Coming to Fantasy Springs Resort Casino, Friday, May 15 @ 8pm
By Lisa Morgan
Junior was only 3 years old when his dad, Hank Williams, died as a result of a heart attack brought on by prescription pill and alcohol abuse. Hank Sr. was only 29 years old and on his way to 35 Top 10s in the Billboard Country & Western Best Sellers chart, 11 ranking number one (some of which were postmortem). Nicknamed “Bocephus” by his dad, and assisted by his mother (Hank Sr.’s estranged wife and former manager), Williams Jr. started his music career at the age of 8 as a “Hank Williams impersonator”.
A multi-instrumentalist whose mentors were Johnny Cash, Fats Domino, Earl Scruggs, and Jerry Lee Lewis, Williams Jr. turned his moderate commercial success into timeless superstardom when he shed his father’s image in the mid 70s and crossed into “outlaw” southern rock territory with friends Waylon Jennings and Charlie Daniels. His own struggles with pills and alcohol were well documented in the media, but best recognized in his own song, “Family Tradition”.
Now, at 65 years old with a slew of billboard charting songs, number one hits, Grammys, CMT, CMA and ACM awards and an induction into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, Williams Jr. continues to tour and write. The ground breaking artist took time to answer some questions for CV Weekly:
CVW: Will there be a new album soon?
HWJ: Well, I just signed with the Nash ICON label which is the same label for Reba, Martina, and Ronnie Dunn. So I will be in the studio in the coming months, and I am hoping to have music out in the fall.
CVW: There is a lot of discussion in the industry about authenticity vs commercialism in the genre. For example, the terms “Bro-country” and “Arena Country” are often used to describe a part of the industry that has become too commercialized. How are you feeling about today’s country music, and what is getting played on the radio?
HWJ: I have never made music to fit into any category. I have always made music that I felt was going to touch people or have a significant message. There are some great singers out there today and there were some great singers out years ago. Music lives in a cycle, sometimes it is rocking country, sometimes it is traditional country, and everything in between. I just hope my music connects with the fans.
CVW: When I interviewed your daughter, Holly, she said you would make it clear that you were “daddy” not Bocephus when you came home. It seems some of the kids still inherited the music bug. How do you feel about their journey into the music industry?
HWJ: I am proud of everything my kids do, just like any father would be. Holly is making some great strides in the music business, as a writer and an artist. Shelton (Hank III) has done very well creating a fan base for his style of music. Hilary is dabbling into it some and who knows if either Katie or Sam will get into it.
CVW: Do you have advice for all the dreamers heading to Nashville to try and make their way in the music industry?
HWJ: I don’t give advice. Either you have IT or you don’t. You have to ‘fake it to make it’ and have the will to stay in it until you get someone to hear you.
CVW: Who do you like that you’ve seen in country music today?
HWJ: I think Eric Church brings to country music what I did in the 80’s. He reminds me a lot of myself.
CVW: Who have been the ones that have really supported you in good times and bad?
HWJ: Well you know… Johnny Cash was there for me when I fell off the mountain in the 70s. June Carter Cash was my Godmother and she and my mother were very close friends. You know I am a lucky guy; I have had some great people around me over the years that helped support me no matter what. My manager for 40 years, Merle Kilgore, used to carry daddy’s guitar at the Louisiana Hayride before coming to work for me, and he was a big part of my life, my family’s life, and my career.
CVW: Is songwriting/recording/playing live your favorite thing to do?
HWJ: Hell no, having a fishing pole in my hand or a rifle is much more exciting to me than anything else. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy making new music and sharing it with the fans however, I only do 25 shows a year and play where I want to and when I want to. I have the most loyal hardcore fans in the business, so you can say that I am spoiled. Taking that little boy or girl out to catch their first fish or bag their first deer or turkey is much more fun than anything for me.
CVW: In a perfect world, what would you be doing?
HWJ: I am doing it. I do what I want, when I want, and how I want.
Tickets to see Hank William Jr. on Saturday, May 15th at Fantasy Springs Resort and Casino can be purchased at fantasyspringsresort.com or call (760) 342-5000.
