Hank Williams

Hank Williams, Sr. (September 17, 1923 – January 1, 1953) (legal name, Hiram Williams) was one of the most influential country musicians of all time, both as a singer and as a composer. In the words of country singer

Hank Williams, Sr. (September 17, 1923 – January 1, 1953) (legal name, Hiram Williams) was one of the most influential country musicians of all time, both as a singer and as a composer. In the words of country singer Faron Young, "He was the biggest change in the business. Before he came along, they were singing songs like 'Mama's Not Dead, She Just Quit Breathing'."

He was born in Alabama (this is sometimes listed as nearby Mount Olive in Butler County, Alabama) in 1923 to Elonzo Williams and Jessie Lillybelle. He learned to play guitar and sing from a street blues singer named Rufus Payne (a.k.a. "Tee Tot"). He was performing throughout Alabama by his early teens, and formed a band called the Drifting Cowboys after his family moved to Montgomery, Alabama in 1937. He left high school without graduating. In 1941 Williams began working with WSFA, a local radio station.