Hank Williams Jr. Receives Two New Gold Records with the Help of the Late Great Waylon Jennings

Hank Williams Jr. has long been one of the biggest names in country music. He started his career as a teenager, mimicking his father’s sound. Then, in the late ‘70s, he found his unique sound and became part of the Outlaw Country movement alongside artists like Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Jerry Jeff Walker, and others. Last week, he received two new Gold Certifications from the Recording Industry Association of America proving that fans are still cranking up classic Bocephus.

Williams received the new certifications last Thursday (October 10). “Dixie on My Mind” and “The Conversation” featuring Jennings are officially Gold singles roughly four decades after their initial release dates.

[RELATED: Essential Hank Williams Jr. Songs: 4 Deep Cuts for Fans of Bocephus Himself]

Before streaming, a single had to sell 500,000 units to receive a Gold certification from the RIAA. That is still true. However, now the RIAA has a formula to count both on-demand audio (Spotify, Apple Music, etc.) and video (YouTube, Vevo, etc.) streams. 1,250 streams through paid subscriptions like Spotify premium count for one unit. It takes 3,750 free or ad-supported streams to make one unit. The RIAA adds sales and streaming numbers to get a total.

Currently, “Dixie on My Mind” has more than 20 million total streams on Spotify. Williams’ recording of “The Conversation” from Whiskey Bent and Hell Bound (1979) sits at more than 25 million streams.

Hank Williams Jr. and Waylon Jennings Get New Gold Records

Hank Williams Jr. wrote “Dixie on My Mind” and released it as the second single from his 1981 album Rowdy. It went to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart, bringing Bocephus his fourth chart-topper.

Waylon Jennings co-wrote “The Conversation” with Williams and Richie Albright. Williams was the first to record it and included it on his 1979 album Whiskey Bent and Hell Bound. Four years later, Jennings included the track on his 1983 album Waylon and Company.

While Jennings released the song as a single which peaked at No. 15 on the country chart, the Gold certification went to Williams’ recording. The certification doesn’t state the album’s name. However, it does list Williams as the lead artist and Curb as the record label. Jennings released Waylon and Company on Sony Music.

Featured Image by Trench Shore/WireImage