Biography
As a child, future country legend Hank Williams met Rufus “Tee Tot” Payne, a Black blues musician who offered him guitar lessons in exchange for meals or money. ∙ Williams distilled Rufus Payne’s blues, Jimmie Rodgers’ yodeling and lyric imagery, and Ernest Tubb’s honky-tonk into a unique—and highly commercial—sound. ∙ When he performed at Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry in 1949, he was called back for an unprecedented six encores. ∙ Hank’s longest...Read more