Another year, another fill-in -- 1/1/2013

Doing a two-hour fill-in radio program on New Year's Day, it seemed like the proverbial "no-brainer" to shine the spotlight on a no-doubt-about-it music icon:  Hank Williams. It was 60 years ago today that the world learned that Hank Williams was dead at the age of 29, as he was found dead in the back of his limousine while on the way to play a New Year's Day concert in Canton, Ohio.  It seems kind of odd to remember anyone on the day he died, but in the case of Hank, it's hard -- for me, anyway -- to have a New Year's Day pass without thinking of him.  Would Hank Williams be such a legend -- his biographer, Colin Escott, has called him "the most powerfully iconic figure in country music" -- if he hadn't died so young?  We'll likely never have an answer to that question.  With Hank's total addiction to alcohol and painkillers, there was probably very little chance that he'd live to be too old, but his songwriting and performing genius makes him nothing short of immortal.  

Sixty years after his death, Hank Williams is still selling
records.  This compilation of two 1952 concerts was
released in September 2012, and made the Billboard charts.

In his brief six years as a recording artist, Hank Williams produced sixty-six songs under his own name.  Thirty-seven of these songs were bona fide hit records -- nearly 60%, in this case, is a pretty impressive average.  So much of Hank's material has been recorded in the BG world through the years, so it was pretty easy to fill our two fill-in hours today with nothing but Hank.  Selections came from BG records, as well as classic country singers, and, of course, Hank himself. 

Happy New Year!

Amy

• Long Gone Lonesome Blues / Hank Williams / 20th Century Masters / Mercury
• Move It On Over / Hank Williams / 20th Century Masters / Mercury
• I Saw The Light / Roy Acuff & the Smoky Mountain Boys / The Golden Age / Columbia
• The Singing Waterfall / Kitty Wells / Johnnie & Jack With Kitty Wells At KWKH / Bear Family
• When God Comes And Gathers His Jewels / Molly O'Day & the Cumberland Mountain Folks / The Golden Age / Columbia
• Lovesick Blues / Hank Williams / Live At The Grand Ole Opry / Mercury
• Wedding Bells / Hank Williams / Live At The Grand Ole Opry / Mercury
• Baby We're Really In Love / Amy Gallatin & Stillwaters / Phoenix / Happy Appy Records
• There'll Be No Teardrops Tonight / Jim Mills with Alan O'Bryant / Bound To Ride / Sugar Hill
• Cold Cold Heart / Spinney Brothers / Going Home / Self-Produced
• You're Gonna Change Or I'm Gonna Leave / Red Knuckles & the Trailblazers / Hot Rize Presents Red Knuckles & the Trailblazers / Flying Fish
• May You Never Be Alone / Loafers' Glory / Loafers' Glory / Arhoolie
• Honky Tonk Blues / Good Ol' Persons / Good N' Live / Sugar Hill
• I'm Blue, I'm Lonesome / Bill Monroe & His Blue Grass Boys / Bill Monroe & His Blue Grass Boys, 1950-1951 / JSP Records
• Strings / Breaking Grass / Running With The Moon / Self-Produced
• Tee Tot Payne / Volume Five / Down In A Cell / Mountain Fever Records
• Health & Happiness Show #4 : 
  Happy Rovin' Cowboy / Hank Williams / The Legend Begins / Time Life
• Lost Highway / Hank Williams / The Legend Begins / Time Life
• I Want To Live And Love / Hank & Audrey Williams / The Legend Begins / Time Life
• Bile Dem Cabbage Down / Jerry Rivers / The Legend Begins / Time Life
• I'll Have A New Life / Hank Williams / The Legend Begins / Time Life
• Fingers On Fire / Bob McNett / The Legend Begins / Time Life
• Sally Goodin / Jerry Rivers / The Legend Begins / Time Life
• Pan American / Seldom Scene / Different Roads / Rebel
• The Evening Train / Bob & Danny Paisley / Plum Pitiful / Time Life
• California Zephyr / Larry Sparks / Raised By The Railroad Line / Rebel
• Why Don't You Love Me / Hank Williams / Lost Concerts / Time Life
• Are You Walkin' And A-Talkin' For The Lord / Hank Williams / Lost Concerts / Time Life
• 'Neath A Cold Gray Tomb Of Stone / Joe Val / Diamond Joe / Rounder
• I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry / Hank Williams / The Unreleased Recordings / Time Life
• Settin' The Woods On Fire / Porter Wagoner / Sing Me A Hank Williams Song / Time Life
• Nobody's Lonesome For Me / Hank Williams / Long Gone Lonesome Blues / Country Stars
• Howlin' At The Moon / George Jones / George Jones Salutes Hank Williams / Mercury
• Hey Good Lookin' / Hank Williams / American Music Legends, Volume 2 / Cracker Barrel