It can be explained in just one word: sincerity. When a hillbilly sings a crazy song, he feels crazy. When he sings, ‘I Laid My Mother Away,’ he sees her a-laying right there in the coffin. He sings more sincere than most entertainers because the hillbilly was raised rougher than most entertainers. You got to know a lot about hard work. You got to have smelt a lot of mule manure before you can sing like a hillbilly. The people that have been raised something like the way the hillbilly has…. knows what he sings about and appreciates it
~Hank Williams (on the success of Country Music)Nobody had a talent for making suffering enjoyable like Hank Williams
~Kris KristoffersonHank Williams was the first influence I would think.
~Bob Dylan (to Billy James, Oct 1961)I started writing songs after I heard Hank Williams.
~Bob Dylan (The Les Crane Show, 17 Feb 1965)
Check out this post: Bob Dylan covers Hank Williams
Cold Cold Heart:
From Wikipedia:
| Birth name | Hiram King Williams |
|---|---|
| Also known as | The Lovesick Blues Boy Lovesick Luke the Drifter Hank Williams, Sr. The Hillbilly Shakespeare |
| Born | September 17, 1923 Mount Olive, Butler County, Alabama |
| Died | January 1, 1953 (aged 29) Oak Hill, West Virginia |
| Genres | Country, Western, gospel,blues, honky-tonk, folk |
| Occupations | Songwriter Musician |
| Instruments | Vocals, guitar |
| Years active | 1937–1952 |
| Labels | Sterling, MGM |
| Associated acts | Drifting Cowboys Audrey Williams |
| Website | www.hankwilliams.com |