8455Ea4F 520C 4946 8C71 3920C4Fc81Df E1752865147844 — “Hank Williams’ Boyhood Home – Georgiana, AL” by SeeMidTN.com (aka Brent) is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0

When Hank Williams’ name comes up in connection to the state of Alabama, most people think of his statue or the Hank Williams Museum in Montgomery.

But it can be easy to forget his origins in rural Alabama.

His birth certificate officially says “near Garland” in rural Butler County. His boyhood home is now a museum in downtown Georgiana.

And within that same county is a 10-mile stretch of road from Georgiana to Garland that crosses underneath Interstate 65 called Hank Williams Road.

Keep reading to learn more about the Alabama native’s short but historic career + how his legacy remains across the state.

Hank Williams Sr.

F835Ab4F 1Fe0 4Efa 8822 A12051373Ae6 — “20200223 22 Hank Williams statue, Montgomery, Alabama.” by davidwilson1949 is licensed under CC BY 2.0

Hank Williams Road in Butler County is a way to remember the music legend and his origins in rural Alabama before his music career even began.

Known by many as the father of contemporary country music, Hank Williams started his music career in 1937 with performances in + around downtown Montgomery.

However, he did not release his first studio recordings until 1947. Williams officially released just two LPs and 41 singles. But much of his legacy come from compilation and live albums released in the decades after his death at the young age of 29 in 1953.

His music career officially lasted just six years but his music only got more and more popular after he died.

Williams is buried in Montgomery, where more than 25,000 people showed up to the memorial service including several fellow music stars. You can still visit his burial site on Hank Williams Memorial Circle at the Oakwood Cemetery Annex.

In 1961, Williams was in the inaugural induction class at the Country Music Hall of Fame. He was one of the first three members.