Hank Williams may be the most influential artist in country music history. Nearly every artist who came after him was influenced by him either directly or indirectly. In other words, if one could do a genealogy of county music, nearly every singer and songwriter in the genre would find that they were in some way related to the man they called The Hillbilly Shakespeare. Surprisingly, Williams’ career only lasted 15 years. It began with his debut single “Never Again (Will I Knock on Your Door)” and ended with his death on New Year’s Day of 1953.
Throughout his career, Williams appeared on television and radio several times. His final televised appearance came when he joined the Grand Ole Opry troupe on The Kate Smith Evening Hour on April 23, 1952, just months before his tragic death. That night, he sang “Cold, Cold, Heart.” Watch the monumental performance below. It begins at the 2:18 mark.
[RELATED: The Story Behind “Cold, Cold Heart” by Hank Williams and How a B-Side Became a Timeless Classic]
Introducing the song, Williams said, “I’ve got a song here that I’d like to do that’s been awful kind to me and the boys. It’s bought us quite a few beans and biscuits. This is the best song we’ve ever financially. It’s a tune called ‘Cold, Cold, Heart.’”
Hank Williams Strikes Gold with “Cold, Cold Heart”
Hank Williams wrote and released “Cold, Cold Heart” as a single in 1951. It went to the top of the Billboard country chart of the era. After Williams died, the song appeared on the posthumously-released Memorial Album.
While introducing the song on The Kate Smith Evening Hour, Williams called it the best song he had released financially. This is likely because his version of the single went to No. 1. Later that same year, Tony Bennet released a version of the song that went to No. 1 and stayed there for six consecutive weeks, according to Songfacts. The royalties from Bennett’s version likely helped Williams and his band buy more beans and biscuits than they could comfortably eat.
While “Cold, Cold Heart” was one of Williams’ most successful songs, it came from a low point in his life. Williams married Audrey Sheppard in 1944 and was her second husband. She had a child from her first marriage. In 1949, they had a son who would go on to be known as Hank Williams Jr.
In 1950, Audrey had an illegal abortion at home and contracted an infection. As a result, she was hospitalized. When Williams came to visit her in the hospital, he reportedly bent down to kiss her and she turned away saying, “You sorry son of a b—h. It was you that caused me to suffer this.”
Williams went home and told their live-in governess that his wife had a “cold, cold heart.” The song’s lyrics sprang from that statement.
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