Widely acknowledged as the father of contemporary country music, Hank Williams, Sr., was a superstar at the age of 25 and dead at 29. Like Jimmie Rodgers, Williams had a short but highly influential career in country music. Though he never learned to read or write music, during his years of greatest commercial success, Williams wrote and recorded over 100 polished, unique, and lasting songs, releasing at least half a dozen hit records every year from 1949 until 1953. His direct, sincere, and emotional lyrics ("Your cheatin' heart / Will make you weep / You'll cry and cry / And try to sleep") set the stage for much of the country music that followed, and many of his songs, including "Cold, Cold Heart" and "Your Cheatin' Heart," have become classics.

Hank Williams, Sr.

His ability to transfix his audiences is the stuff of legend. Chet Hagan's Grand Ole Opry offers...