Hank Williams: The Lighter Side of The Godfather of Country
Williams lived fast and died young but in 1951 he was able to do radio broadcasts at 7.15am, where the wisecracking improvisor showed his mastery of music. Hank Williams: more than just a tortured soul. Photograph: Supplied B y now you�d think we know everything there is to know about Hank Williams . He had a short life, dying New Year�s Day 1953 aged 29 in the back of a car parked at a gas station in rural Virginia. Three years earlier he had made his debut on the Grand Ole Opry , launching a body of work that would serve as one of the definitive blueprints of modern country music. A definitive box set in 1998 claimed to house every note Williams sang. Not so fast. This month marks the reissue of a 15-CD set called The Complete Mother�s Best Collection ... Plus! unveiling 142 lost performances by the country music star in an unvarnished setting as the featured performer of an early morning radio program in 1951. The recordings, rescued from acetates salvaged in the 1970s and...