Jambalaya: The Mix of Music that Made Hank Williams Page 2

As a budding musician, young Hank learned from several hoedown fiddlers and a local blues guitarist named Tee-Tot (Byworth). Tee-Tot was a black street musician who helped Hank learn the basics, in effect blues influences are evident in many of Hank's recordings. In particular, Hank's blues roots are very apparent in structure and phrasing as well as his singing. Many of his songs such as "Mind Your Own Business" follow a musical pattern very reminiscent of 12-bar blues. His singing is also similar to that of a blues musician in that he sings with a feeling rather than a trained vocal approach. While he doesn't always draw on the pain that blues singers do, he sings with a sincerity that is unparalleled. In his own words, "When a hillbilly sings a crazy song, he feels crazy. When he sings "I Laid My Mother Away", he sees her a-laying right there in the coffin" (Kingman, 79). Hank's singing evoked people to feel the heartache and pain or the joy and jubilation that each song called for, and this is a main reason for his effectiveness.

Another influence of Hank's came from the country fiddling of Roy Acuff. Acuff was extremely accomplished in the music industry being both a successful as a publisher and an entertainer (Compton's). In Nashville, Acuff became widely known as one of the Grande Ole Opry's premiere performers. Staring in 1938, he became a standard on the stage that would soon give Hank legendary status.

Equipped with deep roots in southern gospel, blues, and country music (to name a few) and the poetic style of a modern-day Shakespeare, Hank forged a sound of his own that would become a leading force in the industry. Williams was in a position to shine, and his popularity only grew as, "he gave voice to people had traditionally been ignored - even despised - the lower-class southern white" (Williams Jr., 12). Such is the case with his 1952 recording "Jambalaya (on the bayou)".

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