Members masterbuilt Posted July 20, 2008 Members Share Posted July 20, 2008 How Hank Williams got a songwriting contract... My mother was a country music songwriter in the old Hank Williams tradition and she was told this story by Jimmy Key in Nashville. Hank Sr. was fairly young and beating the pavement in Nashville trying to get someone to listen to his music. Well, he finally made it into an office and was trying to get the secretary to let him in to speak with a publisher who just about that time popped out the door to go for some lunch. At that moment, there's Hank Williams with a beatup old flat top guitar and an arm-load of songs he had written. He waved them at the publisher and asked him if he would look at his music and listen to a song. The publisher said to Hank, "So, You want to be a songwriter, eh kid?" "Okay, sit right there on that sofa. Here's a story... A guy is walking down the street and runs into his ex-girlfriend arm and arm with another man." Then the publisher said, "I'll be back in thirty minutes, write me a song about that story." Hank sat down and wrote "I Can't Help it if I'm Still in Love with You" and the publisher gave him a songwriting contract. .... and the rest is history Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Sparhawk Posted July 20, 2008 Members Share Posted July 20, 2008 Nice bit of history. Don't know if it's true or not, but cool story either way. [YOUTUBE]JNt_BB-oQK0[/YOUTUBE] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Bubbalou Posted July 20, 2008 Members Share Posted July 20, 2008 I read it took him all of 5 minutes to write that song.Fact or fiction I do not know but it makes for a good story all right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Bernie P. Posted July 20, 2008 Members Share Posted July 20, 2008 I dont know if thats true either but I do recall seeing that in the HW film with George Hamilton as Hank. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Brokepick Posted July 21, 2008 Members Share Posted July 21, 2008 Speaking of Hank, anybody listen to Hank III? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Stackabones Posted July 21, 2008 Members Share Posted July 21, 2008 I bet he already had it written before he walked in the room. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Bubbalou Posted July 21, 2008 Members Share Posted July 21, 2008 I dont know if thats true either but I do recall seeing that in the HW film with George Hamilton as Hank. I saw that back in the mid 1960's when I was a kid Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Bubbalou Posted July 21, 2008 Members Share Posted July 21, 2008 Speaking of Hank, anybody listen to Hank III? When he cuts his hair and sings his grandfathers stuff you would swear he was made in the same mold. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members boxorox Posted July 24, 2008 Members Share Posted July 24, 2008 Spooky. Only checked this thread because I was running thru some old tunes. Last one was "Half as Much". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members HankGator Posted July 24, 2008 Members Share Posted July 24, 2008 I remember hearing as a kid that someone bet him he couldn't write a song by the time the other guy walked around the block, and that's how he wrote Your Cheatin' Heart. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members oldnewbie Posted July 24, 2008 Members Share Posted July 24, 2008 Speaking of Hank, anybody listen to Hank III? I saw Hank III a few years ago. His set as "Hank III" was great but afterwards he came out in his alter ego heavy metal band "Ass Jack" and it was so loud I had to leave. He does sound just like his grandfather...when he's singing country that is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Kap'n Posted July 25, 2008 Members Share Posted July 25, 2008 How Hank Williams got a songwriting contract... A story perpetuated by Wesley Rose - son of Fred Rose, the guy who polished the diamond-in-the-rough that was Hank Sr. It's been pretty much debunked, as have most of Wesley's stories. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members OldMattB Posted July 25, 2008 Members Share Posted July 25, 2008 I love Hank and HankIII (Tricephus). HankIII seems to be one of the few country singers that really has the spirit of his father. Hank couldn't sing about the pills, etc in public, but I am sure he would have. "Well I'm racin' these backroads, tryin' to save my life,Cause the sheriff wants to kill me cause I F@cked his wife." A great lyric, and probably a true story! oldMattB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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