Son of country star Hank Williams Jr. and grandson of country legend Hank Williams, Hank Williams III was country music royalty long before he started learning to sing. Yet he spent his teenage years thwarting his legacy until he made a name for himself. Hank Williams III’s songs that helped him become famous are “Country Heroes”, “Crazed Country Rebel”, “Mississippi Bud” and “Not Everybody Likes Us”.
Over the years, he has earned a reputation as one of Nashville’s biggest rebels. Learn more about Hank WilliamsIII with these interesting facts.
1. He is originally from Nashville, Tennessee.
Born Shelton Williams on December 12, 1972, Williams III’s parents divorced when he was three years old. He then moved to Atlanta with his mother and was never close to his father. However, he started playing with his father’s band when he was ten years old.
2. He once said he never does country music.
Williams III spent his teenage years singing and playing drums in various punk bands. “I was like, ‘I’ll never do country, I’ll never give in, you’ll never see me wearing a cowboy hat,'” he said.
However, Williams III finally embraced his country roots in 1996. Williams III collaborated with his father on the studio album Three Hanks: Heartbroken Menwho was mixing Hank Williams songs with backing vocals newly recorded by Hank Williams Jr. and Williams III.
3. He was ordered to pay child support for a son he says he didn’t know he had.
Williams III had to give up his life as a nomadic punk rocker when he found himself facing a paternity lawsuit three years after a one-night stand. Williams III owed a huge backlog of child support amounting to $24,000 on top of $589 a month. The judge then ordered him to find a more reliable job. “And that, as bad as it sounds, is the reason I entered the country,” Williams III noted.
4. He launched a campaign to have his grandfather reinstated in the Grand Ole Opry.
After missing an appearance due to heavy drinking and an addiction to painkillers, Hank Williams was unceremoniously ousted from the hugely popular radio show in 1952. More than half a century later , Williams III organized The Reinstate Hank campaign in hopes that his grandfather’s name would be returned to the Opry. The online petition has garnered over 65,000 signatures, but the country legend remains a former member.
5. He is a great animal advocate.
Williams III has been known to stop his tour bus to check on stray animals and find new homes for them. He even teamed up with Happy Tails Cruelty Free in Franklin, Tennessee, to raise awareness and funds for a no-kill shelter.
For years, Williams III has given charity concerts to benefit animal shelters.
6. He is always ready to go the extra mile for his fans.
Hank Williams III often patiently spent several hours after two or three hours of performance shaking hands, signing autographs and taking pictures with fans.
Truly, the outlaw spirit of his lineage is undeniable.
