Jett Williams
Encyclopedia
Jett Williams is an American
country music
performer.
Jett is the daughter of country music icon Hank Williams, Sr. and Bobbie Jett, whose brief relationship with Hank Williams occurred between his two marriages. She is a posthumous child
; her birth in Montgomery, Alabama
occurred five days after her father's death. She was legally adopted by Hank Williams' mother Lillian Stone in December 1954, who renamed her Catherine Yvonne Stone. After Lillian died in 1955, the young Cathy was made a ward of the state of Alabama
and subsequently adopted
by parents who renamed her Cathy Louise Deupree.
Jett knew she was adopted, but it was not until the early 1980s that she learned who her biological parents were. Although Hank Williams had executed a pre-birth custody agreement three months before her birth that gave him custody of his unborn daughter, she was forced to go to extreme lengths to prove the relationship and be recognized as Williams' daughter. Her older half-brother, country music singer Hank Williams, Jr.
was reportedly very slow to accept her as kin.
In September 1984, she met and retained Washington, D.C.
investigative attorney Keith Adkinson to help her. Within days he had a copy of the pre-birth custody contract, and within months had conclusive proof that Jett was defrauded for the financial gain of others. A lawsuit was filed based on this discovery. On September 28, 1986 Jett and Keith married in Washington.
In 1985 the Alabama State Court ruled that she was the daughter of Hank Williams. On October 26, 1987 the Alabama Supreme Court
ruled that she was entitled to her half-share in the Williams estate, as she had been the victim of fraud and judicial error. Hank WIlliams, Jr. appealed the case in federal court but the ruling stood when the United States Supreme Court refused to hear the case in 1990.
In 1990 she published her autobiography
Ain't Nothin' as Sweet as My Baby.
In 2000 the Tennessee legislature passed HJR 621 designating May 18, 2000 as "Jett Williams Appreciation Day" in Macon County.
In January, 2006, the Tennessee Court of Appeals
upheld a lower court ruling stating that Hank Williams' heirs — son Randall Hank Williams and daughter Jett Williams — have the sole rights to sell his old recordings made for a Nashville
radio station in the early 1950s. The court rejected claims made by Polygram Records and Legacy Entertainment in releasing recordings Williams made for the "Mother's Best Flour Show," a program that originally aired on WSM
. The recordings, which Legacy Entertainment acquired in 1997, include live versions of Williams' hits and covers of other songs. Polygram contended that Williams' contract with MGM Records
, which Polygram now owns, gave them rights to release the radio recordings. In October 2008 a selection of the "Mother's Best" recordings were released by Time-Life
as Hank Williams: The Unreleased Recordings.
Williams toured with the current touring version of the Drifting Cowboys
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
country music
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...
performer.
Jett is the daughter of country music icon Hank Williams, Sr. and Bobbie Jett, whose brief relationship with Hank Williams occurred between his two marriages. She is a posthumous child
Posthumous birth
A posthumous birth is a birth of a child after the death of a parent. A person born in these circumstances is called a posthumous child or a posthumously born person...
; her birth in Montgomery, Alabama
Montgomery, Alabama
Montgomery is the capital of the U.S. state of Alabama, and is the county seat of Montgomery County. It is located on the Alabama River southeast of the center of the state, in the Gulf Coastal Plain. As of the 2010 census, Montgomery had a population of 205,764 making it the second-largest city...
occurred five days after her father's death. She was legally adopted by Hank Williams' mother Lillian Stone in December 1954, who renamed her Catherine Yvonne Stone. After Lillian died in 1955, the young Cathy was made a ward of the state of Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
and subsequently adopted
Adoption
Adoption is a process whereby a person assumes the parenting for another and, in so doing, permanently transfers all rights and responsibilities from the original parent or parents...
by parents who renamed her Cathy Louise Deupree.
Jett knew she was adopted, but it was not until the early 1980s that she learned who her biological parents were. Although Hank Williams had executed a pre-birth custody agreement three months before her birth that gave him custody of his unborn daughter, she was forced to go to extreme lengths to prove the relationship and be recognized as Williams' daughter. Her older half-brother, country music singer 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...
was reportedly very slow to accept her as kin.
In September 1984, she met and retained Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
investigative attorney Keith Adkinson to help her. Within days he had a copy of the pre-birth custody contract, and within months had conclusive proof that Jett was defrauded for the financial gain of others. A lawsuit was filed based on this discovery. On September 28, 1986 Jett and Keith married in Washington.
In 1985 the Alabama State Court ruled that she was the daughter of Hank Williams. On October 26, 1987 the Alabama Supreme Court
Alabama Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of Alabama is the highest court in the state of Alabama. The court consists of an elected Chief Justice and eight elected Associate Justices. Each justice is elected in partisan elections for staggered six year terms. The Governor of Alabama may fill vacancies when they occur...
ruled that she was entitled to her half-share in the Williams estate, as she had been the victim of fraud and judicial error. Hank WIlliams, Jr. appealed the case in federal court but the ruling stood when the United States Supreme Court refused to hear the case in 1990.
In 1990 she published her autobiography
Autobiography
An autobiography is a book about the life of a person, written by that person.-Origin of the term:...
Ain't Nothin' as Sweet as My Baby.
In 2000 the Tennessee legislature passed HJR 621 designating May 18, 2000 as "Jett Williams Appreciation Day" in Macon County.
In January, 2006, the Tennessee Court of Appeals
Tennessee Court of Appeals
The Tennessee Court of Appeals was created in 1925 by the Tennessee General Assembly as an intermediate appellate court to hear appeals in civil cases from the Tennessee state trial courts....
upheld a lower court ruling stating that Hank Williams' heirs — son Randall Hank Williams and daughter Jett Williams — have the sole rights to sell his old recordings made for a 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...
radio station in the early 1950s. The court rejected claims made by Polygram Records and Legacy Entertainment in releasing recordings Williams made for the "Mother's Best Flour Show," a program that originally aired on WSM
WSM (AM)
WSM is the callsign of a 50,000 watt AM radio station located in Nashville, Tennessee. Operating at 650 kHz, its clear channel signal can reach much of North America and various countries, especially late at night...
. The recordings, which Legacy Entertainment acquired in 1997, include live versions of Williams' hits and covers of other songs. Polygram contended that Williams' 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...
, which Polygram now owns, gave them rights to release the radio recordings. In October 2008 a selection of the "Mother's Best" recordings were released by Time-Life
Time-Life
Time–Life is a creator and direct marketer of books, music, video/DVD, and multimedia products. Its products are sold throughout North America, Europe, Australia, and Asia through television, print, retail, the Internet, telemarketing, and direct sales....
as Hank Williams: The Unreleased Recordings.
Williams toured with the current touring version of the Drifting Cowboys
Drifting Cowboys
The Drifting Cowboys were the backing group for American music legend Hank Williams. The band went through several lineups during Williams's career, and surviving members of the group continue to tour and make public appearances to this day....
.