Lovesick Blues, The Life of Hank Williams by Paul Hemphill

 

This brief (200-ish page) bio was another impulse buy since I had already read Colin Escott's more detailed bio a little while back. but I'm always game for another point of view on an artist as fine as Hank.

Hemphill is the son of a trucker, who discovered Hank on a trip with his father way back in 1949, where the songs resonated with both of them - as well as millions of others at the time. He tells Hank's story well, with a brief overview of his childhood, his health issues, his early love of music and a career in music that he almost drank away before he turned 20. But, a new wife and his domineering mother helped keep his alcoholism at bay just enough to get his career off the ground and thriving again, even if he was known for being unreliable. He was popular enough for at least some promoters to put up with his issues.

Once Hank started writing in earnest, his career took off, first as simply a songwriter and then as a singer/songwriter/performer in his own right. While he had many ups'n'downs, he also had an astounding run of hits, which continued even after his untimely death at 29, in the back seat of his own limo on the way to a New Year's Day gig.

Hemphill covers the story fairly quickly, but gives a good feel for the insanity of his life, with Hank's women troubles, health issues, drinkin' problems and much more. While Escott's book is a lot more detail - Hamphill even references it, making me kinda wonder why he undertook this book himself, other than his own love for Williams' music - Hemphill does a good job and the interviews with Hank's steel guitarist Don Helms are an especially nice touch.