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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

https://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.

https://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.

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