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Hank Williams Jr. never joined the Grand Ole Opry, and the real reason isn’t what some people might have suspected. Williams’ dad had a lot of problems with the Opry when he was a member, and there are fans who assumed that was his son’s reasoning.
Here is the real reason Hank Jr. never joined the Grand Ole Opry.
Hank Williams Jr. had a complicated relationship with Grand Ole Opry
Hank Williams Jr. never joined the Grand Ole Opry. Many fans assumed he held a grudge against the organization based on his dad’s former membership. Williams Sr. was a member in 1949, making his debut with the Opry that year. However, the Opry fired him and kicked him out in 1952 when he missed too many performances.
The Opry offered Williams Sr. a chance to get back in. He had to remain sober. If he proved his sobriety, the Opry would welcome him back. Sadly, he died in 1953 following a heart attack. Hank Williams: The Biography claims it was caused by a combination of alcohol and drugs in his system.
The year before his death, and the same year the Opry kicked him out, Audrey Williams divorced her husband. Their son, Hank Jr., was only three when his father died.
Since that time, Hank Williams III (Hank Jr.’s son) has petitioned to get Williams posthumously readmitted to the Grand Ole Opry, to no avail. In 2020, Grand Ole Opry vice president Dan Rogers explained why. He said Hank Williams will always be a “treasured past member” but the Opry features “living, breathing artists who can contribute.” However, that is not why Hank Jr. is not a member.
Hank Williams Jr. never wanted to be in Grand Ole Opry
Hank Williams Jr. has always said he held no grudges against the Grand Ole Opry for kicking his father out. However, he had no desire to follow in his dad’s footsteps and follow his dreams by joining the Grand Ole Opry. Junior just didn’t consider the music there to be what he cared about when it came to his own career.
Junior said that he didn’t listen to old-school country music much at all when he was developing his style. Instead, Hank said he was all about the blues. In 2022, Hank even released the album Rich White Honky Blues to show his love for that musical style.
Despite never joining the Grand Ole Opry, and never wanting to be a member, Hank has played at the Opry. He performed there for the first time when he was 11. This happened three years after his first live performance (8 years old in Georgie). He sang “Lovesick Blues” at the Opry that night. Three years later, he was on TV singing on The Ed Sullivan Show.
Hank returned to the Opry in 2002 when he paid tribute to Waylan Jennings three days after his friend died. Hank Jr. sang his song “Eyes of Waylon.”
Are you surprised about why Hank Williams Jr. is not part of the Grand Ole Opry? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
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