Country legend Hank Williams, unfortunately, didn’t stick around this world for too long seeing that he died at the age of 29. The man lived fast: picking up music at an early age, reaching unprecedented success with his own radio show as a teenager, achieving his Grand Ole Opry debut by the age of 25, as well as finding the time to be married twice and have a couple of kids, too.

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The woman who famously fueled his partying, addiction, and misery was Audrey Sheppard, his wife from 1944 to 1952. Their turbulent marriage provided inspiration for many of Williams’ most famous songs, including Your Cheatin’ Heart. Audrey tried to be a part of his country music life, but Williams once said, “It’s bad enough to have a wife who wants to sing. But it’s worse to have a wife who wants to sing and CAN’T.”

This is the story of Hank Williams and his fall from grace…

Named After a Mason

Hank Williams was like a walking book – even his name has a story behind it. As it turns out, he wasn’t born Hank Williams. His mother, Lillie, was a member of the Order of the Eastern Star, and his father Elonzo, was a Mason. They actually meant to call him Hiram Williams, after Hiram of Tyre (one of the three founders of the Masons). But that didn’t become his name, either.

Hank Williams and his sister Irene Williams 1938. Source: Pinterest

Hank was born on September 17, 1923, and thanks to a misspelling on his birth certificate, his official birth name was recorded as “Hiriam.” As a child, he was called “Harm” by his family and “Herky” or “Poots” by his friends. Eventually, the name Hank stuck.