Screening and discussion of ‘The Last Ride’ at a New York City University

Hank Williams’ daughter Jett Williams, the film’s director Harry Thomason and the producer Benjy Gaither will attend a free first showing of ‘The Last Ride’ in New York City on June 20th. Seating is first come first served.

The three will participate in a panel discussion following the showing at The New School at 66 West 12th Street New York NY at 6pm.

The title of the panel discussion seems very appropriate:  I Saw the Light: Hank Williams’ Sixty Years of Influence on American music.

As listed in the previous post, the film will open for one week at Cinema Village at 22 East 12th Street on June 22.

Here is a link to the press release from the school.

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Hank Williams’ Festival, June 1 and 2

The 33rd Hank Williams’ Festival in Georgiana Alabama will feature Moe Bandy, Larry Gatlin and Jett Williams as well as many other entertainers.

The yearly festival is held on the grounds of the Hank Williams Boyhood Home and Museum. Outdoor concerts featuring a full lineup of performers take place Friday and Saturday evenings, June 1 and 2, 2012. Events run through the day Saturday.

The program with ticket information is HERE.

And the Museum website is here.

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Jett Williams and husband Keith Adkinson tackling the mystery of Hank Williams’ death

This is the best news concerning Hank Williams’ biography and his  mysterious death I have  heard in a long time. Now we should start to get some answers you can trust. Keith Adkinson, Jett Williams’ husband, from what I can determine, is a tenacious very competent attorney who has already scored two huge victories on Hank Williams’ issues in the courts.

Remember Keith won Jett a share of the Hank Williams estate and then won full ownership of the Mother’s Best recordings for Jett Williams and Hank Williams Jr. To win these battles “The Duo” as they call themselves tackled and beat very powerful wealthy and entrenched interests aligned to protect the Hank Williams estate and the ownership of a very valuable property. The famous Mother’s Best acetates had been thrown in the trash by WSM before being rescued and preserved by an employee. In the end I think ownership was claimed by just about everybody involved, the rescuer, the radio station, recording company, publisher and of course Jett and Hank Jr. Adkinson beat them all.

Kieth Adkinson is a shrewd sharp Washington lawyer who from what I understand never gives up and is dogged and determined in pursuing any cause he decides to take on. Before undertaking the Jett Williams’ case in 1982 he had worked on a variety of legal issues,and become a prominent Washing attorney including work for Congressional Committee and the  Reagan campaign. He married Jett Williams in 1986, and now practices law in Nashville.

In the latest issue of the Jett Williams’ newsletter to fans it’s clear that Keith and Jett are really getting serious about the mysteries surrounding the death of Hank Williams on an ill conceived dangerous trip from Montgomery to Canton Ohio on the New Years’ Eve Weekend in 1952-53. According to the article Jett is using her Sirious/XM radio show to report on their findings.

Here’s the link to the newsletter which has a 4 page article called “Was Hank Williams’ Death a Homicide?” Pretty explosive stuff.

Interestingly, I have received a few comments on this blog concerning this issue, one of which comes from the son of a prominent figure mentioned in the Jett Williams’ report, as well as some from Hank Williams’ newsletter author Beecher O’Quinn.

For some reason 29 comments mostly about the death of Hank Williams including the one from Howard Surface came on this rather obscure blog post among the many I have written on the movie ‘The Last Ride’.

I am more interested in Hank Williams’ works, reputation, legacy, and his survival into future generations than details of his biography and death, about which I admit I am not well-informed.

But when this movie news started coming out I did make some comments on Hank’s last days which come about half way down this blog posting. 

Not many people have made the observations I did on that post. My feelings are based on intuition not research I guess, but I am very happy to see Keith Adkinson on this  baffling story of Hank’s tragic, sad last days on earth.

I know one thing for sure, if Keith and Jett spend the time and resources on this as they appear to be doing, I think their integrity would be enough for me to accept their conclusions, whatever they are,  and put the issue to rest, finally.

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Jett Williams hosting Midnight Jamboree on WSM December 31

Hank Williams will be remembered in Nashville on the anniversary of his death. Jett Williams will host the Midnight Jamboree program from the Ernest Tubb Record Shop, Texas Troubadour Theatre.

The program will be broadcast live on WSM. The program starts at midnight.

January 1, is the 59th anniversary of Hank Williams’s death on New Years Day 1953 near Oak Hill West Virginia.

You can listen live to WSM on the internet.

The WSM home page is here; it includes a button to “listen Live”.

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Jett Williams promoting ‘The Last Ride’ Hank Williams movie

The new Hank Williams based movie ‘The Last Ride’ was screened several times last week at the Little Rock Film Festival. The movie was directed by well known Arkansas film maker Harry Thomason. It stars Henry Thomas as a Hank Williams based character.

The name Hank Williams is not used in the movie and apparently the sound track does not include Hank Williams music.

‘The Last Ride’ received a negative review in The Arkansas Times which I linked to in the previous post. However, comments on a ‘Last Ride’ Facebook page are positive.

A Little Rock TV interview Jett Williams strongly endorses the movie. She says she was “blown away” when she first saw the film. There are 4 Jett Williams’ songs on the soundtrack. She says she likes the way the film focusses on the relationship between the Hank Williams character and his fictionalized driver.

People who hang on every detail of the the Hank Williams’ biography will not like the liberties with the story which are taken here, I suspect. But Jett, at least, has accepted the filmmakers intention to tell a deeper story about the reality of Hank Williams life and death.

Here’s a link to the TV interview with Jett.

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Hank Festival concert will be broadcast on Ernest Tubb Midnight Jamboree

The Hank Williams Festival in Georgiana Alabama wrapped up   with a Saturday night ‘mini Opry’ concert hosted by Jett Williams. The concert will be broadcast in June on WSM radio’s Ernest Tubb Midnight Jamboree. Attendance and ticket sales were strong for  both  Friday and Saturday  events at the park next to the Hank Williams Boyhood Home and Museum.

The Saturday concert featured Jim Ed Brown, Helen Cornelius, David Frizzell, Jimmy Fortune, and Razzy Bailey as well as  Jett Williams. The Jamboree website lists June 4 as the date of the broadcast but there are few details. WSM broadcasts on the internet so the world wide family of readers of this blog will be able to tune in.

Here are some links:

The Ernest Tubb Midnight Jamboree schedule. Looks like June 4 will be the date.

Here’s the WSM homepage where you can find a link to listen to the broadcasst.

Here’s the article in the Greenville Advocate.

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‘The Last Ride’ film on Hank Williams tours festival circuit

‘The Last Ride’ a film about the death of Hank Williams starring Henry Thomas  is being shown at film festivals. The movie is directed by Harry Thomason an Arkansas native and was filmed in that state. It will be shown at the Little Rock Film Festival in early June. ‘The Last Ride’ has been shown at the Nashville Film Festival and at the USA Film Festival in Dallas.

Reports from viewers seem to indicate the film has been well received, however there really haven’t been any formal newspaper, magazine or TV reviews at this point. So the showings at the festivals are being treated as previews.

The film was screened at Nashville on April 14 to 20. New films with Kris Kristofferson, Chely Wright, and Levon Helm also highlighted the Nashville festival.

‘The Last Ride’ was one of a number of big name movies shown at the Dallas festival from April 27 to May 1.

There is a Facebook page with comments on ‘The Last Ride’ It is HERE.

At the Little Rock Film Festival June 1 to 5, ‘The Last Ride’ will be honored as the opening night film for the festival.

Director Harry Thomason was interviewed on the festival’s blog. He says he had to get permission from Charles Carr, Hank’s driver on the last ride from Montgomery destined for Canton Ohio, in order to make the film. He says the Williams’ family was reluctant to support the movie at first, but Jett Williams has now seen it and has offered her support.  And she attended the world premier at the Nashville festival.

A posting on Facebook indicates the film will be released on DVD in September.

Finally here is the Harry Thomason interview from the Little Rock Film Festival Blog.

And here is a list of all my posts on the subject of ‘The Last Ride’.

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Jett Williams accepts Hank Williams’ Pulitzer Citation at Columbia University

On May 24th Jett Williams accepted Hank Williams’ Pulitzer Prize Citation from the President of Columbia University in New York. Jett Williams was quoted on the All Access website:

“Hank Williams has always been in a class all his own as the Shakespeare  of ‘the common man,’ whom he touched so deeply and for so long with his lyrical genius,” said Jett Williams. “To be so honored by the Pulitzer Prize Board puts my dad in the company of those who have grown to appreciate and now recognize his incredible influence and talent. To hear the strains of ‘Hey Good Lookin’ ringing throughout the rotunda at Columbia University as we exited the event would give anyone pause — it certainly did me.”

Here’s a widely circulated photo of the event distributed by Columbia University with Jett in the middle and Columbia University President  Lee Bollinger on the left and Carolyn Tate from Columbia on the right..

I have written SEVEN posts on Hank’s Pulitzer win. You can easily bring them all up by typing “Pulitzer” in the search box at the top of the blog.

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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?

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January 1, 2009

Hank Williams, who would have thought? It’s 2009 and you’re bigger than ever in the hot  trendy competitive world of popular music.

Everything has changed since January 1, 1953. Nashville is huge, Country Music or some version of it is more popular than ever, with what are now called superstars everywhere you look. Music is no longer made mechanically with a needle rubbing against bumps in plastic, not electronically with electric charges on plastic tape rolling past a pickup, but digitally up and down wires like a musical telephone.

You may not be surprised to know that your edgy forceful intense vocal style has for the most part been replaced in Country Music  by a more low key microphone friendly style you were able to see and likely secretly admire a bit  in Lefty  Frizzell and even the crooners Eddy Arnold, and George Morgan.

The concept of the singer songwriter which you took from the singing brakeman Jimmie Rodgers and western movie heroes like Gene Autry, and turned into an art form, has been your lasting, most powerful legacy.

Your true descendants have names like Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, John Lennon,  Johnny Cash, Buddy Holly, and Neil Young. So the recording studios and music stages are filled with men and women standing alone in the middle, trying desperately to match your creation of a lonely persona seeking to probe the depths of soul destroying despair, and the raucous exuberant joys of life and love. And see both with equal clarity.

Now your lost daughter known as Jett Williams has done you proud by helping to put together a three record set of those old Mother’s Best Flour WSM radio shows from 1952. And Newspapers from around the world and prestigious Literary Journals , and the New York Times , yes New York, and The Los Angeles Times too. Oh yea, a magazine they call the New Yorker.  And a magazine called Rolling Stone the bible of another style of music you pioneered loves the Mother’s Best shows,can’t get enough, and it’s 2009. The things they are saying about your genius, you would never believe.

Your vocal style lived on too, although not so much in Country. It flourished in something called Rock and Roll and in Rhythm and Blues. And a guy who didn’t write his songs, but had your ability to transform himself into the essence of a lyric especially  a gospel lyric, was Elvis Presley. Like you, he could take a song or hymn and make you believe every word and make you believe  that he believed which is something different.  Many  R and B stylists had some  of your powerful vocal presentation which they learned from the long southern blues tradition, say an Otis Redding,  or even James Brown!  The list of rockers who give it all every time is too long to even consider, and everyone would have their own choices.

Oh yes,and most people don’t think the Grand Ole Opry is really doing all that well anymore, and really isn’t very important in the Country Music business. As a  matter matter of fact they tried to cut one of your true musical descendants, Stonewall Jackson, but he beat em off. You would  have been proud.

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