Audrey Williams
Encyclopedia
Audrey Mae Sheppard better known as Audrey Williams, was an American musician and the first wife of country music
icon Hank Williams, mother of Hank Williams, Jr.
and grandmother of Hank Williams III
and Holly Williams
.
Audrey and Hank were married from December 15, 1944 until July 10, 1952 when their divorce was finalized.
. She met Hank Williams in 1943. At the age of 20, she was separated from her first husband and a single mother to their daughter, Lycretia. In a ceremony performed just ten days after her divorce became final (and before the expiration of the 60-day waiting period then required after a divorce), she and Hank were married before a Justice of the Peace
at a gas station near Andalusia, Alabama
in December 1944. With Audrey taking up the motivational role that had once been the exclusive preserve of Hank's mother Lilly, the newly-wedded couple visited Nashville
intent on meeting songwriter and music publisher Fred Rose
, one of the heads of Acuff-Rose Publishing.
Rose liked Hank’s songs and asked him to record two sessions for Sterling Records, which resulted in two singles: “Never Again” in December, 1946 and “Honky Tonkin’” in February, 1947. Both proved successful and Hank signed a contract with MGM Records
early in 1947, with Rose as Hank's manager and record producer.
Meanwhile, Audrey soon began to push for her own spot in the limelight. Since the start of their relationship, Hank had sometimes allowed her to join with his backing band; as well as singing, Audrey played the upright bass. Country biographer Colin Escott wrote. "Her duets with Hank were like an extension of their married life in that she fought him for dominance on every note." They recorded several duets together and Audrey featured on the following recordings: "Lost On The River", "I Heard My Mother Praying For Me", "Dear Brother", "Jesus Remembered Me", "The Pale Horse And His Rider", "Jesus Died For Me", "Help Me Understand", Something Got A Hold Of Me", "I Want To Live And Love", and "Where The Soul Of Man Never Dies."
It has been suggested that Audrey wrote the "Mansion On The Hill" because Hank had writers block after meeting with Fred Rose.
In early 1948, tensions grew in their relationship as Hank began to abuse alcohol again. Audrey left, having given Hank the choice of alcohol or her. They would eventually reunite, and on May 26, 1949, Audrey gave birth to Randall Williams. Hank nicknamed him "Bocephus", after the name of country ventriloquist Rod Brasfield
's dummy. Audrey would make an appearance at the Grand Ole Opry
after the birth and officially rename the child Hank Williams, Jr. Meanwhile, Audrey refused to let Hank adopt Lycretia because she was afraid he would take her if they divorced.
On December 31, 1951, after allegations of mutual infidelities and the resumption of Hank's problems with alcohol and pills, Audrey called him from a hotel and told him to be out of their Tennessee house by the time she returned. Hank allegedly replied with the prophetic, "Audrey I won't live another year without you." However, in June 1952, Audrey and Hank divorced for the second time. She was awarded the house and their child, as well as half of his future royalties (on the condition she never remarried). Months after Hank's death, towards the end of 1953, she paid his second wife Billie Jean Jones
$30,000 to relinquish the title and description of "Hank Williams' Widow
": both had been using the description professionally. Lilly was in rare agreement with her on this issue.
Like her late ex-husband, Audrey had problems with alcohol and drugs. Hank Jr. became estranged from her after he turned 18. Audrey never remarried. She died on November 4, 1975 from heart failure related to her years of alcohol and drug use at the age of 52, outliving Hank, Sr. by 22 years.
featuring Waylon Jennings
: "The Night Hank Williams Came To Town" as "How'd They Get Miss Audrey In That Gown", which is included in "Johnny Cash Is Coming to Town
" album. She is also referenced in "Tangled Up Roses" by Shooter Jennings
and in Hank Williams Jr.'s song "The Conversation" with Waylon Jennings.
http://www.tcmradio.com/news/November/Nov4.htm
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
icon Hank Williams, mother of Hank Williams, Jr.
Hank Williams, Jr.
Randall Hank Williams , better known as Hank Williams, Jr. and Bocephus, is an American country singer-songwriter and musician. His musical style is often considered a blend of Southern rock, blues, and traditional country...
and grandmother of Hank Williams III
Hank Williams III
Shelton Hank Williams, known as Hank 3 , is a neotraditional country and punk metal singer, drummer, bassist, and guitarist. In addition to his honky tonk recordings, Williams' style alternates among country, punk and metal...
and Holly Williams
Holly Williams
Holly Williams is an American country music artist. She is the daughter of Hank Williams, Jr. and half-sister of country singer Hank Williams III. Williams has released two studio albums: The Ones We Never Knew and Here with Me, in 2004 and 2009 respectively...
.
Audrey and Hank were married from December 15, 1944 until July 10, 1952 when their divorce was finalized.
Biography
Sheppard was born in Pike County, AlabamaPike County, Alabama
Pike County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama. Its name is in honor of General Zebulon Pike, of New Jersey, an explorer who led an expedition to southern Colorado and discovered Pikes Peak in 1806. As of 2010 the population was 32,899. Its county seat is Troy.- History :In 1819 the State...
. She met Hank Williams in 1943. At the age of 20, she was separated from her first husband and a single mother to their daughter, Lycretia. In a ceremony performed just ten days after her divorce became final (and before the expiration of the 60-day waiting period then required after a divorce), she and Hank were married before a Justice of the Peace
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
at a gas station near Andalusia, Alabama
Andalusia, Alabama
Andalusia is a city in and the county seat of Covington County, Alabama, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 8,794.According to the 2007 U.S. Census estimates, the city had a population of 8,705...
in December 1944. With Audrey taking up the motivational role that had once been the exclusive preserve of Hank's mother Lilly, the newly-wedded couple visited Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
intent on meeting songwriter and music publisher Fred Rose
Fred Rose (musician)
Fred Rose was an American Hall of Fame songwriter and music publishing executive.-Biography:Born in Evansville, Indiana, Fred Rose started playing piano and singing as a small boy. In his teens, he moved to Chicago, Illinois where he worked in bars busking for tips, and finally vaudeville...
, one of the heads of Acuff-Rose Publishing.
Rose liked Hank’s songs and asked him to record two sessions for Sterling Records, which resulted in two singles: “Never Again” in December, 1946 and “Honky Tonkin’” in February, 1947. Both proved successful and Hank signed a contract with MGM Records
MGM Records
MGM Records was a record label started by the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film studio in 1946, for the purpose of releasing soundtrack albums of their musical films. Later it became a pop label, lasting into the 1970s...
early in 1947, with Rose as Hank's manager and record producer.
Meanwhile, Audrey soon began to push for her own spot in the limelight. Since the start of their relationship, Hank had sometimes allowed her to join with his backing band; as well as singing, Audrey played the upright bass. Country biographer Colin Escott wrote. "Her duets with Hank were like an extension of their married life in that she fought him for dominance on every note." They recorded several duets together and Audrey featured on the following recordings: "Lost On The River", "I Heard My Mother Praying For Me", "Dear Brother", "Jesus Remembered Me", "The Pale Horse And His Rider", "Jesus Died For Me", "Help Me Understand", Something Got A Hold Of Me", "I Want To Live And Love", and "Where The Soul Of Man Never Dies."
It has been suggested that Audrey wrote the "Mansion On The Hill" because Hank had writers block after meeting with Fred Rose.
In early 1948, tensions grew in their relationship as Hank began to abuse alcohol again. Audrey left, having given Hank the choice of alcohol or her. They would eventually reunite, and on May 26, 1949, Audrey gave birth to Randall Williams. Hank nicknamed him "Bocephus", after the name of country ventriloquist Rod Brasfield
Rod Brasfield
Rodney Leon Brasfield was an American comedian who was prominently featured on the Grand Ole Opry from 1947 until his death in 1958. In 1987, he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.-Biography:...
's dummy. Audrey would make an appearance at the Grand Ole Opry
Grand Ole Opry
The Grand Ole Opry is a weekly country music stage concert in Nashville, Tennessee, that has presented the biggest stars of that genre since 1925. It is also among the longest-running broadcasts in history since its beginnings as a one-hour radio "barn dance" on WSM-AM...
after the birth and officially rename the child Hank Williams, Jr. Meanwhile, Audrey refused to let Hank adopt Lycretia because she was afraid he would take her if they divorced.
On December 31, 1951, after allegations of mutual infidelities and the resumption of Hank's problems with alcohol and pills, Audrey called him from a hotel and told him to be out of their Tennessee house by the time she returned. Hank allegedly replied with the prophetic, "Audrey I won't live another year without you." However, in June 1952, Audrey and Hank divorced for the second time. She was awarded the house and their child, as well as half of his future royalties (on the condition she never remarried). Months after Hank's death, towards the end of 1953, she paid his second wife Billie Jean Jones
Billie Jean Jones
Billie Jean Jones was the second wife of country singer Hank Williams. She was introduced to Hank by her then boyfriend, Faron Young. They married in 1952 each having had a previous marriage that ended in divorce. After Williams' death from heart failure on New Year's Day 1953, she married country...
$30,000 to relinquish the title and description of "Hank Williams' Widow
Widow
A widow is a woman whose spouse has died, while a widower is a man whose spouse has died. The state of having lost one's spouse to death is termed widowhood or occasionally viduity. The adjective form is widowed...
": both had been using the description professionally. Lilly was in rare agreement with her on this issue.
Like her late ex-husband, Audrey had problems with alcohol and drugs. Hank Jr. became estranged from her after he turned 18. Audrey never remarried. She died on November 4, 1975 from heart failure related to her years of alcohol and drug use at the age of 52, outliving Hank, Sr. by 22 years.
Cultural references
Audrey is mentioned in the song by Johnny CashJohnny Cash
John R. "Johnny" Cash was an American singer-songwriter, actor, and author, who has been called one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century...
featuring Waylon Jennings
Waylon Jennings
Waylon Arnold Jennings was an American country music singer, songwriter, and musician. Jennings began playing at eight. He began performing at twelve, on KVOW radio. Jennings formed a band The Texas Longhorns. Jennings worked as a D.J on KVOW, KDAV and KLLL...
: "The Night Hank Williams Came To Town" as "How'd They Get Miss Audrey In That Gown", which is included in "Johnny Cash Is Coming to Town
Johnny Cash Is Coming to Town
Johnny Cash Is Coming to Town is an album by American country singer Johnny Cash, released in 1987 , and his first for Mercury Records. It was re-released in 2003, paired with Boom Chicka Boom on a single CD...
" album. She is also referenced in "Tangled Up Roses" by Shooter Jennings
Shooter Jennings
Waylon Albright "Shooter" Jennings is an American singer-songwriter active in the country music and Southern rock genres as well as making his first foray into psychedelic rock in 2009...
and in Hank Williams Jr.'s song "The Conversation" with Waylon Jennings.
http://www.tcmradio.com/news/November/Nov4.htm