Celebrate the Heart of Country, Americana, and Roots Music!

Drop Us A Line, Y'all

Y'all interested in advertising, partnering up, contributing stories, joining our team, or just got a question? Well, don't be shy, drop us a line!

Follow Us

Remembering The Death Of Hank Williams, Country Music’s First Megastar

Hank Williams Death
by
  • Arden is a Senior Country Music Journalist for Country Thang Daily, specializing in classic hits and contemporary chart-toppers.
  • Prior to joining Country Thang Daily, Arden wrote for Billboard and People magazine, covering country music legends and emerging artists.
  • Arden holds a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from the University of Tennessee, with a minor in Music Studies.

Just before sunrise on January 1, 1953, a sleek baby-blue Cadillac pulled into a gas station in Oak Hill, West Virginia. In the backseat, Hank Williams was found lying unresponsively and apparently dead for several hours.

The country music superstar was slated to perform at the Municipal Auditorium in Charleston, West Virginia but had to cancel due to an ice storm. Williams then hired Charles Carr, a college freshman on Christmas break, as his driver. Carr drove Williams to his next appearance, which was a New Year’s Day concert at the Canton Memorial Auditorium in Canton, Ohio.

However, Williams was feeling ill along the way. So, the two decided to stop by Andrew Johnson Hotel in Knoxville, Tennessee, where Carr requested a doctor to check on Williams. The “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry” singer was then given two shots of vitamin B12 containing morphine.

Unfortunately, alcohol and morphine did not go well; thus, Williams was no longer able to make it to his next stop. He died of a heart attack in a drug and alcohol-induced paralysis.

An estimated 20,000 people attended Hank Williams’ funeral at Municipal Auditorium in Montgomery, Alabama. Ernest Tubb, Red Foley, and Roy Acuff were just some of the country singers who paid tribute to Williams – by singing “I Saw The Light.”

Hank Williams’ Last Years Were Imbued In Growing Misery And Substance Abuse

During World War II, Hank Williams commuted between Mobile and Montgomery to work in a shipyard at the same time, going after his musical career. At this time, Williams started abusing alcohol – particularly to relieve his agonizing back pain due to a congenital spinal disorder. 

Since then, he has used morphine and alcohol to dull his physical pain as well as his heartache from his tumultuous relationship. Little did he know it would become a problem that would haunt him for the rest of his life and would lead to his untimely death.

Fortunately, Hank Williams’ songs keep his legacy alive.

Latest Stories

Keith Urban holds a CMA award on stage, showing the same trophies he often ships home so his mom can keep a room full of them.

Keith Urban Gives Away Almost Every Award He Wins So One Person Can Keep a Room Full of Them

Keith Urban doesn’t just pick up awards, he packs them up and ships them off faster than most country stars can find a shelf. For a guy who’s racked up ...

Toby Keith performs with his American flag guitar, the same patriotic spirit that fueled his song "Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue."

The Untold Truth Behind Toby Keith’s “Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue (The Angry American)”

When Toby Keith sat down with a fantasy football stat sheet and scribbled out “Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue”, he didn’t just write a song. He lit a ...

Toby Keith plays guitar with an American flag design, capturing the patriotic vibe perfect for a Fourth of July country playlist.

35 Patriotic Country Songs to Turn Your Backyard Into the Ultimate 4th of July Party

Nothing says freedom like blasting a rowdy country playlist while you torch a few burgers, keep the cooler stocked, and watch your drunk uncle light fireworks way too close to ...

Keith Urban sits next to Nicole Kidman looking serious, a moment that echoes him shutting down talk about her steamy movie scenes.

Keith Urban Shuts Down Interview When Nicole Kidman’s Scenes With Younger Men Are Mentioned

Some lines just ain’t worth crossing, especially when you’re asking Keith Urban about Nicole Kidman and Zac Efron rolling around on screen. This week, the whole thing went sideways when ...

Tim McGraw sits outdoors with Faith Hill, leaning on a cane, sparking questions about his health but showing their strong bond.

Tim McGraw Using a Cane With Faith Hill Beside Him Raises Questions About His Health

Sometimes country music’s strongest cowboys need a little help standing tall, and Tim McGraw’s latest photo has folks asking how much longer he can keep carrying that torch. It’s not ...

Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood smile together at an event, standing united amid the ongoing sexual assault lawsuit drama.

Garth Brooks’ Marriage With Trisha Yearwood Reportedly Unshaken by Sexual Assault Lawsuit

Nothing tests a marriage like ugly headlines, but Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood are riding out this storm shoulder to shoulder. Since last October, Garth Brooks has been staring down ...

Country legend George Jones plays guitar under spotlight, embodying the raw heartbreak behind these 12 most depressing country songs.

These 12 Depressing Country Songs Will Have You Sobbing and Hitting Repeat All Night

Straight from the depths of Reddit’s country corner, here’s a list built by real fans who know heartbreak better than any Nashville hit machine ever could. These songs weren’t picked ...

Jimmy Swaggart preaching passionately in an undated photo, remembered now after his death at 90 from a heart attack.

Televangelist Jimmy Swaggart Dies at 90 Just Weeks After Suffering a Massive Heart Attack

There’s a hush across Pentecostal churches this week as believers remember Jimmy Swaggart, the firebrand evangelist, gospel singer, and TV preacher who spent decades filling stadiums, living rooms, and airwaves ...

Gavin Adcock onstage raising a whiskey bottle while blasting Beyoncé’s ‘Cowboy Carter’ as “not real country music.”

Viral Country Star Gavin Adcock Slams Beyoncé’s ‘Cowboy Carter’ Says ‘That S— Ain’t Country Music’

Some headlines feel like a parody of the country music circus these days, and this is one of them. Gavin Adcock, the beer-slinging viral star who built half his brand ...

George Strait beams onstage at Patriots Stadium, guitar in hand, as he brings Texas charm with “All My Ex’s Live in Texas.”

George Strait Brings Lone Star Magic to Patriots Stadium With “All My Ex’s Live in Texas”

Some legends don’t need confetti cannons or stadium-shaking pyros. They just need a guitar, a baritone voice, and a song about every ex they ever outran in a pickup truck. ...