell. [4]

[edit] Other activities
Hank III has recorded the tracks "87 Southbound" and "Thunderstorms and Neon Signs", which were penned by Wayne Hancock, a musician who is often compared to him.
On the self-titled - and single - release of Rebel Meets Rebel, a side project by David Allan Coe and Pantera's Dimebag Darrell, Vinnie Paul, and Rex Brown, Hank III is featured on "Get Outta My Life".
Backed by the Rollins Band, Williams sang Black Flag�s �No Values� on ��Rise Above: 24 Black Flag Songs to Benefit the West Memphis Three��.
Hank III appears in the film Southlander: Diary of a Desperate Musician (2001).[1]
Hank III has written liner notes for all three studio albums by grindcore band Brujeria.
Hank III played drums on Arson Anthem's eponymous debut.
Hank III is credited with Guitar and Vocals on 'Ramblin' Man' and Vocals on 'Okie from Muskogee', both on the 2000 album 'the Crybaby' by the Melvins
Hank III is 6'2" and resides in Nashville, Tennessee

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