Somewhere around Oak Hill, West Virginia, Carr looked into the backseat and realized Williams seemed rigid and unresponsive. The coroners report also listed that she was given an anticoagulant, and had suffered mild brain swelling in addition to mild coronary artery disease and fatty metamorphosis of the liver, a common finding for people with a history of alcoholism. This story has been shared 119,909 times. To have a kid [Carr] turn around, feel his pulse and realize [Williams] was dead, it felt anticlimactic., Besides, Neely adds, No matter which account you pick, there are going to be people who say, Thats not how it happened. , -Hank Williams to wife Billie Jean shortly before he died, Elizabeth Olsen and Tom Hiddleston, who plays Hank Williams, in I Saw the Light.. Hiram "Hank" Williams died on January 1, 1953, at the age of 29. Mary Jane, who appeared alongside Williams Jr. when he was recently inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, is survived by the singer, their son, and three grandchildren. A lonely and troubled man, Williams struggled with chronic pain and substance abuse issues that would hinder his success and ultimately lead to his untimely death at just 29-years-old. . ", Caller: "Uh, it was kind of unexpected, but it was a natural death, yes. It was at one of these medicine shows in Banks, Alabama in the summer of 1943 that he met Audrey Sheppard, a beautiful blonde with a figure that could "melt the wax off a Dixie cup," per Lovesick Blues. "Tammy Wynette: A Daughter Recalls Her Mother's Tragic Life and Death," by Jackie Daly (Putnam), was published on Monday (May 8), the day that depositions were to begin in a wrongful-death lawsuit filed against the late singer's doctor. Thomas, pictured with Williams in 1989, traveled from her home in Nashville, Tennessee, for liposuction and breast implant removal procedures. ', Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. On February 8, 1999, the Death Car returned to Montgomery with the opening of the Hank . He's since been able to carry on promotinghis Rich White Honky Blues album and conducting several interviews without interruption. In 1937, Williams moved with his mother and sister to Montgomery. Hank Jr is the son of Hank Williams - a revered country legend who had 12 Number 1 singles, including three posthumously. Some have suggested that Williams may have even died at the Andrew Johnson Hotel in Knoxville, and that Carr had unknowinglydriven several hundred miles with a deceased Williams in the back seat. Theres so much conjecture that both I Saw the Light and the 1964 biopic, Your Cheatin Heart, chose to avoid depicting the final journey altogether. Hank Williams was undeniably a talented young musician. On the evening of Dec. 30, 1952, the restless, rail-thin 29-year-old tossed and turned in bed at his home in Montgomery, Ala. But, a Knoxville native who claims to have been adoorman at the Andrew Jackson Hotel shared a different story. After meeting in 1985 at one of Williams shows in Washington state, the pair tied the knot in 1990. According to station advertising head Irving Waugh, "It got to a point where he'd disappear for weeks at a time. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. "I think he had a profound sadness in him," says Marc Abraham, writer . The Drifting Cowboys were a popular act, but by the age of 16, Williams was already struggling to control his drinking. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. The couple married in 1990 and had two children: a daughter, Katherine Williams-Dunning, and son, Samuel Williams. Mary Jane Thomas died on March 22 of a collapsed lung that was punctured during an elective surgery the day before, according to the Palm Beach County Medical Examiner's Office. Williams and Thomas also share a son, Samuel Williams. Mary Jane was released from Bafitis Plastic Surgery at around 7pm on March 21 where she was reportedly "sitting up in bed, speaking normally.". 7/25/2022 2:31 PM PT. Mary Jane was Williams' third wife. In 1952, Hank Williams had the bad luck of meeting a man who went by the name Doc Marshall. ", The 25-year-old made the allegations in a silent YouTube video, holding up a sign that said: "I want out.". He was cold." Hank Jr has forged his own path in the country world and was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame last November. However, when Hank was only six, Lon suffered facial paralysis as a result of what was most likely a brain aneurysm. He married Becky White from 1977-83, and they had two children together, daughters Holly and Hilary Williams. 2023 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Satellite Information Network, LLC. But Lillie was a remarkably resourceful woman. They divorced in 1952. Hank's mother, Lillie, and father, Lon, had briefly settled in a rural area of Alabama called Mount Olive, to start their family. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. 1:44. On July 1, 1990, the couple tied the knot in Missoula, Montana, per the . By 1942, all the members of the band were drafted except for Hank Williams. The doctor injected him with B6 and B12 vitamins and declared him fit for travel the next morning. Legal Statement. As the end of World War II neared, Hank Williams returned to performing, but he had fallen far from his days as a star with his own radio show. (AP Photo/FILE). 27-year-old Katherine Williams-Dunning . Thomas, who was married to Williams for more than 30 years, passed back in March. Thomas was "sitting up in bed, speaking normally" the next day when she "suddenly" became unresponsive. The 58-year-old died one day after she went under the knife for liposuction. After the procedure, Mary Jane went to a recovery facility where she was "speaking normally" and sitting up. Within 48 hours of Williams prediction, he had met his maker, but the circumstances surrounding how he died have given rise to one of music historys greatest debates. Sam later spoke about how Katie's passing impacted him during an interview withPeoplein August 2021. This story has been shared 101,613 times. The performance was so successful that the audience demanded six encores from Williams before the show could go on, according to History. In his free time, Williams began to perform on the sidewalk outside of Montgomery's radio station, WSFA. Unfortunately, she died in 1955, just three years after her son's death, so little Jett went into foster care, becoming a ward of the state before she was eventually adopted. The autopsy lists the cause of death as "pneumothorax due to perforated parietal pleura during liposuction with autologous fat reinjection procedure.". In the summer of 1952, Hank Williams had a brief affair with a dancer named Bobbie Jett. Over the years, the Skyline Drive-In has changed hands many times, but it has always borne the sign "Hank's Last Stop." (You can still see the baby blue "Death Cadillac" at the Hank . The possibility was even suggested in the initial police report. Hank Williams first auditioned for the Grand Ole Opry in 1946, but he did not make the cut. He also responded to a tweet from one fan celebratingBritney Spears'"first February" being victoriously freed of her conservatorship. . In October of 1939, he dropped out so he could tour with the band full time, per Lovesick Blues. ", 911 operator: "Well, we have been getting several calls and I'm not going to put this over the radio. She was 58. Mary Jane Thomas and Hank Williams Jr. attend his 2021 Medallion Ceremony, celebrating the Induction of the Class of 2020 at Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, Tennessee. Hank's mother, Lillian Skipper Williams, played the . Hank Williams, the country legend and Hillbilly Shakespeare, didn't have the opportunity to live in the world long. Among those were a Ford dealer named Fred Thigpen and a store owner, Jim Warren, who supposedly recognized his talent and gave him his first instrument, according toSing a Sad Song. By 1930, Lillie was for all practical purposes a single mother, and the Great Depression was hitting the country. While the official cause of death has been debated for more than 60 years, there is a timeline of events leading up to his death that those around him agreed upon. The Tragic Real-Life Story Of Hank Williams. Fox News Flash top entertainment and celebrity headlines are here. Country music:Reba McEntire will hit the road this fall with Terri Clark: 'Gals gotta stick together! "He would try most anything he was pretty independent.". Regardless, they began touring together. When he was sober, Williams was a great performer, but as Williams' drinking problem worsened, Opry executives began to lose patience. She died from a collapsed lung after surgery. According to the Guardian, her identity was undisclosed for years. Hank Williams became one of America's first country music superstars, with hits like "Your Cheatin' Heart," before his early death at 29. Mary Jane Thomas, the wife of country singer Hank Williams Jr., died from a collapsed lung just one day after having liposuction surgery, officials said. The exact cause of death, and what happened in the last 48 hours of his life will perhaps never really be known. On the evening of Dec. 30, 1952, the restless, rail-thin 29-year-old tossed and turned in bed at his home in Montgomery, Ala. For his part, Hank was always picking up odd jobs, selling peanuts or shining shoes on the corner to make extra cash. Days after Sam made the claims,TMZconfirmed through court records that Hank filed a petition for an emergency conservatorship in August 2020 for Sam. Per the agreement, Williams' mother adopted the baby. She had a smile and presence that lit up every room and she never met a stranger she didn't befriend. She did not discover she was Williams' daughter until her adoptive father disclosed the information when she was 21. ", 911 operator: "OK. Was it an expected death, sir? Thomas died March 22 at age 58. The exact cause of death will never be known and what played out over Williams' final 48 hours is . Hank felt there was something bad around the corner.. Nobody would know where he was," via Sing a Sad Song. Hank Williams Death. Most accounts have Williams looking and sounding groggy, and hotel porters allegedly had to carry him to the car. Other findings from the medical examiner include thatThomas a former model who stayed out of the spotlight while married to the singer had mild brain swelling, mild coronary disease and some fatty metamorphosis of the liver that one would associate with alcoholism. There is a framework of events that is largely agreed upon, starting with Williams being chauffeured to a planned New Years Eve show in Charleston, W.Va. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. At the time, Carrs nervous account of the final few hours of the journey were enough to raise questions of foul play, especially when some witnesses including a police officer claimed to have, oddly, seen a soldier also riding in the car. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. It was also something that was suggested by the initial police report. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. Market data provided by Factset. She says Wynette's drug problems were linked to her disastrous marriages and stormy affairs, as with actor Burt Reynolds. And a few, such as country music legend Hank Williams, have expired from other causes while they happened to be in vehicles. All rights reserved. On Saturday, it was reported that Williams-Dunning, the daughter of country singer Hank Williams Jr., died as a result of a car crash. Mary Jane Thomas, the wife of Hank Williams Jr., died suddenly on Tuesday at the age of 58 following a "medical procedure." Country music legend Hank Williams Jr. is in mourning today after the sudden death of his wife Mary Jane Thomas "following a medical procedure" that was carried out in Florida. He would have custody until the child turned five, when they would then assume joint custody, per Lovesick Blues. Hank Williams Jr.'s wife Mary Jane Thomas unexpectedly died on Tuesday, a source with direct knowledge of the event confirmed to CMT. We've received your submission. By the end of 1952, Williams was unable to continue touring. The story follows Williams country music career and the struggles thatthat went along with being a star including his battle with alcohol and infidelity. At midnight, Carr began arranging to transport Williams to an early morning performance in Canton, Ohio. Sam seemed to be reeling from the death of his sister and the daughter of Hank Jr, first revealing the news of the accident himself on Facebook, writing: "My sister and brother in law have been in a terrible accident. Mary Jane Thomas and Hank Williams Jr. attend his 2021 Medallion Ceremony, celebrating the Induction of the Class of 2020 at Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, Tennessee. She and Williams, the 73-year-old son of late country legend Hank Williams, met in 1985 at one of his concerts and were married in 1990. Thomas and Williams were married for over 20 years and shared two kids, son Sam and the late Katherine, who died in 2020. About six or seven hours later, on the morning of Jan. 1, 1953, Carr realized his passenger was dead and already beset with rigor mortis. Hank Jr., 72, is the son of legendary country musician Hank Williams, who died in 1953 at the age of 29, but is still regarded as one of the most influential artists in the genre. Lon made his living as a logger, so they didn't stay in Mount Olive for long. Prior to confirmation of his sister's passing, Williams asked followers on Facebook . While on his . Just before midnight, Carr set about getting Williams to a planned New Years Day show in Canton, Ohio. Ultimately, that would never happen. "My dear Mama Mary Jane was a beautiful soul who forever affected everyone who knew her. Preview of Spotify. Regarded as one of the most significant and influential American singers and songwriters of the 20th century, he recorded 55 singles (five released posthumously) that reached the top 10 of the Billboard Country & Western Best Sellers chart, including 12 that reached No. In recent years, a Knoxvillian . Get the best of Fox News' entertainment coverage, right in your inbox. Despite his volatile first marriage, Hank Williams wasn't scared away from the institution entirely. The autopsy listed seven other findings including mild brain swelling, mild coronary artery disease, and fatty metamorphosis of the liver, according to the outlet. He was found dead in the backseat of his car, which was parked on the side of the road between Montgomery, Alabama, and Oak Hill, West Virginia. But suspicions about this final journey arose immediately. It was the biggest city Williams had ever lived in, and opportunities for the young musician abounded. In his childhood, Hank Jr. received music lessons from several artists that were friends with his father, including people like Merle Haggard, Johnny Cash, Lightnin' Hopkins, and Jerry Lee Lewis. She was cleared for the procedures by a physician at home, according to the Medical Examiner's report. An autopsy report said the cause of death was accidental. I reached over and touched him. Williams was born with a mild undiagnosed case of spina bifida occulta, a disorder of the spinal column, which gave him . Miss Spruce Creek High School, Miss Hawaiian Tropic, Miss Mary Jane Williams, my mama forever my everything. Questions were immediately raised about the 29-year oldsdeath, with some saying that his body showedsigns of a recent fight and others, including a police officer, claiming to have seen a soldier riding in the car with Williams. He was as thoughtful and (at times) fiery as you'd expect. "She grew up competing in baton and cheerleading and was one of Hawaiian Tropic's top models. Williams-Dunning died in 2020 in a car accident in Tennessee. Jones tried her hardest to keep Williams sober, attempting to enforce a limit of two cans of beer, saying, "If he got more, I'd force milk and two raw eggs down him, then I'd call my brothers to pack him off to the hospital.". . His official cause of death was listed as heart failure, but there are many who say otherwise. There is a framework of events that is largely agreed upon, starting with Williams being chauffeured to a planned New Years Eve show in Charleston, W. Va. The truth about Hank Williams death may never be known. Carr stopped at the Andrew Johnson Hotel in Knoxville, Tennessee, where Williams began to feel ill, hiccuping and convulsing, according to Lovesick Blues. Sam shared the post as he wrote: "It's my second one not free.". Tom [Hiddleston, the actor portraying Williams] puts across that impending sense of doom. NOVEMBER 21: Mary Jane Thomas and 2020 inductee Hank Williams Jr. seen during the 2021 Medallion Ceremony, celebrating the Induction . The former model, who lived in Nashville, had traveled to Jupiter, Florida to undergo liposuction, as well as to remove previous breast implants at Bafitis Plastic Surgery. Per USA Today, she underwent liposuction and a breast implant removal with a breast lift, was sent to a resort to recover, and then became unresponsive the next day. All rights reserved. He thinks Williams died -- the official cause was heart failure -- somewhere between Bristol, Tenn., and Oak Hill on the way to a New Year's Day 1953 show in Canton, Ohio. Initial reports suggest that Mary Jane may have passed away due to complications from . Hiram King "Hank" Williams was an American singer-songwriter and musician regarded as one of the most significant country music artists of all time. She received a $30,000 settlement, but gave up all rights to his estate and name. But, it's the 'still climbing' part that is the most important. She was 58. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Reps for Hank and Sam did not respond immediately to the Suns request for comment. The autopsy report listed seven other findings, including mild brain swelling, mild coronary artery disease and fatty metamorphosis of the liver (which is a common finding in people who, like Thomas, had a history of alcoholism). Williams had already been drinking when he was given a shot of B12 and morphine by the hotel doctor. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. Now she gets to radiate from above with my sister Katherine Diana right by her side," he wrote, referencing his late sister. According to band member Sammy Pruett, "none of us dug her too damn much.". The wife of country music legend Hank Williams Jr., Mary Jane Thomas, reportedly died from complications related to cosmetic surgery. The house formerly belonged to country music legend Hank Williams. But one big thing is left out of the movie: the singers mysterious death. In 1953, five days before his daughter was born, Williams died . 2022-03-30. Williams' mother, Bobbie Jett, was six months pregnant with her when Hank Williams married his second wife, Billie Jean Eshliman. The 27-year-old was driving a Chevy Tahoe in . Her cause of death was not released. They shared daughter Katherine, who died in a car crash in 2020, and son Samuel, a musician. By the age of 14, he was making $15 a week performing on WSFA, via the Montgomery Advertiser. Fox News Flash top entertainment headlines of the week, Prince Harry's 'attacks' on 'villain' Camilla led to Frogmore Cottage eviction: expert, Film industry reacts to death of 'Saving Private Ryan' star Tom Sizemore: 'You're a legend', Matthew McConaughey and Camila Alves take bumpy second flight after 'CHAOS' on Lufthansa plane: 'Wish me luck', Kelsey Grammer wont apologize for the 'difference' that Jesus has made in his life, Person roaming in 'Scream' Ghostface costume prompts multiple police calls. In 1949, however, following the release of his hit "Lovesick Blues," it was a different story. People reported the autopsy findingson Monday afternoon (July 25), four months after Mary Jane's death at age 58. He made ends meet performing in small medicine shows, pitching cure-alls to crowds from a flatbed trailer. I actually wrote 13 pages for that scene but took them out because they felt superfluous, explains Abraham. In August 1952, Williams was fired from the Grand Ole Opry for his failure to show up to Opry-sponsored appearances, according to PBS. Theres so much conjecture that both I Saw the Light and the 1964 biopic Your Cheatin Heart chose to avoid depicting the final journey altogether. Hank was born with a spinal condition, known as spina bifida occulta, which was not well understood at the time.