Hank Williams lived an all-too-short life of 29 years — Sept. 17, 1923 to Jan. 1, 1953. But the iconic country western singer-songwriter’s music lives on around the world, and especially in Montgomery.
“He left a lasting musical legacy,” said Beth J. Petty, director of the downtown Hank Williams Museum.
The Mount Olive, Alabama, native grew up performing in Montgomery and would go on to top the charts with songs like “Your Cheatin’ Heart,” “Jambalaya,” “Hey, Good Lookin’,” “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry,” and many, many more.
“It continues to be appreciated by new generations every year,” Petty said.
As Hank’s 102nd birthday party draws near on Sept. 13 at the Davis Theatre, the director of his downtown Montgomery museum Beth J. Petty has found a fellow icon to help celebrate it.
The headliner for this year’s celebration is Virginia native Jimmy Fortune, who for 20 years sang tenor with the award-winning, hall of fame country band The Statler Brothers. Fortune joined the band in 1982, as a replacement for tenor Lew DeWitt. He’s been a solo performer since The Statler Brothers retired in 2002. Among the songs he wrote for them are “More than a Name on a Wall,” “My Only Love,” “Too Much on My Heart” and “Elizabeth.”
“He wrote several of their hit songs. Several of them became No. 1,” Petty said. “‘Elizabeth’ is one of my favorites, since that’s my name. It’s a pretty song.”
Also performing will be:
Wyatt Aleman: A traditional country music artist from Texas, who performed at last year’s 101st birthday for Hank. “He loves to sing tributes to different ones, but Hank is his favorite,” Petty said.
Arty Hill: A Baltimore singer who loves honky tonk music He’s been a friend of the Hank Williams Museum for around 20 years, Petty said. “He loves the old swing-type style music,” Petty said.
Brad & Tammy Sue Magness: A country duo from Indiana. “We’ve known Brad for over 30 years,” Petty said. “He’s a great performer, and his wife has a beautiful voice.”
The Dewey Bass Band: A full band from South Carolina. “They’ll be backing everybody this time. They’ll be sort of the house band, and they’ll do their own show as well,” Petty said.
J.B.: The stepson of Hank Williams Jr. “He’s a great guitarist and singer. He’s only 14 years old, but he’s been doing a lot of singing for the last few years,” Petty said.
Jay Dean: The South Dakota native with Country Legends Jukebox will be the master of ceremonies. “This will be his third year to return,” Petty said. “We must be doing something right, with all these people from all over the country coming to visit and wanting to participate and pay tribute to Hank.”
The concert at Davis Theatre, 251 Montgomery St., starts at 3 p.m. on Sept. 13, with doors opening at 2:15 p.m. General admission tickets are $35, and VIP tickets are $45. They’re available online at thehankwilliamsmuseum.net.
Petty said the concert will feature a lot of Hank’s music, with a few traditional and original country songs mixed in.
The concert is part of a full day of honors for Hank Williams
Hank Williams is shown performing in Nashville at the Grand Ole Opry, circa 1950.
Activities will begn a little before 9 a.m. on Sept. 13 at the grave of Hank Williams in Montgomery’s Oakwood Cemetery Annex. This is free to attend.
“We always come up there, place wreaths and have a little gathering,” Petty said. “The Sheppard Family Band, who are cousins to Hank’s wife Audrey… They’ll start singing a few songs just prior to 9 a.m. We will have some speakers and a small service. It usually lasts about 15 minutes.”
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Then the activities move to the museum, 118 Commerce St., where music will continue inside, in front of Hank’s blue Cadillac. Petty said music guests at the museum include Dalton McSwain, Larry Darnell and more.
“They do a performance for anybody who is touring the museum and wants to stand around and listen,” Petty said.
Regular admission to the museum is $15. Petty said anyone who purchased a VIP concert ticket for that afternoon gets free admission to the museum that day.
A young Hank Williams with a guitar on a sidewalk in Montgomery.
That day, the museum will be open from 9 a.m.-6 p.m., two hours later than normal. It will be open during the aftenoon concert at Davis Theatre.
“People can still come in and tour the museum,” Petty said. “We actually have a tour group from UK coming that aftenoon to tour.”
Along with looking through the Hank exhibits, Petty said the gift shop will be open. They have a new t-shirt for Hank’s 102nd and a new “The Whole World Calls Me Hank” 2026 calendar.
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“We even sell records,” Petty said of their souvenir offerings.
At 102, is the celebration of Hank’s birth still drawing in crowds? Yes, even though some of the old faithful fans have passed on.
“I remember the times when we’d have the Drifting Cowboys, and all the family members would gather,” Petty said. “It’s just a whole new group of people every year. They come from all over the place. We’re amazed at how many people still come in.”
Montgomery Advertiser reporter Shannon Heupel covers things to do in the River Region. Contact him at [email protected]. To support his work please subscribe to the Montgomery Advertiser.
This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Singers line up for birthday tribute to Hank Williams in Montgomery
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