Hank Williams Jr.

Hank Williams Jr.
Williams in 2008
Background information
Birth nameRandall Hank Williams
Born (1949-05-26) May 26, 1949
Shreveport, Louisiana, U.S.
Genres
Occupations
  • Singer-songwriter
  • musician
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • guitar
  • banjo
  • piano
  • keyboards
  • harmonica
  • fiddle
  • drums
Years active1963–present
Labels
Spouse
Gwen Yeargin
(m. 1971; div. 1977)
Becky White
(m. 1977; div. 1983)
Mary Jane Thomas
(m. 1990; died 2022)
Brandi Williams
(m. 2023)
Websitehankjr.com
Children5, including Hank Williams III and Holly Williams

Randall Hank Williams (born May 26, 1949), known professionally as Hank Williams Jr. or Bocephus, is an American singer-songwriter and musician. His musical style has been described as a blend of rock, blues, and country. He is the son of country musician Hank Williams and the father of musicians Sam Williams, Holly Williams and Hank Williams III, and the grandfather of Coleman Williams. He is also the half-brother of Jett Williams.

Williams began his career following in his famed father's footsteps, covering his father's songs and imitating his father's style. Williams' first television appearance was in a December 1963 episode of The Ed Sullivan Show, in which at the age of fourteen he sang several songs associated with his father. Later that year, he was a guest star on Shindig!.

As Williams struggled to define his own voice and place within the country music genre, his style began slowly to evolve. His career was interrupted by a near-fatal fall while he was climbing Ajax Peak in Montana on August 8, 1975. After an extended recovery, he rebuilt his career in both the country rock and outlaw country scenes. As a multi-instrumentalist, Williams' repertoire of musical instrument skills includes guitar, bass guitar, upright bass, steel guitar, banjo, dobro, piano, keyboards, saxophone, harmonica, fiddle, and drums. In 2020, Williams Jr. was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.