Hank Williams at 100: Tip your hat to the country icon by visiting these sites in Alabama
Can you imagine Hank Williams at age 100? For most of us, it’s mighty hard to do. We picture the legendary country artist as a young man, wearing a sharp suit and a cowboy hat, tapping his toe as he plays classic tunes such as “Your Cheatin’ Heart”, “Hey, Good Lookin’” and “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry.”
Williams left his world way too soon, dying at age 29 on January 1, 1953. The star was on a road trip from Montgomery to Canton, Ohio, where he was set to perform a concert. Williams, who had struggled with alcoholism and substance abuse, died in the car en route, after suffering heart failure. He left behind a rich and essential trove of music, and we can only wonder what he might have accomplished — and how large his songbook would be — if the Alabama native had lived to be a centenarian.
Williams was born in Mount Olive on Sept. 17, 1923, which means Sunday would be his 100th birthday. To mark the occasion, country fans can pay their respects by visiting several sites in Williams’ home state, which were designated as the “Hank Williams Trail” by the Alabama Tourism Department. (See an online brochure here.)
Here are four of our favorite pilgrimage spots for Hank Sr., all in Montgomery or within easy driving distance.
Hank Williams took his final road trip in this 1952 Cadillac, which can be seen at the Hank Williams Museum in Montgomery. The country star died in the back seat of the car, while being driven to a gig on New Year’s Day 1953. (AL.com file photo/Philip Barr)bn
HANK WILLIAMS MUSEUM
Where: 118 Commerce St., Montgomery.
Hours: Mondays-Fridays, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.; Saturdays, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; Sundays, 1-4 p.m.
Admission: $12.50 adults, $5 teens ages 15-17, $3 children ages 5-14, free for kids age 4 and younger.
What you find: There are some primo items on display, and Hank Williams buffs need to see them. Along with an abundance of the artifacts you’d expect — songbooks, photos, costumes, posters and the like — the collection includes a mannequin wearing the pants and shirt Williams had on during the fateful car trip to Canton, Ohio, on New Year’s Eve 1952. Seeing his death outfit is kind of spooky, but get ready for a double whammy. This museum also has the baby blue Cadillac Hank died in, restored to mint condition. One small gem in the bunch is Williams’ original lyric sheet for “These Men With Broken Hearts.” It’s displayed in a little cabinet with wooden doors you’re instructed to swing shut when you’re done.
Worth a trip? Absolutely. Organizers here are hooked up with Hank Williams Jr. and the Williams estate, so they’ve got the goods.
More info: 334-262-3600.
A statue of the legendary Hank Williams can be seen on Commerce Street in Montgomery, in the city’s entertainment district. (AL.com file photo/Julie Bennett)
HANK WILLIAMS STATUE
Where: 216 Commerce St., Montgomery. The statue was formerly located in a park on Perry Street, but was moved in 2016 to increase its visibility.
Hours: Available for viewing 24 hours.
Admission: Free.
What you’ll find: Lifelike, nicely detailed bronze statue of the country icon, wearing his trademark hat.
Worth a trip? Sure. The statue is pretty darn cool, and it’s close to the Hank Williams Museum, right in the heart of Montgomery’s entertainment district.
Hank Williams is buried at Oakwood Cemetery Annex in Montgomery. (AL.com file photo/Howard Miller)
HANK WILLIAMS GRAVESITE
Where: Oakwood Cemetery Annex, 1304 Upper Wetumpka Road, Montgomery.
Hours: Open 24 hours. Daytime is best for taking photos and paying your respects.
Admission: Free.
What you’ll find: An imposing dual monument of Vermont granite juts up into the sky on this high, peaceful plot of land. Hank Williams (1923-1953), a giant figure in country music, and wife Audrey Mae Sheppard Williams (1923-1975), are buried here.
Artificial turf covers the ground to keep pilgrims from ripping it up, or grabbing hunks of soil to take home as souvenirs. There are benches for sitting as you say a prayer, hum a tune or think about Hank’s enduring legacy. Make sure to check out the poems, pictures, song titles and dedications engraved on the monument, especially the family messages on the back.
Unlike the messy gravesites of stars Jim Morrison and James Dean, this is a mostly pristine spot, although we have heard that folks regularly leave bottles of booze, bunches of flowers and other gifts for Williams’ ghost. Some even toss coins in the brim of a stone cowboy hat that sits at the foot of the monument.
Worth a trip? Definitely. Lots of visitors bow their heads at Hank’s final resting place each year, and it’s easy to see why. The list includes Hank Williams Jr., who shared an Instagram photo of himself at the gravesite on Mother’s Day 2023. He was holding flowers in honor of Audrey Williams, the first wife of Hank Sr., who’s buried next to her famous husband.
Memorabilia, including some items owned by Hank Williams, is on view inside the Hank Williams Boyhood Home and Museum in Georgiana. (AL.com file photo/Philip Barr)
HANK WILLIAMS BOYHOOD HOME AND MUSEUM
Where: 127 Rose St., Georgiana.
Hours: Mondays-Saturdays, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Admission: $5 adults, $3 children.
What you’ll find: Volunteers at this quaint shrine to Hank Williams’ childhood will call you “darlin’” at the door and thank you kindly as you leave. It’s just that kind of place, where the atmosphere is down-to-earth and country courtesy rules. The memorabilia you’ll see in this humble white structure might not be as historically important as the items in a Montgomery museum devoted to Williams. But, heck, the house itself is an artifact, and a pretty darned good one.
Walk through its simple rooms and pretend you’re back in time with young Hank, playing guitar on the front porch or dreaming about the future. A suit of clothes worn by the adult Williams is on view in a glass-fronted case, and the lamps and end tables in the bedroom were owned and used by him. Otherwise, it’s up to you to decide if that little brown jug in the corner was used to quench Hank’s thirst or is simply placed there for aesthetic purposes.
The fan contributions to the decor are pretty neat, especially a wall-sized quilt that depicts Williams’ life story using embroidery thread. The bedroom curtains, browned with age, are patterned with song titles and to die for. Look around closely, and you may spot a lyric sheet for “Are You Building a Home in Heaven.”
Worth a trip? Without a doubt, especially in late May/early June during the weekend of the Hank Williams Festival. Think of this museum as Alabama’s version of Graceland, minus the crowds and the Jungle Room.
More info: 334-376-2396.
MORE ON HANK WILLIAMS:
Hank Williams died in 1953: 20,000 attended Alabama funeral