But as Jack Neely, executive director of the Knoxville History Project explains, local folklore tells a different story. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Thomas, 58, died on March 22 of a collapsed lung that . Market data provided by Factset. In 1941, he briefly joined a rodeo in Texas, where his condition worsened after he suffered a bad fall. The Accepted Story of Hank Williams' Death. In Georgiana, Lillie landed a coveted job at a cannery, according toSing a Sad Song. I think he had a profound sadness in him, says Marc Abraham, writer and director of the new biopic. She was rushed to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead. Williams lived fast, both personally and . CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER, He also posted on Instagram shortly after her death, "I will always be the son of Mary Jane. Mary Jane Thomas died on March 22 of a collapsed lung that was punctured during an elective surgery the day before, according to the Palm Beach County Medical Examiner's Office. HeWilliams Jr. has threechildren from previous marriages: Hank Williams III, Holly Williams and Hilary Williams. Hank Williams death remains somewhat of a mystery to this day. Wynette died in the same room where Williams' widow Audrey Williams died in 1975 of alcoholism. The late Mary and Hank Jr. welcomed two children; Katie and Sam - daughters Hillary and Holly are Hank Jr.'s other children with his ex-wife Becky White. But inclement weather meant they couldnt get to Charleston, so the concert was canceled and they instead made a pit stop at the Andrew Johnson Hotel in Knoxville, Tenn. Williams had already been drinking when he was given a shot of B12 and morphine by the hotel doctor. Hank Williams was born in September 1923 in a small Alabama farming community about 70 miles south of Montgomery. Sam shared the post as he wrote: "It's my second one not free.". This was the scene in Montgomery's Municipal Auditorium Jan. 4, 1953 as thousands filed past the open casket of singer-composer Hank Williams who died Jan. 1 . In the summer of 1952, Hank Williams had a brief affair with a dancer named Bobbie Jett. According to the New York Post, the singer, who suffered from back problems, was given a sedative before departing to a scheduled New Years Eve show in Charleston, West Virginia. Cras nunc lectus, tempor sit amet ex sed, malesuada malesuada justo. Hank Williams Jr.'s wife, Mary Jane Thomas, died after undergoing an elective cosmetic surgery, reports from Florida's Palm Beach County medical examiner reveal. (Carr died in 2013 and, for much of his life, kept silent on his journey with Williams.). Get the best of Fox News' entertainment coverage, right in your inbox. In addition to sharing the video, Sam made the same claims in a series of tweets. Williams credited Payne as his only real music teacher, per the Alabama Historical Association. Their daughter sadly died in a car accident in 2020. They divorced in 1952. Holly has one child and Hank Jr has three grandchildren all together. On June 11, 1949, Williams made his live Grand Ole Opry debut. Fox News Flash top entertainment headlines of the week, Prince Harry's 'attacks' on 'villain' Camilla led to Frogmore Cottage eviction: expert, Film industry reacts to death of 'Saving Private Ryan' star Tom Sizemore: 'You're a legend', Matthew McConaughey and Camila Alves take bumpy second flight after 'CHAOS' on Lufthansa plane: 'Wish me luck', Kelsey Grammer wont apologize for the 'difference' that Jesus has made in his life, Person roaming in 'Scream' Ghostface costume prompts multiple police calls. Regarded as one of the most significant and influential American singers and songwriters of the 20th century, he recorded 55 singles (five released posthumously) that reached the top 10 of the Billboard Country & Western Best Sellers chart, including 12 that reached No. She was private, compared to her country star husband, and although they separated in 2007, they reconciled in 2011. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. In light of the sad news, her brother and county music star, Williams, is now expressing his pain over the loss of his sister. The former models cause of death was listed in the official autopsy as "pneumothorax due to perforated parietal pleura during liposuction with autologous fat reinjection procedure," according to medical reports obtained by Fox News Digital. . The 27-year-old was driving a Chevy Tahoe in . No cause of death was provided at the time. "I'm certainly not an . Mary Jane Thomas, the wife of Hank Williams Jr., died suddenly on Tuesday at the age of 58 following a "medical procedure." Country music legend Hank Williams Jr. is in mourning today after the sudden death of his wife Mary Jane Thomas "following a medical procedure" that was carried out in Florida. Check out what clicked this week in entertainment. Her spirit was gentle and giving. Hank felt there was something bad around the corner.. ", Hank Williams Jr.'s youngest son, Sam, said he was under a conservatorship put in place by the family following the death of his sister Katherine in 2020. Katherine Williams-Dunning was 27. But their marriage was tumultuous, and provided much of the raw fodder for Williams' more lonesome melodies, most famously "Cold, Cold Heart." Thomas, pictured with Williams in 1989, traveled from her home in Nashville, Tennessee, for liposuction and breast implant removal procedures. The exact cause of death, and what happened in the last 48 hours of his life will perhaps never really be known. Thomas was taken to Jupiter Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead in the emergency room. But inclement weather meant they couldnt get to Charleston, so the concert was canceled and they instead made a pit stop at the Andrew Johnson Hotel in Knoxville, Tenn. Williams had already been drinking when he was given a shot of B12 and morphine by the hotel doctor. Lillie gave birth to Hank on September 17, 1923, per Biography. Her husband, Tyler Dunning, was in the vehicle and survived with critical injuries. Initial reports suggest that Mary Jane may have passed away due to complications from . Hank Williams + Audrey Williams' Love Story. Booze was freely available at most of their gigs, and Williams took full advantage, which caused tension in the band. Williams lived fast, both personally and professionally. Answer (1 of 6): Randall Hank Williams (AKA Hank Williams, Jr) is alive and well. Mary and Hank, 72, wed in 1990 after meeting in 1985 at one of his music concerts. But suspicions about this final journey arose immediately. . Hank Williams Jr., 73, is the son of country music legend Hank Williams. Thomas traveled from her home in Nashville, Tennessee, for liposuction and breast implant removal procedures performed at Bafitis Plastic Surgery, according to the reports, and was then cleared by physicians to recover at home, where she traveled to the nearby Jupiter Beach Resort & Spa in Palm Beach County. Only George Jones, Daly says, truly loved Wynette, but she writes that his own addiction to alcohol doomed their marriage from the start. Williams was born with a mild undiagnosed case of spina bifida occulta, a disorder of the spinal column, which gave him . At the time, Carrs nervous account of the final few hours of the journey were enough to raise questions of foul play, especially when some witnesses including a police officer claimed to have, oddly, seen a soldier also riding in the car. ** FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE--FILE **This is an undated file photo of Country and Western singer and guitarist Hank Williams. And, Carr claims that he spoke briefly with the singerin the car after they left the Knoxville hotel. Hank Jr is the son of Hank Williams - a revered country legend who had 12 Number 1 singles, including three posthumously. Discover Hank Williams Death Monument in Oak Hill, West Virginia: A humble plaque marks the site where the country music legend was found dead in his Cadillac. At the time, Carrs nervous account of the final few hours of the journey were enough to raise questions of foul play, especially when some witnesses including a police officer oddly claimed to have seen a soldier also riding in the car. The daughters then filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against the doctor and Wynette's widower, Richey. The couple were married in Louisiana by a Justice of the Peace on October 18, 1952, but Jones' divorce would not be officially finalized until October 28, 1952, according to Hank Williams, So Lonesome. While Lillie worked hard for the band, she wasn't all too popular with the members. Receive daily updates with the best country music videos, news, and more! They shared daughter Katherine, who died in a car crash in 2020, and son Samuel, a musician. In one sensational passage, Daly writes that Wynette's infamous 1978 kidnapping from a Nashville shopping mall had been staged by Wynette herself possibly in league with Richey. When she was just a senior in high school she married her first husband, James Erskine Guy, but . This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, At a time when the music he made was still mostly regional in its appeal, he was well on the way to national celebrity when he died in 1953, and his posthumous fame would grow even greater. She was released from the facility around 7 p.m. on March 21, and was taken to a recovery facility, according to the report. Tom [Hiddleston, the actor portraying Williams] puts across that impending sense of doom. According to Jones, he told her, "If you ain't married, Ol' Hank's gonna marry you. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Jones tried her hardest to keep Williams sober, attempting to enforce a limit of two cans of beer, saying, "If he got more, I'd force milk and two raw eggs down him, then I'd call my brothers to pack him off to the hospital.". Hank Williams, the country legend and Hillbilly Shakespeare, didn't have the opportunity to live in the world long. She became an accomplished musician in her own right, performing under the name Jett Williams. ", Caller: "Uh, it was kind of unexpected, but it was a natural death, yes. Daly hints that Wynette would deliberately hurt herself in order to gain access to drugs and once hurled herself offstage during a concert to earn a trip to the emergency room. Billy Dukes Published: July 25, 2022. He claimed his famous father and half-sister,Holly, put him under a conservatorship in August 2020. Williams' mother, Bobbie Jett, was six months pregnant with her when Hank Williams married his second wife, Billie Jean Eshliman. 3.7K. Other findings from the medical examiner include thatThomas a former model who stayed out of the spotlight while married to the singer had mild brain swelling, mild coronary disease and some fatty metamorphosis of the liver that one would associate with alcoholism. Williams had already been drinking when he was given a shot of B12 and morphine by the hotel doctor. or redistributed. He had also previously been arrested for forgery and armed robbery. She died at home, on a living-room couch, with her fifth husband, country music producer and songwriter George Richey, present. He was also invited to perform on the Grand Ole Opry's first European tour, performing at military bases overseas at the end of 1949. Charles Carr, who was just 18 and a college freshman when he drove country music legend Hank Williams on his final journey more than 60 years ago, died July 1 after a brief . By 1930, Lillie was for all practical purposes a single mother, and the Great Depression was hitting the country.