Hank Williams, Jr.

Hank Williams, Jr. (born May 26, 1949) is a country singer, best known for hits like "All My Rowdy Friends (Have Settled Down)" and "Born to Boogie", as well as for being the son of country music pioneer Hank Williams Sr. He was born in Shreveport, Louisiana and was raised by his mother, Audrey, after Hank Sr.'s death in 1953. At eight years old, Williams Jr. began performing. In 1963, he made his recording debut with "Lone Gone Lonesome Blues", a staple of his father's career. After the soundtrack to Your Cheatin' Heart[?], a biography to his father, Williams Jr. hit the charts with one of hiw own compositions, "Standing in the Shadows". The song proved signalled a move towards rock and roll and other influences as Williams Jr. stepped out of the shadow of his father.

While recording a series of hit songs, Williams began abusing drugs and alcohol and eventually tried to commit suicide in 1974. Moving to Alabama, Williams began playing with Southern rock musicians like Toy Caldwell[?], Marshall Tucker[?] and Charlie Daniels[?]. In 1975, he was severely injured in a mountain-climbing accident in Montana. Upon his recovery (which took two years), Williams worked with Waylon Jennings on The New South[?]. He didn't reach the charts again until the late 1970s, with "I Fought the Law" (Bobby Fuller), "Family Tradition" and "Whiskey Bent and Hell Bound". During the 1980s, Williams became a country music superstar known for catchy anthems and hard-edged rock-influenced country. By the end of the decade, however, the hits had dried up, with his last major success being "There's a Tear in My Beer", a duet with his father created using electronic dubbing techniques.