Country music fans will gather in Montgomery this weekend to celebrate the 103rd birthday of one of Alabama’s most legendary performers.
The Hank Williams Museum will honor Hank Williams on Saturday with its annual graveside memorial service and wreath laying, followed by an afternoon concert headlined by country music veteran Moe Bandy.
The day will begin at Williams’ gravesite at Oakwood Cemetery Annex. The Sheppard Family Band, whose members are cousins of Williams’ former wife, Audrey Sheppard Williams, will begin performing at 8:45 a.m.
The annual wreath laying and memorial service will follow at 9 a.m.
Later in the day, the celebration will move to Troy University’s Davis Theatre for the Performing Arts, 251 Montgomery Street, where the Hank Williams 103rd Birthday Concert begins at 3 p.m. Doors open at 2:15 p.m., and free parking is available.
Bandy will headline a lineup that includes “American Idol” standout Alex Miller, Arty Hill, Wyatt Aleman, Dalton McSwain, Dewey Bass, Mary McDonald and Larry Darnell. Jay Dean, host of “Country Legends Jukebox,” will serve as emcee.
Bandy brings his own connection to Williams’ musical legacy. During his career, he has charted 66 country hits, including 10 No. 1 songs and 40 Top 10 singles, and earned five gold albums. Among his best-known songs is one especially fitting for Saturday’s celebration — “Hank Williams, You Wrote My Life.”
“Though he died at just 29 years of age, Hank left a lasting musical legacy that continues to be appreciated by each new generation, and we feel it is important to celebrate and recognize the birthday of one of Alabama’s favorite sons and greatest legends,” Hank Williams Museum Director Beth Petty said. “Our memorial concert features entertainers who perform the traditional country music that Hank and his contemporaries played, and it serves as an appropriate way to honor his 103rd birthday.”
Williams was born Sept. 17, 1923, in Mount Olive, Alabama. During his brief career, he recorded 11 No. 1 hits and placed 43 songs on the country music charts. He died Jan. 1, 1953, while traveling to a New Year’s Day concert in Canton, Ohio.
Advance general admission tickets are $35 through Eventbrite. Reserved VIP seats are $45 and may be purchased directly from the Hank Williams Museum by calling or texting 334-262-3600 or visiting the museum at 118 Commerce Street in Montgomery.
Tickets will also be available at the door Saturday. Day-of-show general admission is $40, while VIP tickets, if still available, are $50. The museum says cash or Venmo will be accepted for tickets purchased at the door.
Sherri Blevins is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You may contact her at [email protected].
