“Lovesick Blues” is commonly known to be originally recorded by Hank Williams Sr. Williams performed the song the first time he joined the Louisiana Hayride in 1948. When it was positively received by many, he decided to record the song. His version came out in 1949. Williams was inspired by Rex Griffin and Emmett Miller’s version of the song. He made the song reach number one on the Billboard Country and Western singles chart. This song pushed him to stardom and gave him a ticket to be invited and perform at the Grand Ole Opry in 1949.
The First Recording of “Lovesick Blues”
Many people thought that the song “Lovesick Blues” was first recorded by Hank Williams. But, it was not Williams who first recorded it. Irving Mills wrote the song, and Cliff Friend added the melody to Mills’ words. The first time the song was performed was in a musical show. The first recording of the song was by Elsie Clark in 1922.
Two Artists Who Inspired Hank Williams Sr.
Since there have been many versions of this song, we are going to take a look at the two versions of “Lovesick Blues” that inspired Hank Williams to perform and record the song.
In 1925, Emmett Miller, a performer, and singer recorded the song. Miller’s version began with a spoken version, and he also yodeled as he sings the song. Miller rerecorded the song in 1928.
Another artist who inspired Williams to record the song was the country singer and songwriter Rex Griffin. He recorded his version and released it in 1939. Griffin’s version was still the same. But, he changed the chorus to a verse, and he used the verse as the chorus. The melody of the song was also maintained.
Without Emmett Miller and Rex Griffin, Hank Williams would not have decided to perform this for the first time. He would not have the standing ovation he got during his first performance and would not have been known then.
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Hank Williams Sr., Lovesick Blues