Hank Williams plaque unveiled at Herzog Studio

Hank Williams was the centerpiece of a ceremony in Cincinnati Sunday November 22, 2009 honoring the musicians who recorded at the historic Herzog Recording Studio.

I wrote  a post on this site  earlier concerning plans to recognize the the studio with some details on Hank’s recordings there with dates, and a list of some of the other stars who recorded at this studio.

There is a good article on the Herzog Studio and history including references to Hank Williams and the many  country stars who came there in the 40’s to record with the Pleasant Valley Boys, Nashville musicians who were there to appear on a popular early country TV show.

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20091122/ENT03/911220326/1028/ENT/Marker+notes++studio+heyday

And K. F. Raizor has a good write up on his blog.

http://raizorsedge.blogspot.com/2009/11/where-legends-sang.html

Of course with ‘Lovesick Blues’ and  ’I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry’ plus other Hank Williams classics recorded there, it’s no wonder Hank was the centre of the cermony. In fact, a two sided  plaque was unveiled, with one side devoted entirely  to Hank Williams.

Here’s a TV station link which has a bit of video of the unveiling on Sunday.

Hank Williams ‘Revealed’ enhances artistic legacy

Hank Williams is not just an entertainer, a country music superstar, a pop song writer, a radio personality a million seller recording star, country hall of fame member, rock hall member. Hank Williams transcends these popular designations, honors,  and labels that change with the weeks and months and years.

Hank Williams is a world artist of the highest order whose work rises above region, place or time.  Hank Williams stared fearlessly into the depths of anguish, despair and death. Hank Williams exalts in  the triumphs of human nature, the  raucous sensual joys, and hopes and optimism in life and love. In his short life, he tasted the triumphs of commercial success, sold out concerts,  punishing national tours, million selling records, the top of the hit parade.  

Now 60 years later we are moving into uncharted territory as just recently seen by his inclusion in the New Literary  History of America. The release of the ‘The Unreleased Recordings’ last year was reviewed by newspapers, radio and television, magazines and other journals around the world. This modest little blog receives visitors from Europe and elsewhere around the world. I support the petition to have Hank reinstated to the Grand Old Opry, but find it rather amusing. Friends, in the Hank Williams’ universe of 2009, the Grand Old Opry is peanuts!

If  ‘Revealed’ the second 3 volume Box Set of Hank Williams’ Mother’s Best Recordings had been released first it probably would have had the same dramatic impact as the first set of ‘The Unreleased Recordings’ had a year ago. But now, I suppose, the exciting and wonderful new insights into Hank Williams talent and personality we experienced a year ago were taken for granted as we waited for this the second of three Mother’s Best Box Sets expected from Time Life. And so far the new set has not received the wide-ranging publicity avalanche that occurred when ‘The Unreleased’ was dropped into the music world.

There is nothing disappointing about this collection. As I wrote in an earlier post, the new format of dividing the discs by theme and presenting one complete show on each disk is a success. The first disc of hits contains some really rocking versions of Hank’s early rockabilly recordings such as ‘Move It On Over’, ‘Hey Good Lookin’ ,’Why Don’t You Love Me’, Moanin The Blues and ‘Mind Your Own Business’. Disc 2 presents the usual solid and moving renditions of sacred songs many  we may have never heard him sing before. Disc 3 will be a disappointment to some and will not get as much playing time as the first two. It’s called ‘Luke the Drifter’ although that’s a bit misleading. From my memory, and the discographers will know of course, but many of these songs did not appear as original Luke the Drifter recordings. Most of the songs here are familiar to fans  and a new cover of ‘Deck of Cards’ a late 40s narration hit  really doesn’t add much to the Hank Williams’ story.

But overall the new set continues the sense of  excitement that  the first Mother’s Best recordings  brought to the average Hank Williams fan for the first time. There is the clarity and broadcast quality of the sound which surpasses the original MGM studio recordings. There is the richness in his voice and subtlety of expression we never heard before, not  until these old acetate radio program recordings were remastered and restored.

We learn more about Hank. And this is where the new set even surpasses the first release. A lot more studio banter and Hank’s relaxed easy going kibitzing with his band and host Louis Buck is included.  It’s a relaxed presentation that doesn’t sound like Hank’s session recordings that he knew were carved in stone so to speak and would last forever. These are just more of the of thousands of radio programs in Montgomery, Shreveport and Nashville that he did through the years and for all he knew were going out across the airwaves to disappear forever.

But on the other hand, the recordings have an immediacy in his knowledge that they were going out live to thousands of people and this brings out a relaxed intimacy with the microphone and audience only ‘live’ radio creates. Another revelation from the first Box Set  was the breadth of  Hank Williams’ musical interests and knowledge. Once again the gospel songs are standouts, along with hits made famous by other singers, and  fascinating if obscure songs Hank Williams picked to fill out these radio programs, .

These recordings are an artistic treasure, because they shows us more. They unveil the Hank Williams as an artist for the ages.  An artist with a short life and limited output. But an artist whose breadth of knowledge of human emotions  expressed both a writer and a performer, who  explores  the deepest issues of human existence is unsurpassed  in popular music.

As I discussed in first Mother’s Best release, powerful performances of songs Hank did not write added so much to his stature.  I discussed ‘Cool Water’ On Top of old Smokey’  ‘Searching for a Soldier’s Grave’ and ‘Have I Told You Lately That I Love You?’ among others. The same is true this time.

There are some equally moving and forceful efforts on this new set. I’m just letting them sink in a bit, and as I did last time, will go over the new recordings disc by disc.

Dale Vinicur, historian of Hank Williams’ family, dies

Dale Vinicur, who co-wrote a memoir by Hank Williams’ step daughter Lycrecia, and an autobiography of Don Helms as well as other books, contributions to country music history journals, and articles about the Williams’ family died last week.

She died on Tuesday, Oct 26, 2009 in Miami.  Dale was diagnosed with cancer only 2 months ago. She was 64. Her book on Lycrecia’s memories of the Hank Williams’ household is called ’Still In Love With You’. ‘Settin’ the Woods on Fire’ presented Don Helms’ memories of his life as Hank Williams’ steel guitar player and friend. ’Dear Mama Williams’ was a book about the letters and cards received by the Williams’ family following his death.

 

Vinicur was a stout defender of Audrey Williams who she thought had been misrepresented in many biographies and articles about Hank. Beginning in 2006 she wrote a blog. Her ideas about how she felt modern biographers had twisted the true story of Hank and Audrey’s relations can be found in these two blog entries.

 

Defending Audrey
And in this one
Telling the truth about Hank and Audrey Williams.

Dale Vinicur also had a page on MySpace.

 

Vinicur was associated with Audrey’s  Dream a charitable organization in Nashville dedicated to Hank and Audrey Williams  which has the following mission statement on its website:

“‘To be Nashville’s central information and support hub for people with substance abuse problems and their families”.

 

I have a lot of sympathy with Dale Vincur’s views. Earlier I expressed concern about the upcoming movie  on Hank Williams being influenced by the anti Audrey sentiment and over emphasis on Hank’s personal life over his artistic accomplishments. Finally, I was disappointed to read pointless, useless cheap shots toward Audrey Williams in the liner notes to the recent ‘Unreleased’ and ‘Revealed’ recordings. What’s the point? It’s 2009.

 

I probably don’t agree with all or even most of Dale Vinicur’s points. Maybe the truth is about half way between Dale and Colin Escott. The fact is nobody knows the real truth in somebody else’s marriage and never will.

 

 But I sure think Dale Vinicur said  some things that needed to be said.

 

New format for Hank Williams Revealed Box Set

Fans will thrilled by the new format for the second Box Set from the Mother’s Best Flour shows to be released by Time Life on November 3rd.

The 3 CD package  has a similar appearance to the first ‘Unreleased Recordings’ 3CD set released  last year at this time.

The new release has more structure than last year. Instead of the songs being organized on the CDs more or less at random, the ‘Revealed’ set groups the songs according to themes. The first is called ‘The Hits Like Never Before’, the second ‘At the Cross’, and the third ‘Luke the Drifter’, not all originally Luke the Drifter releases I don’t think, but songs of a more philosophical bent.

In addition, at the end of each CD there is a complete show from the Mother’s Best radio series. This is a big improvement for the average listener,who will now get to hear the real Hank Williams live, revealed as a professional entertainer with a great personality, showing both his humorous and serious sides, and talking about his favorite songs.

Last year several complete shows were released on a separate album with the awkward title  ‘The Legendary Hank Williams Rare and on the Radio’ which was only available on line from Reader’s Digest.  I think for many fans it was likely very confusng, and I don’t imagine, although I stand to be corrected, that the Reader’s Digest effort really sold very many copies or did much to get the Hank Williams’ story out there.

Jett Williams, who is deeply involved in the production of these Mother’s Best Box Sets, says the ’Revealed’ package offers something new:

To me, this is even more exciting than the first set because you get to hear my daddy talk and you get a sense of him, not just as an entertainer, but as a person. That’s why we called it REVEALED. The song selection is as strong as the first volume, but this time we’ve done three thematic CD’s.

Of course, as we all know from the first ‘Unreleased’ set the great thing is not only the Hank Williams personality revealed, and the new songs never commercialy available before, but even more important, the georgeous clarity and depth of the sound  which as many have said surpasses the immediacy and presence of the original MGM recordings.

One of the highlisghts of the new set is the first performance of ‘Cold Cold Heart’. This opens the first CD. In addition, the hits on  Disc 1 include upbeat classics such as ‘Move it on Over’, ‘Hey Good Lookin’ and ‘Mind Your own Business’. Some ballads on the hits disc are ‘Lonesome Whistle’, ‘They’ll Never Take Her Love From Me’ and ‘Mansion on the Hill’.

On Disc 2, called ‘At The Cross’,  there are several songs that the average fans may not have had access to before. These include, ‘That Beautiful Home’, ‘Lord Build me a Cabin in the Corner of Gloryland’, ‘Thirty Pieces of Silver’, ‘At The Cross’, and ‘Farther Along’.

Finally on Disc 3, ‘Luke the Drifter’, there are some classics such as ‘Everything’s OK’, ‘Just Waitin’ , ‘I’ve Just Told Mama Goodbye’, and ‘Faded Love and Winter Roses’. A country standard in spoken word, ‘Deck of Cards’ is also on this disc.

As I said, each CD ends with a complete Mother’s Best Flour Show. ‘Nobody’s  Lonesome For Me’, and ‘I Can’t Help It’ are included on these programs. The opening  theme is ‘Lovesick Blues’.

Time Life will also package single CD versions for release at WalMart and Barjan.

The release date at major  internet outlets for ‘Hank Williams Revealed (The Unreleased Recordings)’ is November 3rd. Of Course you can order now for November 3rd shipping.

Hank Williams featured in ‘A New Literary History of America’ from Harvard University Press

Wonderful news!

An essay on Hank Williams is featured as one of 216 in a new history of American literature from Harvard University Press. The ‘ A New Literary History of America’ was edited by Greil Marcus who is a well known writer on popular music topics, and Werner Sollars a professor at Harvard. They were assisted by a 12 member advisory board. The history covers the period from 1507  to 2008. Three other popular music figures are covered as well, Chuck Berry, Bob Dylan, and Billie Holiday, as well as early Jazz pioneer Jelly Roll Morton.

The essay focussing on Hank Williams is called ‘The Song in Country Music’. It is written by Dave Hickey, a noted arts and culture critic  and a Professor of English at the University of Nevada at Las Vegas. Hickey has written for major American magazines such as Rolling Stone, Vanity Fair, and Harpers. He has been profiled and interviewed in a number of major newspapers such as the New York Times. He has  written several books including  ‘Air Guitar’, an examination of  23 love songs.

Hickey’s essay examines Hank Williams’ influence on later song writers.

I tackled this topic in an earlier post in which I discussed the Hank Williams’ rock masterpiece ‘Hey Good Lookin’ and the  influence of Hank Williams’ attitude and language on later  rock songwriters such as Buddy Holly and Chuck Berry. It’s here.

Among song writers  quoted by Hickey are Roger Miller, Willie Nelson, Billy Joe Shaver, Harlan Howard, and Waylon Jennings. They speak in detail about the specific elements of Hank’s work and specific passages that  inspired, and more importantly taught them about song writing. Maud Newton has an excerpt from the essay in her review here.

This is an emotional moving day for Hank Williams’ fans. Indeed it is one of the most significant events in the Hank Williams’ story. He truly is immortal now.

Hank Williams at the center of Cincinnati campaign

It was gratifying to see Hank Williams all over the news in Cincinnati last month.

A citizen’s group called The Cincinnati Music Foundation is working  hard to get a commemorative marker installed at the site of the Herzog Studio. Hank Williams and many other country artists traveled to Cincinatti in the late 40’s to record some of the biggest classics of the time.

The Foundation earlier had a marker placed at the historic King Studios where many famous Black R and B legends recorded. Wouldn’t it have been great if accidently Hank had met  and recorded a duet with one of the R and B greats? Didn’t happen I guess.  I mention this as I recall the story that Jimmie Rodgers’ great classic  ’Standin on the Corner’ has Louis Armstrong on trumpet and Fatha Hines on piano. That’s the legend anyway.

An all star concert was held August 22nd to raise money for the project.

The studio site is important for Hank fans because two of Hank’s greatest recordings, his breakthrough upbeat rockabillky tinged classsic ‘Lovesick Blues’  and the heartbreaking anthem to loneliness ‘I’m so Lonesone I Could Cry’ were both recorded there in 1948 and 49. So there is added importance since this is the 60th anniversay of the second session.

Tip of the hat to the Hank Williams’ Discography which I’ve linked to on the contact list to the right for the following information.

Here are the Hank  Williams recordings at Herzog from December 22, 1948:
Lost on the River
There’ll be no Teardrops Tonight
I Heard My Mother Praying For Me
Lovesick Blues

From August 30, 1949
I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry
A House Without Love is Not a Home
I Just Don’t Like This Kind of Living
My Buckets Got a Hole in It

Here’s a partial list of Country Music artists who recorded at Herzog.

Delmore Brothers, Patti Page, Homer and Jethro, Rex Allen, Flatt and Scruggs, Cowboy Copas, Bill Carlisle, Moon Mullican, Hawkshaw Hawkins.

 

Apparently, one of the reasons for the trip north was the Pleasant Valley Boys, a group of Nashville all stars who moved to Cincinnati to appear on WLW Radio and a local Jamboree as well as playing back up at Herzog.

The personel on Hank’s recording at Herzog were: Tommy Jackson, fiddle; Jerry Byrd, steel; Zeke Turner, electric guitar; Louis Innes, rhythm; Clyde Baum, mandolin; and on bass, Willie Thawl in 48, and Ernie Newton in Aug. 49.

Hank Williams Revealed

‘Hank Williams Revealed’ is the title of the new Time/Life 3 CD Box Set of recording from the Mother’s Best Radio Programs.

The Album has now been listed on Amazon.

Strangely, a recent search of  the Time/Life music site did not bring up the new Album.

I imagine track listings have been posted out there, but I haven’t seen the list yet.

The official release date is November 3, 2009. You can pre order at the Amazon site.

 

UPDATE:

The Country Music sales site Pure Country Music has released a partial track listing for the new ‘Hank Williams Revealed’ 3 CD Box Set.

“. . . Includes Deck Of Cards, Hey Good Lookin, I Am Bound For The Promised Land, Faded Love And Winter Roses, Move It On Over, Jesus Died For Me, Ive Just Told Mama Goodbye, Lovesick Blues, That Beautiful Home, I Hang My Head And Cry, Mind Your Own Business, Lord Build Me A Cabin In Glory, Everythings Okay, Cold Cold Heart, How Can You Refuse Him Now, Where The Old Red River Flows, Lonesome Whistle, Farther Along, Alabama Waltz, Long Gone Lonesome Blues, Calling You, Just Waitin, My Sweet Love Aint Around, Dear Brother, Ive Been Down That Road Before, Why Dont You Love Me, At The Cross, Medley Steal Away / The Funeral, A Mansion On The Hill & many more”. . .

As with Amazon you can pre order the record at Pure Country.

UPDATE # 2

A more detailed look at ‘Hank Williams Revealed’ can be found on a later post here. And I have done another review a bit later here.

Hank Williams Fan Club Event

 I appreciate the support I have received from the Hank Williams Fan Club in Georgiana Alabama. They’ve linked to this site from their web page. I get quite a few visitors from them. Here’s a message about an upcoming event from member Sherri Brackin which I saw  in the Robert Ackerman Newsletter.

Hello all,

Just a Note to let  you know what weI have been up too.

Big news… on Sat. Oct. 10th the Hank Williams Fan Club is having a fundraiser at the Park in Georgiana, Al.  We are calling it October Fest & Street Dance.  We are also going to have a Antique / Classic Car Show.

We are renting spaces for Arts and Crafts/ Vendors.  If you know anyone who has anything to sell, please let them know about this event.

You may go to our web site www.hankwilliamsinternationalfanclub.com  and click on the Oct. Fest icon.  Here, you can not only get more info on the Festival, but also print out forms for the vendor booths and car show.

No matter how far away you live, please forward this to all your e-mail buddies.  You never know who they may know that might live within range to take part in out Festival so please help us spread the word.

Thank you for helping us make this successful and “Fun”.

             Sherri

 

Let’s hope it’s a big success.

Thanks to Jake Penrod fan for comment

Getting some response to ‘A Hank Williams Journal’ is always gratifying. Sometimes you start to think your stuff is just sailing out into space never to be heard from again.

A fan of  Country Music singer and Hank specialist Jake Penrod, or maybe Jake himself,  left a comment on the older post about the Hank Williams movie announced back in February.

http://ahankwilliamsjournal.wordpress.com/2009/02/25/the-death-of-hank-williams-new-film-will-examine-lonely-final-days/

The comment links to a You Yube video of him doing ‘They’ll Never Take Her Love From Me’.

I also like Jake’s heartfelt take on ‘Cold Cold Heart’ which is here

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qo-fUIOGKJg&NR=1

I’m sure Jake realizes that if he wants to play Hank there are now two opportunities: the Alabama based project announced earlier and a new Nashville and Hollywood based Biopic as they now call them announced in August and discussed in  the previous post.

Jake is also on this blog from back in January when I linked to a video from the Hank Williams’ memorial at the gravesite in Montgomery.

http://ahankwilliamsjournal.wordpress.com/2009/01/04/video-of-hank-williams-memorial/

I know you are more than a tribute artist, Jake, but I think you power and committment to the Hank style is commendable.

Major Hollywood motion picture on Hank’s life announced

You can’t be anything but excited to hear that a major motion picture on Hank Williams  with significant funding and the involvement of Universal Studios is in the works.

Two companies, 821 Entertainment Group and Striker Entertainment will produce the biopic which will be offered to Universal for actual production.

This sounds like the kind of financial heft and depth which could see Hank Williams get the same treatment recently offered to Ray Charles and Johnny Cash.

The key to putting the deal together appears to be the support of the Hank Williams’ estate represented by Hank Williams Jr and Jett Williams. Of course the two came together to bring the ‘Unreleased Recordings’ based on the Mother’s Best radio shows to the public for the first time last fall, and that was a respectful, classy, impressive 3 CD release.

Personally, I’m disappointed that the intellectual and artistic control of the picture will be under handed over to  Colin Escott. Escott is doubtless the number one scholar and author  on the life and works of Hank Williams.  He’s written the most comprehensive biography: ‘Hank Williams: The Biography’ on which the movie will be based. Escott has also written liner notes for numerous Hank Albums includingt the recent ‘Unreleased’ and other articles, books, and TV shows including the PBS special.  Escott will be associate producer of the new film.

My problem is that, in my opinion, Escott has greatly overplayed the negative aspects of Hank Williams’ life. Everybody and their uncle was apparently more than willing to tell an unsavory, salacious story about Hank. Every single one seems to have made it into Escott’s books. I prefer the statement from Don Helms who said he did not recognize the Hank Williams he knew for so many years, in any of the Hank Williams biographies he read.

Hank Jr has also stated that he doesn’t believe it was all gloom and doom portrayed in the Hank Biographies. I like this quote from, ironically, Colin Escott’s book ‘Snapshots from the Lost Highway’:

Some people had the misconception that Daddy was rolling and lolling in sorrow, or lived with the whiskey bottle in his hand 24 hours a day, and that’s not the way it was. . . . You can hear anything, you can read anything, but if you sit down and listen to his albums, you will know him and you can make own analysis. Just listen, you don’t need anyone to explain anything to you.

To me the tide is starting to turn: The debauchery trumps artistry portrayal is diminishing. I hope Hank’s status as an artist will triumph over  the endless stories in this new movie.

I am hopeful that the involvement  and cooperaton of the Hank Williams’ estate willl bring to the project the professionalism and style and class we saw in the ’The Unreleased Recordings’. The involvement of the Hank Williams’ estate also means the original Hank Williams recordings can be used in the production.

That being said, I like the quotes from one of the producers, Marc Abraham:

“It is hard to measure the excitement I feel and. . . the sense of responsibility,” he said. He added, “I have loved Hank Williams’ music from the time I was a small kid growing up in Kentucky. I truly believe that a story based on the pain and glory of Hank Williams’ life – one of America’s greatest artists – can be a thrilling motion picture and at the same time, it can examine the power and influence of art and music in our lives.

The offical press release quotes Colin Escott but it’s hard to make much from his quote:

Hank Williams’ life and career almost demand to be made into a movie, and I feel that the team associated with this production can deliver the Hank Williams movie we’ve always wanted to see.”

As I reported earlier a film maker from Alabama is also planning Hank Williams movie.

And of course I recall watching a film called ‘Your Cheatin Heart’ way back in 1964 starring George Hamilton which soon disappeared from sight due to legal wrangling within the Hank Williams’ estate. I see the movie is apparently for sale on the internet in DVD format.

The tell the  truth  at the time I thought George did a pretty good job of portraying Hank. No accounting for taste I guess.

But seriously,  this is all good, and will do wonders for Hank Williams’ place in musical history if it is done well. But I  still wish they werre using the late Paul Hemphill biography ‘Lovesick Blues’ plus some of the memoirs left by Don Helms and others to portray the real Hank Williams.

Oh well, now we can settle back and speculate who among the current crop of Hollywood stars would make the best Hank Williams. And how will Audrey, Billy Jean,  and Hank’s mother be treated in the latest version of Hank’s life, and the one that will, for better or worse, become the official version of Hank’s life for millions of people  and will endure for years  into the future?