Hiram "Hank" Williams (9/17/1923-1/1/1953) was an American singer, songwriter, and musician. Regarded as one of the most significant and influential American singers and songwriters of the twenty century, he recorded 55 singles (five released posthumously) that reached the top 10 of the 'Billboard' County and Western Best Sellers chart, including 12 that reached No.1 (three posthumously).

Born in Mount Olive, Alabama, he was also known as Luke the Drifter, The Hillbilly Shakespeare, and Mr. Lovesick Blues. Hank played the guitar, fiddle, and was a vocalist. His genres included Country, Western, honky-tonk, rockabilly, and gospel. His associated acts included the Drifting Cowboys, Audrey Sheppard (2/28/1923-11/4/1975), and Hank Snow (4/9/1914-12/20/1999) among many others.

Williams married Audrey Sheppard, who was his manager for nearly a decade. The couple had two children, Hank Jr. and Jett Williams. After recording "Never Again" and "Honky-tonkin" with Sterling Records, he signed a contract with MGM Records. In 1947, he released " Move It on Over", which became a hit. One year later, he released a cover of "Lovesick Blues", which carried him into the mainstream.

Years of back pain (from an injury), alcoholism, and prescription drug abuse severely compromised Williams's health. In 1953, he suffered from heart failure and died suddenly at the age of only 29.

Hank Jr. and Jett Williams went on to become professional Country music performers.

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