Hank Williams Jr. spent years trying to find his musical identity. Then, he suffered a near-fatal climbing accident in 1975, he decided that his best option was to be himself. The result of that decision was timeless songs like “A Country Boy Can Survive” and “All My Rowdy Friends Are Coming Over Tonight.” Decades after releasing that song, he is still among the biggest names in Outlaw Country.
In his autobiography, Waylon Jennings clarified that “Outlaw” wasn’t about breaking the law or singing about doing so. Instead, country’s “Outlaws” were artists who stuck to their guns and made the music they wanted to make. In short, to be an outlaw is to be in control of one’s creative output despite what the mainstream machine dictates. Hank Jr. embodies that attitude. A clip from a concert in 2018 proves that.
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[RELATED: Essential Hank Williams Jr. Songs: 4 Deep Cuts for Fans of Bocephus Himself]
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Don’t tell Hank what to do #hankwilliamsjr #Bocephus #countrymusic #badass #countryboycansurvive #goat
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In 2018, Bocephus was on tour with Lynyrd Skynyrd. Show promoters wanted him to play a short set due to stormy weather. However, he flatly refused and told the crowd all about it.
Hank Williams Jr. Refuses to Play a Short Set
His reason for not cutting his set short was two-fold. First and foremost, he wanted to give his fans their money’s worth. At the same time, it was his last show of the year and he wanted to go out with a bang.
Sitting on stage with his acoustic guitar across his lap, Hank Williams Jr. addressed the crowd. “Ladies and gentlemen, I’m going to talk straight to you. This is my last show of 2018. It’s time to go deer huntin’ and all that good stuff,” he begins.
They said, “Hank why don’t you cut your show short? It’s gonna be raining. I said, ‘Are you out of your f—ing mind? They sat out there and paid their money for tickets in all that lightning and you want me to go out there and do a short show? F—k you! Are you crazy?’” he explained to the cheering crowd.
The Hottest Ticket In the Land
“I’m gonna put it like Rolling Stone magazine said. 2016, the hottest ticket of the summer is Chris Stapleton and Hank Williams Jr. 2017, the hottest ticket is Lynyrd Skynyrd and Hank Williams Jr. 2018, the hottest ticket is Lynyrd Skynyrd and Hank Williams Jr,” he said as the crowd continued to cheer on his rebellious tirade.
Then, he seemed to address the crowd as well as the show’s organizers. “In case you ain’t figured it out yet, I’m gonna play where I want to, when I want to, with who I want to, for who I want to,” he motioned to the gathered crowd as he finished, earning another round of cheers.
Shortly after finishing his rant, Bocephus kicked off his signature song “A Country Boy Can Survive.”
Featured Image by Larry Marano/Shutterstock
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