Hank Williams Jr. Information Continued
Born Randall Hank Williams in Shreveport, Louisiana, and known by the
nickname Bocephus (a name given to him by Hank Williams), he was raised
by his mother Audrey after his father's death in 1953. He began
performing when eight years old, and in 1963 made his recording debut
with "Lone Gone Lonesome Blues", a staple of his father's career.
In 1986 and 1987, Williams was named Entertainer Of The Year by the
Country Music Association. In 1987, 1988, and 1989, he won the same award
from the Academy of Country Music. During the 1980s, Williams became a
country music superstar known for catchy anthems and hard-edged
rock-influenced country.
His last major success was "There's a Tear in My Beer", a duet with
his father created using electronic dubbing techniques. The song itself
was written by his father, presumably, sometime between 1950 and 1953 and
was recorded with Hank Williams playing just his guitar. The music video
for the song combined existing television footage of Hank Williams
performing and the dubbing techniques transferred the image of Hank Jr.
onto the screen, so it appeared as if he were actually playing with his
father. The video was an overwhelming success, both critically and
commercially. It was named Video Of The Year by both the Country Music
Association and the Academy of Country music. Hank Williams, Jr. would go
on to win a Grammy award in 1990 for Best Country Vocal
Collaboration.
