Hank Williams Favorite Country Songs: Take These Chains From My Heart, Lonesome Whistle And Cold Cold Heart

When it comes to memorable country music hits, it is hard to beat those Hank Williams favorites. From ‘Your Cheatin' Heart' to 'I Can't Get You Off Of My Mind' to ‘There's a Tear in My Beer,' the Alabama born Williams wrote and recorded some of the biggest songs released in the 1940's and 50's. Hank Williams favorites remain country standards, songs that once defined the honky tonk genre and still resonate with mainstream audiences today.
Hank Williams Sr (his son Hank Jr is also a well-known country singer) got his start in Montgomery, Alabama as host of a popular radio show and front man for his touring band, The Drifting Cowboys. With a charismatic air and an unmistakable voice, Williams skyrocketed to stardom, recording eleven #1 hits and a slew of other Hank Williams favorites, showcasing on the Grand Ole Opry, and attracting a national audience to his honky tonk style of country music. Unfortunately, Williams battled severe alcoholism and drug addiction throughout his career and was widely known to show up drunk for gigs. After losing his first wife and his band due to his relentless substance abuse, Williams eventually lost his life at the age of 29, overdosing in the back of a Cadillac on the way to a show.
What set Hank Williams favorites apart were their direct, honest and emotional lyrics. These combined with a bluesy style of honky tonk built the foundation for modern country music and set the standard for every single country performer since. Hank Williams favorites were so popular and groundbreaking, Williams is often referred to as the father of contemporary country. Hank Williams favorites depict a wide spectrum of emotion dealing primarily with the wild and troubled lifestyle Hank actually lived. He even released several spiritual albums under the name Luke the Drifter in order to keep his honky tonk image intact. From drinking and living it up to heartbreak and regret, Hank Williams favorites sing to it all.
The incredible stream of Hank Williams favorites began in 1947 when Hank signed a record deal with MGM Records. His song 'Move it On Over' became a huge country hit and sparked his meteoric rise to fame. After several moderate successes, Williams recorded a version of Rex Griffin's song 'Lovesick Blues' in 1949, despite everyone advising him to not waste his time with the tune. The single became a smash hit, staying at #1 for sixteen weeks and even breaking over onto the pop charts.
Over the next three years, nearly every song Hank Williams Sr released reached the top five. Simultaneously with this incredible period of professional success, Hank's personal life disintegrated with a bitter divorce from his wife/manager/band member Audrey. His true heartbreak fed back into his songwriting and produced some of the greatest Hank Williams favorites, culminating with the 1951 chart topper, 'Cold Cold Heart.' A concurrent cover of the song by Tony Bennett exploded on the pop charts, solidifying Hank Williams Sr as a respected songwriter and lyricist. 'Cold Cold Heart' and other Hank Williams favorites like 'Take These Chains From My Heart,' 'I Can't Escape From You,' 'I Can't Help It' and '(I Heard That) Lonesome Whistle' have been covered by such famous artists as Johnny Cash, Patsy Cline and Norah Jones. Hank Williams favorites remain standards even today with most country stars and others paying tribute to Hank at some point or another.
Hank Williams favorites did not just define a time period. Hank Williams favorites defined country music and helped make it what it is today. Tragically, Williams was only on top of the music world for less than five years, but in that time he released a canon of timeless hits that still resonate with audiences today. Though Hank paid the price for his hard living, it is also what gave Hank Williams favorites their authenticity and raw emotion. Hank Williams favorites will always have a place in the hearts and ears of music fans; it is just a shame that the young star could not live to see the unprecedented impact he had on modern music as a whole.


Sources:
"Hank Biography: Page 1." Hank Williams.com. 2000. Mercury Records. 12 July 2007. http://www.hankwilliams.com/hankbio_1.html.
"Hank Biography: Page 2." Hank Williams.com. 2000. Mercury Records. 12 July 2007. http://www.hankwilliams.com/hankbio_2.html.
"Hank Williams: 1985 Inductee Lifework Award for Performing Achievement." 2003. alamhof.org. 12 July 2007. http://www.alamhof.org/williamh.htm.
"Hank Williams." Wikipedia.org. 11 July 2007. Wikimedia Foundation Inc. 12 July 2007. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hank_Williams.