When Hank Williams Concert Tour?
The artist was one of the pioneers of country music and is widely considered one of its all-time greats. Williams was born in 1923 in the state of Alabama, playing his first tune in 1937 with a group that he himself created, the Drifting Cowboys. They performed at a number of small halls and at radio stations, but only began to achieve greater fame when they began to perform on the Louisiana Hayride radio programme in 1948. This exposure helped some of Williams’ songs to start charting in the country music charts.
The year 1949 saw Williams establishing himself as one of the major stars in country music circuit. Some of the songs that he wrote about love and the loss of a loved one resonated with many people. Songs such as “Cold, Cold Heart,” “Hey, Good Lookin’,” and “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry” highlighted his depressive singing. In 1951, Williams became a part of the Grand Ole Opry, which is recognized as the most significant country music stage. This accomplishment helped to solidify him as a legend of the genre.
Around the same period, Hank Williams was busy on concert tours as he sought to take his music to the people. His first real chance to tour came in 1951. He mainly toured different venues in the Southern and Midwestern regions of the USA, the two areas that dominated the country music scene then. Some of the places that he performed during this tour were Houston, Wichita Falls, Tulsa, St Louis, Evansville, Louisville and many others. This also embarked Williams on tour in both solo shows and other country artists who were famous in the same period. For instance, he embarked on a package tour with Webb Pierce, Lefty Frizzell, Faron Young and others branded as the “All-Star Jamboree. ”
In these concert tours, Hank Williams was a great performer who gave passionate singing, quality guitar playing and extraordinary performance skills. The fans demanded him to perform most of his record collection of the popular songs. Williams achieved a bond with the supporters that very few athletes can even come close to. He gave the audiences a sense that he really knew their lives, struggles, and loves. Watching Williams live only strengthened this special bond. Most of the concert goers deemed it to be a life defining experience. His tours made entire generations of fans of Hank Williams all over the country.
In 1952 Williams embarked on his longest concert tour to date. He also performed in several concerts across the southern, mid-western and western parts of the United States. These destinations were Oklahoma City, Amarillo, Albuquerque, Phoenix, San Diego, and more. Moving into the West signified country music’s expanding popularity across the nation. On this tour, Williams was accompanied by musicians such as fiddler Jerry Rivers and steel guitarist Don Helms. The supporting artists were Carl Smith, Lew Childre, Cowboy Copas, Hawkshaw Hawkins, etc. They toured the nation, often performing in as many as six cities in a week. It was a very tight touring schedule that could only be supported by the huge popularity Hank Williams enjoyed at the time.
Unfortunately, this great performer did not complete this extensive 1952 tour. His health had significantly declined due to chronic back pain and alcoholism. In fact he passed away suddenly of a heart attack during the early morning hours of New Year’s Day 1953, traveling to the next tour date at the tender age of 29. His death came as a shock to the country music fraternity and caused a lot of grief among his followers. That is why even today people speak about his early death as a great loss for the genre. It is even impossible to know what other novelties Hank Williams could have introduced to the country genre if he were alive.
In his short though fruitful career, Hank Williams provided a paradigm for future generations of country music stars through his concert tours across America. Instead of simply hearing about his powerful voice or passionate lyricism, audiences were able to witness these firsthand. Watching Williams perform live made it feel much more intimate for many people that watched her. This holds true to this day, as Hank Williams is still a figure dearly loved in country music. The touring legacy that he left behind can be evidenced by the myriad of artists that he has mentored over the last seven decades. In fact, one can hardly overemphasize the importance of Hank Williams as a musician and a performer, inspired by those great nights on the road.
