Sing a Sad Song

Book excerpt: Few American entertainers have had the explosive impact, wide-ranging appeal, and continuing popularity of country music star Hank Williams. Such Williams standards as "Your Cheatin' Heart," "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry," "Jambalaya," and "I Saw the Light" have all entered the pantheon of great American song. Roger Williams recounts the story of Hank's rise from impoverished Southern roots, his coming of age during and after World War II, his meteoric climb to national acclaim and star status on the Grand Ole Opry, his chronic bouts with alcoholism and the alienation it created in those he loved and sang for, and finally his tragic death at twenty-nine and subsequent emergence as a folk hero. The book also features a thorough discography compiled by Bob Pinson of the Country Music Foundation.