Hank Williams

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Arts & Culture

Hank Williams

American musician

Also known as: Hiram King Williams, the Hillbilly Shakespeare

Written by Jeff Wallenfeldt

Fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last Updated: Apr 6, 2024 • Article History

Hank Williams

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Category: Arts & Culture

Byname of:: Hiram Williams

Also called:: the Hillbilly Shakespeare

Born:: September 17, 1923, Georgiana, Alabama, U.S.

Died:: January 1, 1953, Oak Hill, West Virginia (aged 29)

Awards And Honors:: Pulitzer Prize; Grammy Award; Grammy Award (1989); Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum (1987)

Notable Family Members:: son Hank Williams, Jr.

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Apr. 5, 2024, 2:29 AM ET (IMDb)

Post Malone Sang About His ‘Honky Tonk Blues’ With a Hank Williams Cover at Surprise Nashville Show

Hank Williams (born September 17, 1923, Georgiana, Alabama, U.S.—died January 1, 1953, Oak Hill, West Virginia) American singer, songwriter, and guitarist who in the 1950s arguably became country music’s first superstar. An immensely talented songwriter and an impassioned vocalist, he also experienced great crossover success in the popular music market. His iconic status was amplified by his death at age 29 and by his reputation for hard living and heart-on-the-sleeve vulnerability. As a boy, Williams was the musical protégé of Rufus Payne, an African American street performer who went by the name Tee-Tot and busked on the streets of Georgiana ...(100 of 707 words)

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