Culture

143 Lost Hank Williams' WSM Recordings Returned to Jett Williams

by reno_fog | November 8, 2008 at 07:39 am

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One hundred forty-three never-released recordings of Hank Williams Sr. done in 1951 have been found in a trash can and have become part of the Williams' estate.

Williams and his Drifting Cowboys made the recordings for the radio station WSM-AM in Nashville. They were recorded on acetate discs and pitched in the trash when the station moved in the 1960s. An employee salvaged them and later turned them over to Jett Williams.

Born to Bobbie Jett, Williams' girlfriend between his marriages, Jett Williams didn't have a clue her father was Hank Williams until her 21st birthday. It took her years of legal action to receive recognition and a share of his estate.

It's very intimate," Jett Williams, a country singer, said. "It's like he came over to your house and he's saying, 'Let me tell you about this song I just wrote.' It's interesting because it's live, and you hear him make a mistake or the band make a mistake and you get to hear how he handles it. You hear him tell jokes and how quick his wit is.

The recordings capture him joking and telling stories between songs, such as "Hey, Good Lookin' " or "On Top of Old Smoky" and "I'll Fly Away."