Hank Williams Jr. :: essays research papers

Hank Williams Jr.     Hank Williams, Jr. was meant to be a hotshot from the day he was born.His father, the legendary Hank Williams, and mother, Audrey Sheppard, bothplayed an intricate develop in his betimes stardom. Hank had to overcome manyobstacles in his life including escaping from his fathers quarter and a neardeath experience in 1975. Hanks many triumphs, and his competency to overcomesetbacks, have propelled him to a legendary status.     Born May 26, 1949, in Shreveport, Louisiana, Randall Hank Williams, Jr.was destined to become a star. Tragically, his father died on impudently Years day,1953, at the newfangled age on twenty night club ("Official Home Page," Biography).However, his mother, a demesne singer in her take in right, helped Hank Jr. startone of the earliest, and close to successful, childhood careers in country musichistory.     Hank appeared on stage for the first time at the young age of eight.Hank appeared on the Grand Ole Opry at the age of eleven, singing his fatherssongs in his fathers style. At the age of fourteen Hank recorded his first phonograph album, a remove rendition of his fathers "Lone Gone Lonesome Blues." At an agewhen most young boys are playing Little League baseball or football, Hank waslearning the piano from Jerry Lee Lewis, appearing on the Ed Sullivan Show, andperforming before crowds of up to twenty thousand.     In 1969, Hank teamed up with Johnny capital to perform in the largestcountry concert to date. In 1970, Hank signed the biggest put down contract inthe history of MGM Records. As proud as he was of being the son of HankWilliams, Hank got tired of being in his fathers shadow. In postgraduate school, knownas "Rockin Randall," Hank played contemporary rock, however, that had to bekept secluded from all his traditional country fans. He also liked to see torhythm and blues, however, these ty pes of music were looked down on by many inNashville. Later in his career, Hank even released a couple of rock singleunder the name Bo Cephus on Verve Records, a subdivision of MGM. The cave inbetween what he wanted to do and what he was expected to do , along with hislong-term alcohol and drug abuse, developed into a downwards spiral of his careerthat led to a 1974 suicide attempt.     In early 1975, Hank recorded "Hank Williams, Jr. and Friends," his firsttrue step to escaping his fathers shadow and the past. Although the album wasa success, MGM wanted him to return to the style that would keep his longtime