Hank Williams Tribute

A gala tribute to country music legend Hank Williams, sometimes known as the “Hillbilly Shakespeare.” Seasoned musicians recreate popular songs such as “Your Cheating Heart,” “I Saw the Light” and “Lovesick Blues,” in addition to lesser-known songs. Lively stage banter and anecdotes keep the show interesting and light-hearted.

Hank Williams died in Oak Hill, WV, en route to shows in Charleston, WV, and Canton, OH, scheduled for December 31, 1952, and January 1, 1953, respectively. As a special feature for this year’s Hank Williams Tribute, the performers will re-enact a portion of that lost show, including the music of Hawkshaw Hawkins, Homer & Jethro, Autry Inman, and the Webb Sisters as well as Hank Williams.

Scheduled to appear in the Hank Williams Tribute will be singers John Lilly and Rob McNurlin, steel guitarist Russ Hicks, fiddler Johnny Staats, guitarists Robert Shafer and Ritchie Collins, and bassist John Thornton, plus surprise guests.

This concert is sponsored by the Woody Hawley Concert Series and FOOTMAD (Friends of Old-Time Music and Dance). This program is presented with financial assistance from the WV Division of Culture and History, and the National Endowment for the Arts, with approval from the WV Commission on the Arts.