Alabama has been home to an impressive list of musical stars.
One of the earliest Alabama musical superstars was Hank Williams, Sr., born in Mount Olive in Butler County in 1923. He learned to play guitar on the streets of Greenville. He started his performing career in Montgomery.
That career and life ended on Jan. 1, 1953, on New Year's Day. Hank Williams was only 29 years old. Though his life and career were brief, his influence on musicians continues today.
The annual graveside wreath-laying and memorial service that marks the 72nd anniversary of Williams’ death will be at Montgomery’s Oakwood Cemetery Annex, 1304 Upper Wetumpka Road, on Wednesday, January 1, at 10 a.m.
No ticket or RSVP is needed for public attendance.
Almost 72 years ago, thousands of Alabama folks lined up to get into what is believed to be the largest funeral in Alabama history. It was at Montgomery’s City Hall.
Sponsored and organized by the Hank Williams Museum, the memorial service will feature music performed by the Sheppard Family Band, whose members are cousins of Williams’ first wife, Audrey Sheppard Williams. She was the mother of Hank Williams, Jr.
The service concludes each year with all attendees jointly singing the Williams-penned song, “I Saw The Light.”
Williams died en route to a New Year’s Day concert in Canton, Ohio. The Cadillac in which Williams died has been restored and is on display at the Hank Williams Museum in Montgomery.
“Though he died at just 29 years of age, Hank left a lasting musical legacy that continues to be appreciated by each new generation, and we feel it is important to recognize the passing of one of Alabama’s favorite sons and greatest legends,” Hank Williams Museum Director Beth Petty said. “Hank’s fans from across the nation and even other countries have traveled to Montgomery to participate in the wreath-laying over the years, and we anticipate another healthy turnout for this 72nd-anniversary memorial.”
The first memorial service held at Williams’ gravesite took place in September 1954 to mark what would have been his 31st birthday. Five-year-old Hank Williams Jr., his half-sister Lycrecia, and former Louisiana Gov. Jimmie Davis, a country music singer famous for recording the standard “You Are My Sunshine,” laid a wreath of red and white carnations and magnolia leaves as 250 participants watched.
A gala concert at Cramton Bowl held with the first wreath-laying attracted an audience of 10,000. It included performances by Jimmie Davis (the “Singing Governor of Louisiana”), Roy Acuff, Minnie Pearl, Ernest Tubb, Hank Snow, and others. At the concert’s finale, the massive marble monument resting at Williams’ grave was publicly unveiled for the first time.
Additional information about the annual wreath-laying and memorial may be found on the Hank Williams Museum website.
Hank Williams, Sr. is one of only 16 people inducted in both the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He recorded 11 number-one hits and placed 43 songs on the country music charts during his brief career.
Praise the Lord, I saw the light.
Jim ‘Zig’ Zeigler writes about Alabama’s people, places, events, groups and prominent deaths. He is a former Alabama Public Service Commissioner and State Auditor. You can reach him for comments at ZeiglerElderCare@yahoo.com.
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