41. He Was Rapidly Declining
Williams and Carr crossed state lines into Virginia as the clock ticked down to January 1st, 1953. Carr was reaching a point of exhaustion after driving for 20 hours, and they stopped in at an all-night restaurant for some refueling. Notably, Williams declined Carr’s offer to join him inside for a meal.
It wasn’t long before tragedy struck a fatal blow.
Sony Pictures Classics, I Saw the Light (2015)
42. He Was A Silent Departure
They stopped at a gas station in Oak Hill to fill up the car and get some coffee. Carr realized he hadn’t heard from Williams in a while. He checked on him in the back seat and found the singer not only unresponsive, but showing signs of rigor mortis. The singer hadn’t been alive for quite some time.
This sent Carr into a panic, and he called for help.
Sony Pictures Classics, I Saw the Light (2015)
43. They Couldn’t Save Him
Officers arrived at the scene and pronounced Williams dead. Next to him were empty cans and unfinished lyrics. Soon afterward, Dr Ivan Malinin performed an autopsy at a funeral home, and he declared heart and neck hemorrhages to be the cause of the singer’s demise.
But there were some suspicious signs on the body that made them investigate further.
44. He Was In Suspicious Condition
Dr Malinin noticed that Hank Williams had evidence of injury in his groin area and had visible evidence of a struggle. Reportedly, he had engaged in a physical altercation along the road, but there were few details about what had really happened. As a result, they couldn’t ascertain that the cause of Williams’ demise was anything but the hemorrhages in his heart and neck.
But even with this evidence, they still ran into problems when revealing the news of what happened.
Sony Pictures Classics, I Saw the Light (2015)
45. He Wasn’t Skipping A Show—Not This Time
When Williams’ demise was announced to a crowd of fans, the news was met with laughter. They didn’t believe that this untouchable celebrity could fall prey to such an event—he must have been lying to get out of performing. It was only when Cliff Rodgers made it clear that there was no joking around and that Hank Williams was no more that they finally stopped laughing.
In the surge of mourners, fellow musicians and performers paid a stunning tribute to Williams.
Sony Pictures Classics, I Saw the Light (2015)
46. He Was Loved By Many
A day after his demise was publicized, Williams’ remains were transported to Montgomery, Alabama. His devastated mother displayed him for two days until his funeral on January 4. Bereaved and mourning fans flocked to pay their respects from all over the country. Between 15,000 and 25,000 people waited outside the auditorium where the funeral was held, and 2,750 sat for the ceremony.
They were there to celebrate Hank Williams’ impact on the world.
Sony Pictures Classics, I Saw the Light (2015)
47. He Was Celebrated By The Industry
Fellow performers were the soundtrack to William’s funeral. The Drifting Cowboys, Roy Acuff, Red Foley, and more played songs from the singer’s discography as family, friends, and fans passed by the casket. He was interred at the Oakwood Annex in Montgomery.
Though he was gone, Williams has never been forgotten.
Sony Pictures Classics, I Saw the Light (2015)
48. He Was Able To Leave An Indelible Mark
Tributes to Hank Williams continue to this day. The memory of his life and his music live on in the legacy he left on the genre and the industry. While his career wasn’t as long as he might’ve liked, he was able to make genre-changing strides with his musical talent. The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce granted him a posthumous star on the Walk of Fame, and the Native American Music Hall of Fame inducted him into their ranks.
oFace Killah, Wikimedia Commons
49. He May Have Had Another Son
Years after Williams’ untimely passing, a man born in 1943 came forward, claiming to be the country icon’s illegitimate son—but it gets even more scandalous than that. Apparently, the man’s mother was Williams’ cousin. Additionally, the man had another strange claim about the man he believed to be his father.
50. His Family May Have Had Skeletons In The Closet
Remember the boarding houses that Williams' mother ran during and after the Great Depression in order to support the family? Well, according to the man who claimed to be part of Williams' family, that the boarding houses Williams’ mother had run during his upbringing had actually been brothels. And this claim may not have been so far-fetched.
Apparently, during Williams’ lifetime, he’d alluded to a friend that men would visit the house and be led upstairs.
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Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11
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