When you hear his voice it’s so hard to believe that he was 29 when he died. Definitely an old soul. I hope you dive into the super old school country rabbit hole.
Yes a number of great musicians died young because of substance abuse, but if you only focus on that part of their lives you are missing out. I'm not speaking about you I'm talking about people who think that way about those musicians. I used to think like that myself.
Hank Sr was a corner stone of country music, ironically he was fired from the Grand Old Opry. He was the epitome of heartache, drinking, women and the music reflected it all. Thanks for this review. ❤❤
Speaking of the Opry...,,,You absolutely have to listen to Hank Williams the 3(Hank Sr"s grandson)song 'The Grand Ole Opry Aint So Grand Anymore.' It's about trying to get Hank Sr reinstated into the Grand Ole Opry. Hank 3 is absolutely brilliant, To ignore him is to ignore country history.
“The silence of a falling star lights up a purple sky, and as I wonder where you are, I’m so lonesome I could cry.” One of the saddest verses of any song, any genre, at least to my ears. Thanks so much for this one! If you haven’t done Honky Tonkin’, I think you like it.
Yes the pace that hank sings it doesn't highlight the the song as lyrically as it can which is why I prefer Elvis' version. Elvis said it was the saddest song he ever heard. The lyrics are masterful.
@@philipdickey6460 I am not sure if Hank Williams Snr was first to use that beat, it is a form of Western Swing and he brought it out in 1948 but I have not looked at other writers etc of that time , Bill Haley was with the 4 Aces of Western Swing then and they had a very different style from what I can find audio of.
Hank Williams is one of the greatest music figures most important and influential singer/songwriters of the 20th century. His impact is felt in almost every genre of music from rock to Gospel. His greatest hits include: "Lovesick Blues", "Hey, Good Looking", "Your Cheating Heart", "I Saw The Light", "Honky Tonk Blues", "Jambalaya", "Move It On Over", "I'll Never Get Out Of The World Alive", "Take These Chains From My Heart".
My mom was a country music fan. I grew up listening to Patsy Cline, Jim Reeves, Wanda Jackson, and of course Hank Williams. Mom would sing out loud to this song while cleaning the house. Thanks for the visit with mom. ❤
This was my dads music. I was born in ‘58, grew up in the ‘60’s and spent my teen years in the ‘70’s. This is what I always considered classic country/western genre. I really enjoy your show. Watch it every night.
A fact about Hank Williams. He was born with an undiagnosed form of Spina Bifida Occulta. A spinal cord defect which has a few different forms. This lack of diagnosis caused Hank lifelong pain which lead to the morphine addiction and heart failure that killed him. Personally, I was born with another form of Spina Bifida called Myelomeningocele - I know, it's a big name lol. Just thought you both would find it interesting.
When I go home (to Montgomery) at Christmas every year, I always visit his grave just to pay my respect. He’s a music legend. He was 29 when he passed! He had such an old soul. You’d never think the man singing this song was in his 20s!
When I was young in the 70's, my family rented a houseboat for a week on Trinity Lake in California. It came with some 8 track tapes, one of which was Hank Williams' Greatest Hits. We were never big country music fans, but we played that over and over and I got to know all those songs. They've been in my head ever since. I always liked "Hey Good Lookin', What You Got Cookin'?"
He didn't live a very long life, but put out some great music in that short time. "Your Cheatin' Heart" is one of his really well-known songs, as well as "Your Cold Cold Heart", but if you want something more upbeat, try "Hey Good Lookin'" or "Jambalaya (On the Bayou.)" He also got into some gospel with "I Saw the Light." (Edit - looks like you already reacted to "Your Cold Cold Heart!" I'd forgotten about that. )
If you want to see how they did things ing the studio back in the day, go tour Sun Studios in Memphis. Elvis, Johnny Cash, and many others, including U2 in later years, recorded there. The tour is really great.
Hank is in my blood. Always will be. My father had old 78 lps we used to play of ole Hank. Then my Dad got with his brothers and formed a country band that frequented the area venues back in the late 60's and early 70's. All they played were the classics...Hank, Merle, Conway, Porter, and I could go on. I'm 65 now and still feel those times every time I hear any of those songs today. But, may I add, I also love classic rock, heavy metal, grunge, alternative, 80's, and more!
You might want to listen to his song "I saw the light" it has a very powerful message. I grew up listening to him and the older artists before him. It is wonderful to see youngsters like yourselves enjoying the simpler music from the past. People had to have a different level of talent to make it, because they didn't have to studious they have now.
I've always been a hard rocker with my interests in the mid 60's, 70's and up to the late 80's. However, growing up my father was a country music guy. So my early years were filled with this kind of music. My ex went through a country music phase and she was totally and completely amazed that I knew every word to this song and many others of Hank Sr's music.
Really love “spending some time” with y’all when you do your reactions. Right now, I’m so HAPPY I could cry! Thanks for sharing your time with us. Keep on being the sweet and kind souls that you are. The world needs so many more folks like y’all.
Hank wrote this song in a couple of hours, in a producers office. The guy thought Hank couldn't write music, so he told Hank to write something, while he went to lunch.
My grandpa, may he rest in peace, was born in 1907, and he listened and played this kind of country. Every time we visited my dad, brother, and grandpa would break out the guitars and play. So whenever I hear these songs it takes me back to those amazing times.💙
My father passed away last March. We played this at his funeral because it was his favorite. And it makes my heart so sad but it also makes me remember my Dad’s amazing taste in music. I’ve been playing the piano since I was 6, my brother plays the guitar, my parents both played the guitar and piano and we sang together a lot. All kinds of music. My parents are first gen Italian but we all just loved music. On farher’s day this year my brother and I went up to the cemetery and he played the guitar and we sang a few songs to our Daddy.
I was born in 1958 and remember hearing so many Hank Williams songs as a small boy on the local country station. This was one of them, along with "Your Cheatin' Heart," "I Saw The Light" and a horde of others. He died back around 1952 or so but people loved his songs and country music in general on the Canadian prairies. My dad hated Elvis Presley and rock and roll in general, (and you did not want to get him going on The Beatles!), but my mom liked Elvis though she was afraid to let my dad know. She told me that about the year 2000 and you could have pushed me over with a feather, I was so astonished. She never let on, though my sisters bought a few Elvis LPs like "Girls, Girls, Girls!" as early as 1962. I remember "Return To Sender" like it was yesterday. Anyway, a trip down memory lane for me and many others I have no doubt. Thank you Rob and Amber! 👌😉💖
He was a lot more than kind of a standout, he was a huge sensation and his death shocked the nation. He is literally the Father of Country Music. He has a whole slew of hits and amazing songs, it's a great rabbit hole to go down. Long Gone Lonesome Blues. Hey Good Lookin'. Moanin' the Blues. Ramblin' Man. Jambalaya. Lost Highway. Move It On Over. I'll Never Get Out of this World Alive. All of those and so many more are absolutely stellar. I also wanted to point out that when you go listen to this older Country music, you will hear a lot more waltzes than we get in today's music. There are slow waltzes and medium Tempo waltzes and fast waltzes and it's a crucial part of that experience. Believe me, I know because I played in a honky tonk band for years and road houses and honky tonks, and if you don't have a really good selection of waltzes in your set, people will complain because they want to dance to waltzes, not just swing dance the whole time. I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry is a slow waltz.
Hank Williams was the GOAT country. He had the smooth voice. He had the band. "Your Cheating Heart", "Cold Cold Heart", and "Hey Good Looking" are must listens.
Don't forget to listen to his son too. Hank Williams Junior Song "Family Tradition". Talks about him and his family History about his Dad's Drinking. So sad that Hank Sr left this world way to soon.
This is probably my favorite classic country heartbreak songs. Hank Williams Sr is considered the Godfather of Country music for good reason, and his mournful voice was a big part of that. I've got that iconic pedal steel solo way down deep in my soul.
There's an element of the blues in Hank's song...back then it was all connected, whether people would admit it or not, and the lyrics are really very poetic. The style may be called country, but this is really universal, for the world.
Hank is the country GOAT ! There are many treasures to find when you dig into the Hank Williams catalog. He had a lot of silly fun songs, too like, "Hey, Good Lookin" and "Move it on Over"
The lyric, “The silence of a falling star lights up a purple sky, and as I wonder where you are, I’m so lonesome I could cry,” just empties my soul and makes me feel homesick.😩😩😩
Thank you for reacting to Hank Williams. My dad was a big fan of his and would sing his songs around the house. I chose one of Hank Williams' songs to be played at Dad's Celebration of Life last year.
I was born in the 50s and my parents didn't always have the newest television but we always had a good record player. This is one of the songs I remember my appearance playing when I was a child. Good to hear it again thank you
I was born in 49. But I remember listening to my favorite Hank song "I Saw the Light" on the old telefunken we had when my Dad was stationed in Turkey, I was 9 years old by then. You guys are making an ole man happy reconnecting with my childhood. Enjoy
Quick background on Hank Williams. He had a bad childhood and first marriage. Most of his songs reflect that. He also had health problems and a drinking problem leading to his death at the age of 29. Before his death he had over 50 top selling songs. He was influenced by both western and blues music.
My granny knew him. She told me that she had met him at the Mayo Hotel in downtown Tulsa. She was a waitress there. When he came to play at the Cain's Ballroom in Tulsa. She would always go see him. Cain's is still there. Granny wound up owning her own bar in downtown Sapulpa. Glad y'all liked it. He wrote and sang great songs. I'm not a huge country fan but there are individuals in country that are special. Especially Roy Clark and his incredible guitar abilities. As we say in Texas; y'all be safe.
I grew up with Hank William's songs. My mom would play guitar and sing them to me. This song is one of the first songs I remember singing along to. All of Hank William's songs are well-worth a listen.
My great-grandpa was born in 1869 and died in 1960. Great-grandma was born 1872 and died of breast cancer in 1923. Mom said when she was a kid in the 50's at night he'd play this song over and over on the record player as he sat in his room because he loved and missed her so much. After mom told me that I just tear up hearing this song now. I grew up with northern farmers on mom's side and southern hillbillies on dad's. It didn't matter, Hank was able to catch both cultures in his songs. And culture IMO is the right word. He really wasn't just music, whether the backwoods or farm he was just part of daily rural life. his songs just went straight to your bones and everyone got it. Can't remember who has slide guitar player was, but he is a true legend. Love his sound, almost has a bit of Hawaiian influence to it. There's a ton of studio and very good live stuff to hear from him work the slide magic. Still blows my mind Hank did all what he did by his death at 29.
My dad was a big Hank Williams fan and while he loved the early Country /Western sound, he did not like "New Country. He called it "Nashville Glitter". Another early Country singer you should react to is Johnny Horton. His big hits include "When It's Springtime in Alaska", "North To Alaska" (Written for the John Wayne movie of the same name), "Sink the Bismark", "Whispering Pines" and "The Battle Of New Orleans". He had a marvelous voice and, like Hank Williams he died very young.
The silence of of a falling star lights up a purple sky, the moon just went behind a cloud to hide his face and cry, I'm so lonesome I could cry. WOW!!
"Hey Good Lookin'" "Your Cheatin' Heart" "Cold Cold Heart" "Why Don't You Love Me Like You Used To Do?" "Lovesick Blues" "Move It On Over" "There's a Tear in my Beer" "Take These Chains From My Heart" "Honky Tonk Blues" ...
Thank you!!! The master of country music. I learned my first vocal to Your Cheating Heart by Hank. I was a whole 3 years old. This is country music! 1962 was a long time ago for me. Again thank you!❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
It is strange to think that this song is nearly 100 years old, and yet still holds a special place in the modern industry AND appeals to new generations that have never heard Hank Sr's work.
This song is more than a country song -- it's a SONGWRITER'S song. Its sentiment is so universal that it's been covered dozens and dozens of times by people who normally have no relation to country music whatsoever. Bernadette Peters, possessor of one of the greatest voices (and bodies) ever, performed this song on the Johnny Carson show a few years back and it was so good it gave me goosebumps. You should be able to find that performance online and it's definitely worth listening to.
I expected alot more appreciation for the greatest singer and songwriter in history.... it's just so hard for the younger generations to get it. Even them. As good as they are with reactions. There's a cut off age on the true old school music. The comments are actually much more satisfying than the reaction.
As far as recording, they usually played live in the studio and picked the best take. The Library of congress sent out a car and two men with a reel to reel recorder and a single unidirectional microphone to travel the south in maybe in the 30's they would literally drive to the fields an record bluesmen because the LOC believed that this music and its players were a dying art and wanted to record them for documentation's sake. I know A LOT about real blues and country so trust me on this stuff ya'll. Thank you both for reminding us we are truly blessed. As an aside, I really do try every day to take time and listen to people and I love when I can make them smile and hear their stories.
A genius taken too young. Another one of our greatest songwriters, Leonard Cohen, wrote this about Hank in his "Tower of Song": “I said to Hank Williams, how lonely does it get? Hank Williams hasn't answered yet, But I hear him coughing all night long,Oh, a hundred floors above me in the Tower of Song.” He puts Hank that far above him, a real tribute to one of his heroes.
One plus of the recording equipment of that time was that the electronics were tube based which offered a warmer sound than modern digital recordings. That's also why a lot of folks build or buy tube amplifiers for their modern stereo systems. Hank Sr. was a musical genius. He once wrote a hit song given the subject and parameters of the song by Acuff & Rose of the Grand Ole Opry as they went to lunch. When they got back from lunch, Hank had written his hit "I Can't Help It If I'm Still In Love With You."
My bf had to make a sudden move several states away. For reasons too complicated to get into, it's likely we'll never see each other again. So how funny is it that this reaction popped up in my feed. Hank has always been my standby during heartbreaking moments. Thanks for putting this up! I agree with Rob - old school country sounds superior to modern country. I'll be sure to count my blessings despite my troubles. Thanks y'all ❤
Such beautiful, poetic lyrics. Now you need to see & hear Elvis sing it. The song always gave him chills when he sang it. You can see his little shudder in a couple of live performance videos. He loved it.💙💫💫
Hank Williams recorded virtually all of his songs at radio stations in Cincinnati, Ohio and Nashville, Tennessee. They had good facilities to make pre-recorded commercials on audiotape. Also, in the years before television became the dominant form of media, radio stations would have music programs, where music artists and bands would perform live in the radio studio, so the radio stations had to have good microphone systems so the music artists and bands could be heard by radio listeners. Hank Williams, Sr. had a couple of local radio shows of his own, with his best one being “Mother’s Best Flour” radio show, which was pre-recorded with his recording studio band weeks in advance, and broadcast on 650 WSM Nashville, Tennessee at around 5:30 AM on weekday mornings. Those recorded broadcasts were tied up in courts for years, but in the 2010s, the Williams Estate won the rights to the broadcasts, and CDs and CD box sets of the “Mother’s Best Flour” broadcasts were finally available for sale. Some of the music performances were released as “Hank Williams: The Unreleased Recordings”, as most of the music performances were never recorded during recording sessions during Hank Williams, Sr.’s lifetime.
