January 10th would have been the perfect time to put to bed a long-running controversy with the Grand Ole Opry about how Hank Williams was kicked out for drunkenness and missing rehearsals in 1952.
On Saturday, January 10th, the Grand Ole Opry paid tribute to Hank Williams as part of their 100th Anniversary celebration. Held at the Opry’s original home, The Ryman Auditorium, the presentation featured Mandy Barnett, The Grascals, John Foster, Chuck Mead, as well as Hank Williams grandchildren Hilary, Holly, and Sam Williams performing the songs of Hank. January 10th would have been the perfect time to put to bed a long-running controversy with the Grand Ole Opry about how Hank Williams was kicked out for drunkenness and missing rehearsals in 1952. Though nobody holds it against the Opry for not putting up with Hank’s behavior, the Opry promised that if Hank could clean up his act, they would welcome him back. Hank Williams never got that opportunity. The country legend passed away in the back of his Cadillac on New Years Day, 1953.Hank Williams III founded the The Reinstate Hank movement back in 2003 in an effort to get the Grand Ole Opry to recognize his grandfather, and symbolically reinstate him into the Grand Ole Opry. The Reinstate Hank online petition now has over 62,000 signatures on it. Hilary and Holly Williams have signed it, as have country legends such as Kris Kristofferson and Charlie Louvin. Saturday, January 10th at the Ryman Auditorium where Hank reportedly took six encores upon his debut on the stage would have made the perfect, storybook moment to Reinstate Hank. But did not happen. Proponents of the Reinstate Hank movement had renewed hope it might occur after Keith Whitley was recently ceremoniously inducted in October of 2023 as part of a Keith Whitley tribute.The Grand Ole Opry ceremoniously inducted Keith Whitley after citing how Whitley was set to be inducted before he passed away on May 9th, 1989 due to alcoholism—eerily similar circumstances to the Hank Williams Opry story. Keith Whitley was posthumously inducted as a Grand Ole Opry member, taking into consideration that his alcoholism got in the way of it happening in life—the same thing the Reinstate Hank movement, 62,000+ signatories, and Hank’s family have been saying for over 20 years. It would have been nothing for the Opry to offer this simple token gesture to the Hank Williams family on Saturday. Instead, on Sunday, January 11th, the Grand Ole Opry issued the following statement.
All the names enshrined in the Opry member gallery backstage at the Grand Ole Opry House represent artists who are part of the Opry’s history as past or current members of the Grand Ole Opry cast. Over the course of 100 years, many artists became members and remained active throughout their lives.During earlier eras, some artists stepped away from the cast to pursue fuller touring schedules or for a variety of other reasons.Amid numerous personal struggles, Hank Williams was dismissed from the Opry by management in August of 1952. Less than six months later, he passed away before there was an opportunity for his relationship with the Opry to be repaired while he was alive.Like other artists whose time with the Opry ended under complicated circumstances, Hank Williams’ music and influence remain central to the Opry and country music’s past, present, and future. His name stands, and will always stand, alongside other past and current members in the Opry Member Gallery, in recognition of his enduring contributions to our legacy.Thank you, Hank — and thank you to all who continue to sing his songs and carry his music across the Opry airwaves.
You almost feel bad for the Opry, because they clearly were facing public pressure, felt the need to address the matter, and believed some complex statement would soothe the tension, or solve this ongoing drama. However, it would have been even easier to simply make up a symbolic plaque, or even to make a more succinct statement from the stage certifying and cementing that Hank Williams was, is, and always will be a Grand Ole Opry member, which is what they seemed to attempt to do with the statement, but clumsily inflamed tensions, and ripped the scab off the wound. “Yes, he should be reinstated as his music still has influence as it was even stated last night. What a night it would have been— to have done that, have Hank Jr receive it and him sing his dad’s song that received 6 encores. Then close the night with all the family singing, I Saw the Light!” says the most popular comment under the Opry’s statement. The 2nd most popular statement reads, “Let’s start with Thank You to the fabulous turn out and performances by the entire Williams family. Truly a special night for everyone.
“The Opry on the other hand is a different story, they really dropped the ball. Their arrogance of singing Hank’s praise and accomplishments leading you to believe they was going to reinstate Hank then fall short of actually doing the right thing. They truly forfeited the opportunity to honorably celebrate Hank Williams ever again. How can you praise a man and shun him all at the same time. #opryfail #hankwilliams”Another comment reads, “They are sending a double Standard Statement to the public and that’s not far to Hanks Legacy and his family and Fans for generations to come. Someone who really cares needs to step forward to change it.His name has the right to be recognized. Come on Opry Community.Get it done!”In fact, the majority of the comments beneath the Opry’s statement bring up Reinstate Hank, and disappointment that the Opry did not take the opportunity of January 10th to make it happen.
Within the Opry’s statement seems to be the assertion by the Opry that Hank Williams doesn’t need to be reinstated because he never left. But heretofore, that has not been the position of the Grand Ole Opry. The Opry manager who was in charge when Hank Williams III first made the request to have Hank reinstated was Pete Fisher. He responded with, “We’ll never reinstate a dead guy.“
In 2020 when current Grand Ole Opry manager Dan Rogers took charge, he said about the issue, “Had Hank Williams lived, there is little doubt in my mind that…I would hope he would have returned to the Opry and all would have been great and right in the world. Unfortunately, he didn’t,” … implying he still was not reinstated. Now, after punting at such a golden opportunity to put the issue to bed, The Grand Ole Opry’s has not only exacerbated the matter with their statement, it also makes it feel like an impossibility it will ever happen. And due to the heat the Opry gets every time Hank Williams is broached, they have a perverse incentive to never broach Hank Williams. It all feels like a tragically missed opportunity to alleviate the drama behind the issue, honor the legacy of Hank Williams, and complete the circle when it comes to the legacy of Hank Williams and the Grand Ole Opry. – – – – – – –
As an addendum to the article, but I didn’t find a good place to put it: I tuned in to listen to the Hank Williams tribute on Saturday night. I heard Mandy Barnett, who did a great job. Hilary Williams was a little pitchy, but it was fine. Chuck Mead with Chris Scruggs on steel was absolutely killer. Then I heard the Sam Williams introduction, but the live feed cut out, and went to the regular WSM music rotation. So as the tribute went on, I was listening to recurrent hits from Jelly Roll and Blake Shelton. I tried it on my phone and my laptop. Went back to it numerous times before I bailed to finish my Bob Weir obituary. Not sure if others had a similar experience, but it was disappointing.
Since this was held at the Ryman, there might have been broadcast difficulties. We didn’t get the first hour streamed like they’ve been doing at other shows. Truth is, the reason they do these Ryman shows in January is because tourism really slows down in Nashville after the holidays and there isn’t enough ticket sales for the Opry House.
Erin, I hope you realize Trigger is not the one with the ability to reinstate Hank. Perhaps your comment should be directed at the Opry ([br]ass, on their page. I don’t they’re here in the comments (although they should be).
That’s not necessary, Erin. Just because they use that language in Washington doesn’t mean we all have to use it……though I agree with the sentiment!
If he would have lived he would have been reinstated ..yeah so you make money off him and get him to agree to your stupid # of performances in your opry mills keosk u call the opry ……you had only the asskissin side of the williams family..u know the ones who make money off him just like the opry………hank williams aint a member but you keep him outside tour door…..fuckin opry is a joke
The Opry does not have any current members who are deceased. The Whitley thing was a one off to recognize someone whose induction was planned but never happened because he passed.
Hank is the same as Holly Dunn, Johnny Cash, Don Williams, the 4 Guys and others whose memberships terminated while they were alive. They are all rightfully recognized as past members by the Opry but are not current members. To be fair, the handling of this by prior Opry leadership was not good; had they articulated what I tried to above it would have gone a long way to solve the issue. I’m no Fisher fan but he was correct; the Opry doesn’t induct deceased people. There is no point to doing so.
“The Whitley thing was a one off to recognize someone whose induction was planned but never happened because he passed.”
The Hank thing could be a one off to recognize someone whose induction was planned but never happened because he passed.
I feel dumb for even having to still report on this thing. I feel embarrassed for the Opry to have to put out this lengthy, tense note when they could have put out half as much effort to resolve this thing already.
Even if you’re against Reinstate Hank, you should be for the Opry doing this just to get everyone to shut up about it.
What evidence do we have that we can point to that says “Hank was going to get his act together and repair his relationship with the Opry?”
We have, as I understand it, documented verifiable proof that Keith Whitley had been selected, vetted and confirmed to *BE* inducted* and that induction didn’t happen.
Because if all we are arguing is “hank should be reinstated because he MIGHT have deserved it if he had lived” versus “Keith Whitley DID deserve it but didn’t live to receive it” then I’m not sure I agree about reinstating hank.
The difference is Lorrie Morgan was hard lobbying for Keith Whitley, and she has a lot of pull in the Opry universe, while Hank Williams III asked nicely once, got laughed at, and went to war. Aside from that, it’s a double standard.
BTW, if you ever need anything done, give it to Lorrie Morgan. The fact that she was able to get Keith Whitley in the Country Music Hall of Fame that let’s NOBODY in, and then got Keith Whitley and honorary inducted after the Opry had told us for 20 years it’s imposssible to induct a dead guy is quite the feat.
Trigger: I don’t feel like that addresses the distinction between… Keith Whitley was already SELECTED for an induction… whereas Hank was fired.
And I “do” think there’s a difference honoring an induction that was scheduled and agreed upon, even symbolically, and making up scenarios in which Hank Williams may have returned to the Opry.
Hank Williams got fired. And we’ll never know if he would have wound up back on the Opry or not but that’s the point. It’s all speculation and imagination
It would be ridiculous to give Jimi Hendrix a posthumous opry membership saying “he might have made a killer country album and become a member one day” and saying “maybe Hank would have wound up back on the opry” is… not something we can prove. Maybe he’d have had a chip on his shoulder. Maybe they wouldn’t have let him back anyway. Maybe he’d have gone into singing some other style of music
And no, I don’t necessarily agree with inducting Keith Whitley ceremonially either. But I *do* see the distinction between a planned induction (whitley) and one that was never planned (Williams)
But what I guess what I was asking for in my first comment is this: is there anything more than speculation and wondering that would lead people to believe Hank Williams would have been reinducted to the opry at all?
I appreciate your passion about this; I’m not trying to be argumentative. I just don’t see what the purpose of a “reinstatement” would be. My understanding is that the Opry building has a wall of all former and current members and Hank is on there. The Opry website references Hank. The Opry has never denied his achievements, etc. The honor is already there.
Johnny Cash was not a member at his passing although he was earlier in his life. There is no clamor to “reinstate” him nor should there be. Ditto to the many others (including some HOF acts) who were no longer members at their death.
I’m not an Opry apologist or purist; I truly don’t see what the point is. Is the Williams family bitter that he was fired and they want the stain removed? Hank’s firing was his own fault and he certainly wasn’t the only fired act in their history. Heck, Minnie Pearl was fired once. So was Holly Dunn (for reasons still unclear) after she announced her retirement from performing. (The Opry hasn’t fired other retired performers and listed them as active members and only removing them at their deaths such as the recently deceased Stu Phillips).
I completely understand this perspective. I really do. My perspective is that if this is what the Hank Williams family wants, their wishes should be respected, especially since a similar request was made from Keith Whitley’s family, and was honored. I honestly wish the Opry would just do the thing already to remove the issue from ever needing to be discussed again. Their statement illustrates just how much of a point of drama this has become for them, but somehow they don’t seem to understand that the easiest way to remove that drama is to do something similar to what they did for Whitley. It’s the Opry that has the ability to end the drama. Looking through the online comments, Reinstate Hank clearly is not going to back down as a movement.
Trigger, one of the biggest problems in today’s society stems from appeasing people and incorrect desires just to shut them up.
Hank being “out” of the Opry is so much more interesting than him being “in” it. I go years without ever seeing a mention of Ernest Tubb and the Opry but I hear about Hank Williams and the Opry multiple times a year.
Plus, it gives something to conspiracy loons to get angry over. Like the one above who’s sputtering, cursing mad. And seems to think the present owners of the Opry make money, somehow by keeping Hank “out.”
Or the ones who think Hank has been banned from the Hall of Fame. Like Pete Rose. (Actually, Rose is now eligible. And he did make the WWE H-o-F.)
“The Reinstate Hank online petition now has over 62,000 signatures on it.”
That’s great. Now I’m rooting for it to reach 100,000. (Or some computer geek will get it up to 250,000 in a week.) Why put an end to it.
Is there anyone alive who actually saw Hank Williams at the Opry? Would have to be someone who was maybe 12, then, and is 85 or thereabouts, now. If she produces a ticket stub or a photo as “proof” and says the wants Hank “back.” I’ll say “Put him ‘in.’”
Yes. His ACTUAL widow Billie Jean Horton is still alive (Age 92), and was introduced to Hank by her ex Faron Young, I believe at the Opry.
Hank Jr. might have also witnessed Hank at the Opry as a young child, and he’s a supporter of Reinstate Hank, as is Hank Williams III, Holly, and Hilary. It appears to me that the people that most matter to this issue are all in support.
Drama is attention and the Opry needs attention. Not all press is good press, sure, but anything that gets the name “Opry” in peoples’ mouths at this point is a win for what’s left of the institution.
The Opry is not benefiting from all the negativity coming to them from this issue at all. If they were, they wouldn’t have released such as tense and squirmy statement. They would have just ignored the issue altogether.
If anything is benefiting, it’s the legacy of Hank Williams, because it helps keep his name in the headlines.
The fact that they use his image and legacy to make money and promote themselves is a shame. Hank Sr. should be reinstated, and if not, stop using him!
So what the opry is saying is that they’ll allow members of the RAINBOW MAFIA and PROMOTE their careers but one of the first men to join the opry then get kicked out because he was an alcoholic makes about as much sense as a one legged man at a but kicking contest! I find it amazing that even with Hank being disrespected AGAIN his legend has lived for eight decades+ and real country music fans still have him on our digital playlists yet these “ARTISTS” you are promoting are like a candle IN A HURRICANE, their flames blow out as soon as they are lit! #AREYOUTHISOBTUSEGRANDOLEOPRY? #BADBUSINESSDECISION #READTHEROOM #QUITDISRESPECTINGHANKSR
Neither was Johnny Horton, btw.
So Billie Jean Horton is the widow of no Opry members and one H-o-F’er, for those keeping count.
I came to this website because I was a fan of Hank 3 and saw what you were doing trying to get the word out about reinstating Hank. Back when .357 was just getting started and Outlaw Radio Chicago was a thing. You have done really great work getting the word out about so many good bands to people that wouldn’t have otherwise heard of them. You are the man trigger. Thank you for everything you have done for all of these years. I still do hope, for his sake, they reinstate Hank someday
Hank Williams is a legend whether he is or was an Opry member or not. He always will be and his music is still incredible now. However, one can understand why the Opry let him go and they were probably right to do so. He certainly gave them cause and that is part of the legend. Reinstating him not only seems pointless but disingenuous. They can honour him as they and country music should but on reinstating his membership, I am with the Opry. They shouldn’t.
Making the argument that Hank Williams would have conquered his alcoholism and therefore been welcomed back to the Opry is absurd. Those that believe that have little knowledge of that disease. Not to mention that treatment for alcoholism back in the early 1950’s was seldom effective. And to begin recovery requires a willing patient. Sadly by 1952 Hank was already way down the road on his own “Lost Highway.” It was only a matter of time until his addiction would kill him. Photos of an emaciated Hank in 1952 showed a man that often appeared decades older than his 29 years.
So go ahead and make whatever case you want for restoring his Opry membership. But to base it upon his imminent return to that stage has no basis in reality. Perhaps an “Opry Emeritus” member status could be a compromise to acknowledge his lasting and significant impact without restoring full membership.
Im with Fuzzys viewpoint above.
Hank wasnt kicked out for simply being a drunk, it was erratic behavior, failing to make performances etc.
When he passed away, he was still boozing and taking prescription drugs heavily. I get that he had physicians who would write him copious prescriptions for morphine and such, to dull the pain of his back injury and spinal defect. That was a problem largely out of his control admittedly, so it’s understandable how he got that way. Yet the unpredictability of his moods and the no show behavior was not something The Opry wanted to deal with. Is there any indication things would have gotten better? Not that I’ve heard. So he was not in any way at that point going to be reinstated. Could he have in time, got it together enough to be considered reliable? We dont know. What is known is he died in the back of that Cadillac on the way to a gig, and was not well at all. In fact he overdosed. If he’d made it to the gig in Ohio, he likely wouldn’t have been in any shape to play it. Read the Escott book.
Based on that, where is the logic in ” reinstating” him? As Fuzzy points out, Whitley had a guarantee of admission. Hank had no guarantee of readmission.
This entire thing/ movement seems based on emotion from the family and fans, coupled with the fact he was the premier songwriter of his era and one of the most significant figures in music history. I get all that, and it is a shame that arguably the most significant guy in Country music gets booted from the Opry. Yes, the irony.
But I totally see the Oprys position.
Yet as they point out, his name is still celebrated even at The Opry, and he is never forgotten. Unpopular take, I know. And im a superfan of the Williams boys! ( Those Williams Boys, they still mean a lot to me…Hank in Tennessee…) Don Williams reference…
@Kevin– That’s “Hank AND Tennessee.” The reference (by HoF) songwriter Bob McDill is to another “Williams Boy”–palywright Tennessee Williams. The song “Good Ol’ Boys Like Me” is filled with literary and cultural references and one to the Civil War general Stonewall Jackson.
No to mention Uncle Remus, John R. and Thomas Wolfe. All of whom are frowned upon in this modern world.
I feel like we’ve been at this very spot in this argument before. And the reason for this is because we have been, because the Grand Ole Opry refuses to resolve this issue. I completely understand why some people see this entire thing as silly. At this point, I see it as silly too why the Grand Ole Opry can’t get out of their own way when it comes to this issue.
Are the Keith Whitley and Hank Williams issues EXACTLY the same? Of course not. Are the similar? Yes. Why does the Whitley issue dovertail with Hank’s? Because for 23 years, every Opry General Manager, from Pete Fisher, to Sally Williams, to Dan Rogers said you couldn’t induct a dead guy. When they inducted Keith Whitley, they cut the legs off of their own argument. Now they don’t have a leg to stand on. That’s why you get this weird, forced, and tense statement from the Opry. They would have been better served not addressing it at all. But they knew if they posted ANYTHING online, the comments would be flooded with people demanding they Reinstate Hank. While I continue to get ratioed by my own readers in this comments section, the Opry gets ratioed in every post they do about Hank. This issue goes well beyond Saving Country Music. And frankly at this late stage, it does feel like it’s something personal against the Williams family. How hard would it be to call up Madisonville Plaque and Taxidermy and get them to make a $80 plaque and hand it over to Holly Williams at the end of her set? It would have been much easier than drafting the statement they made, and still catching hell from the majority of their own fans.
The Opry has the power to make this issue go away. Even if I wrote an article telling everyone this issue is dumb and to stop worrying about it, Reinstate Hank would still continue on. The onus is on the Opry, not anyone else, though I do believe it’s a dead issue, because I have no confidence the Opry will ever resolve it now. It will continue to hang around their necks like a yoke, when they could have spurred a national story on Saturday and put themselves and Hank in many headlines. Missed opportunity for self-promotion.
Agree that The Opry has mishandled it. Disagree he should ” be reinstated”. No basis for reinstatement other than emotion and ” feel good”. To me, the act of The Opry reinstating him would be somehow admitting they made a mistake and I dont see Hanks dismissal as a mistake. Should they maybe have put him on suspension or time out for a period of time? Maybe. Either way, things couldn’t go on as they were, with The Opry advertising an appearance by Hank Williams and then keep explaining to the audience why he wasnt going on, or worse allowing him to go on bombed and being even more of an embarrassment.
I get you and the family and others want a formal reinstatement. Obviously some of us disagree.
But I wouldn’t be upset if one day a Hank Williams statue appeared at The Ryman or in the courtyard at the present Opry location. Im as big a Hank fan as anyone, but stand by my viewpoint.
“Night wolves moan, winter hills are black, im all alone, sittin’ in the back of a long white cadillac.”
” Train whistle cries, lost on its own track, I close my eyes, never coming back..in a long white Cadillac. In a long white cadillac.”
While I respect your desire to accept that the reinstate hankers will never give up and just give them the proverbial bone so we can all move on (and sometimes we do have to just concede)
Being fired from the Opry isn’t *just* a sad note in the career of Hank Williams. It’s part and parcel to the mythology of one of music’s most universally recognized musicians. Reinstating Hank may well be less of an olive branch and more like remaking “the Ten Commandments” with Moses and Pharoah hugging it out at the end.
The missed performances, the Opry firing, tragedies all but central to the mythos of Hank Williams, whose songs have been covered in almost every genre, celebrated by Charlie Parker, Tony Bennett, to Ray Charles and Elvis to van Morrison The Rolling Stones and Ryan Adams.
Almost any “covers” show from presley’s country jubilee to Daniel O’Donnell will give the audience a Hank song. He’s had songs in movies so far removed from country music and country fans (like transformers) it can only be understood as a testament to a near universal recognition.
Hank got fired. And it’s not an unfortunate consequence of the period that needs to be edited for sensibility like the “Abraham” song in “holiday inn”
It’s an integral, essential part of the Hank Williams story and pretending they sent Hank to rehab and said “see you in six months” fully intending to bring him back is insulting to everyone.
I admire the Opry for having the courage of their conviction back in the 1950s and booting a superstar. I wish their modern rendition would do the same with its delinquent members.
I love Hank, but the man wrote his dismissal. I disagreed with the Whitley induction. Keith missed his induction because of his actions.
Hank should not have been posthumously inducted. Neither should have Keith. They weren’t hit by cars (hi Johnny Horton) or struck down by a sudden illness.
Well, I can’t say I’m surprised by this news Hank’s reputation seems to perceive him even in death. I know a lot of folks are pointing at the Keith Whitley situation but the biggest difference is he never joined the Opry to begin with, as to where Hank was already in but got thrown out. Not defending the Opry but Hank burned the bridge when he was alive and didn’t get a chance to rebuild it. Don’t get me wrong I’m not defending the Opry me personally I think their stupid for not reinstating Hank, they have nothing but money to gain out of it since Hank still draws people into country music 70 plus years after his death. I’ll never say never but giving that Hank 3 went to war with the Opry probably has more to do with it than anything.
I think that Hank William Sr should be reinstated into the Opry. I have a Hank Williams Sr cd. I love his music. His music is way better then the modern day country music.
COUNTRY AINT COUNTRY ANYMORE … THEY WILL LET ANYONE IN … IM OLD SCHOOL GIVE ME HANK WILLIAMS, JOHNNY CASH, AND MANY MORE ANY DAY … NOT THE WANT A BEES
Not trying to be taken the wrong way, but isn’t it a little hypocritical on their part? Just saying, one thing I haven’t really seen acknowledged is the fact that a huge portion of the well known songs in the past 20 years are literally about getting drunk. Take a stand or don’t. I mean, maybe they even could have done it and used it to raise awareness
You lost your credibility with me in your first paragraph with “Held at the Opry’s original home, The Ryman Auditorium”. Anyone who knows the history of the Grand Ole Opry knows The Ryman Auditorium was not the original home of the Opry. There were multiple venues used prior to The Ryman, two of which still exist in Nashville. The Hillsborough Theater (now know as the Belcourt Theater) and War Memorial Auditorium both were permanent homes of the Opry prior to The Ryman. The Opry was nearly 18 years in existence when The Ryman became it’s home.
The reason the Ryman Auditorium is referred to as the Mother Church of Country Music is because it was the first permanent, dedicated home of the Grand Ole Opry. You rightly point out that it was held in two other places previously, and it actually started in a WSM studio. But the Ryman is where Hank Williams debuted, and what is commonly considered and referred to as the original Opry home, delineating it from the Grand Ole Opry House at Opry Mills.
Pk, what you say is well known and every tourist going through the Ryman reads this information and sees pictures of the WSM studio and the early Opry. They talk about the early locations in the guided tours and in the short film they show. But even with all of that common knowledge, as Trig points out, The Ryman is still considered ground zero, and often referred to as the original Opry, or The Mother Church, or the former Opry House. Honestly, its where 95% of the history people care about happened. Kyle has written extensively about the Opry over the years. His credibility is good.
I bet Hank wouldn’t sell his soul. That’s probably why Keith and him met similar fates. Seems like the devil is still mad about it.
Source: savingcountrymusic.com