A Sister’s Love: Legacy of Hank Williams and His Sister Irene
The Winter program of CVHS will be held virtually on January 28th, at 3:00 PM (EDT). Our presenter, Dr. Steve Goodson, is a longtime instructor of History at the University of West Georgia (having recently just retired) and an authority on the history of Country Music in the Deep South. This will be Dr. Goodson’s third program for CVHS, the former highlighting the life and music of Hank Williams, Jr.
“It is the story of Hank’s older sister Irene,” says Goodson. “Irene played an important but underappreciated role in protecting and promoting Hank’s reputation and legacy in the decades following his death in 1953.” Both Irene and Hank were born in Butler County, Alabama in the early 1920s. Their father Elonzo “Lon” Williams was a former Railroad Engineer for W.T. Smith Lumber Co. before serving (and suffering injuries) in World War I. Following the death of Ernest Williams two days after his birth in 1921, Irene became the oldest child of the Williams family. For this reason, perhaps, she took on a more protective role in the upbringing of her younger siblings. This applied to Hank, who struggled with Spina Bifida (a painful spinal condition) during his childhood (and later).
This presentation will highlight many of the hardships the Williams family endured during Irene and Hank’s childhood. All of this heavily influenced Hank’s musical career. Regarding Irene’s role in Hank’s career and legacy, Goodson feels that her story is very much a part of Hank’s own story (both before and after his death). He feels it is essential to all who wish to learn more about the Alabama-born Country legend.
Steve Goodson was born in Montgomery, Alabama, and grew up in nearby Prattville. He received his B.A. in History from Auburn University at Montgomery in 1988 and earned his Ph.D. in History from Emory University in 1995. He joined the faculty at the University of West Georgia, where he served as a professor (and for twelve years as department chair) until retiring just last month. His book Highbrows, Hillbillies, and Hellfire: Public Entertainment in Atlanta, 1880-1930, published by the University of Georgia Press, won the Georgia Historical Society’s Bell Award as the best book on Georgia History published in 2002. He is also co-editor of The Hank Williams Reader, which was published in 2014 by the Oxford University Press. This work has received much critical acclaim as a detailed account of Williams’ life and career.
Join us for this very informative and interesting presentation on January 28th. To attend this virtual meeting email ccpowers02@gmail.com prior to 12:00 PM noon (EDT) on Sunday, January 28th. You will then be sent the Zoom link with instructions regarding how to join the meeting.