Of all the thousands of country music performers who have made their marks in the industry, Hank Williams stands apart. In his brief six-year recording career, he easily won more fans than any musician of the era. At a time when larger-than-life stars such as Ernest Tubb, Hank Snow, Red Foley, Eddy Arnold, Roy Acuff, Lefty Frizzell and Hank Thompson dominated airwaves and playlists, Hank Williams effortlessly topped them all. He could absolutely mesmerize an audience.
In country music, no one like him had ever come along before, and probably never will again. He was one of the common people, who happened to be elevated with a special talent that enabled him to take all of the gut-wrenching emotions of a tragically sad life and spin them into songs that were haunting in beauty and meaning. He was in touch with the people’s collective soul, even while never being able to find his own. He performed under the brightest of spotlights, while roaming the darkest of streets.
