Say Hey Good Lookin'

Say hey, good lookin. What ya got cookin? Hows about cooking somethin up with me? Hey, sweet baby. Don’t you think maybe, we can find us a brand new recipe?

The words to that familiar song were penned and recorded by Hank Williams. For those of you not in the know, Hank Williams has become an icon in country music and Rock ‘n’ Roll. He is one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century.


Just for the heck of it, I visited his grave on the way out of Montgomery this afternoon. The interesting thing was I was not the only one visiting. I met Brad and Kim from Louisiana. Brad knew everything one could possibly know about Hank Williams. As you might imagine I asked him a few questions. He told me about “Luke the Drifter.” Hank recorded some religious songs using that name because he didn’t want his fans to know it was him. He needed to keep his drunkard image to sell his tear in the beer songs.

That’s a different slant.


When I drove up to the grave I noticed Brad was kneeling in prayer paying his respects. I visited with them for a few minutes and I looked up and another car drove up. Three people got out and all had cameras. They were from Florida.

I think one could set up a Hank Williams tee shirt shop outside that cemetery and get rich. I have a feeling a lot of people come to that grave. Not bad for a man who has been dead for almost 54 years.


For your information, Hank had only about five years in the limelight in his career. Most of his life was a major struggle. The songs he sung came from his heart and real life struggles. Songs like: “You’re Gonna Change or I’m Gonna Leave and “Cold Cold Heart” and Your Cheating Heart.” The demons he fought were always on display through the music he played.

Amazingly he died at age 29 in the backseat of a Cadillac in the middle of the night on the way to perform. He fulfilled the prophecy of one of his hit songs, “I’ll Never Get Out of This World Alive.”

Neither will we by the way.

Hanks personal life was pretty much in shambles all his life. But his music and his performances continue to be the standard for the definition of stardom in country music and he is still the model for countless singers and songwriters.

His music is much bigger in death than it was when he was alive. He had three songs hit number 1 in the charts the year after he died.

And 54 years after he died, I think I saw a tear in Brad’s eye as he walked away from the grave.

The familiar words to one of Hank's songs that has been sung in religious circles across the country for over fifty years are written in big letters across Hank's monument:

"Praise the Lord, I saw the light."

I hope he did.