Why Won’t Hank Williams Be Reinstated As A Member Of The Grand Ole Opry?

A legend of country music - but not a member of its most legendary institution. Hiram "Hank" Williams was born September 17, 1923 in rural Alabama, and at the age of 14 won his first talent competition singing an original song that he had written. From there, Hank would go on to chart the course for a century of country music, becoming one of the most influential singers the genre has ever known with his songs like "Hey Good Lookin'," "Lovesick Blues," "I Saw The Light" and "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry." Of course the life of Hank Williams was a tragic one, with his drunkenness and addiction to painkillers leading to many missed shows - including his highly-publicized dismissal from the Grand Ole Opry. At just 25 years old, Hank made his Grand Ole Opry debut on June 11, 1949, and fans were so enamored with his performance that he received an impressive six encores for his classic song and country standard "Lovesick Blues." But after missing a performance in 1952, Hank was fired from the Opry due to his habitual drunkenness, relegating him to the less popular Louisiana Hayride as he tried to make amends and rebuild his career. And just as Hank was attempting to make a comeback to restore his damaged reputation, he tragically passed away in the back of a Cadillac in Oak Hill, West Virginia on his way to a show in Canton, Ohio on New Year's Day in 1953, at just 29 years old. Despite his short life and career, there's been nobody who's had more of an influence on country music over the past century than Hank Williams, with his music influencing generations of country singers and being universally recognized as some of the greatest songs of all time. But when he passed away, he wasn't a member of the Grand Ole Opry. The ban from the Opry was never meant to be permanent. In fact, it was meant to serve as a wake-up call for Hank to get things together so that he could be added back to the lineup. But over 70 years later, Hank has never been reinstated as a member of the country music institution - and he likely never will. Hank's family has long pushed for his reinstatement into the Opry. Back in 2003, they even started a petition calling for the Opry to add the legend back as a member. And though it racked up over 65,000 signatures, ultimately the effort wasn't a success. But the reason Hank won't be reinstated as a member is actually pretty simple: Opry membership is only for living artists. When the Grand Ole Opry was founded, it featured a rotating "cast" of performers, so the term Opry "membership" refers to "members of the cast" of the Opry. And you can't be a member of the cast if you're not able to perform. As Opry executive producer Dan Rogers explained to Rolling Stone back in 2020: “Hank Williams will always be a treasured past member of the Grand Ole Opry. The Grand Ole Opry is made of living, breathing artists who can contribute to the show, and to whom the Opry can give back.” Of course, Hank's influence is still felt on the Opry, and as Rogers added, his songs are often performed on the iconic stage: “There is not a single Opry night that happens where his influence isn’t felt. And there are many, many, many Opry shows where his music is sung.” But unfortunately, Hank passed away before he could be reinstated as a member of the Opry - and now, he likely never will. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKxiKkkeQAQ