Perhaps the most famous drifting cowboy in all of history, Hank Williams is regarded as one of the most impactful American singers of the 20th century. His granddaughter, Holly Audrey Williams, gave fans an unprecedented look into Hank’s life, complete with a photo of him without his signature cowboy hat.
The music gene proved strong down the Williams line. Hank’s son, 74-year-old Hank Williams Jr., is an artist who blends rock, blues, and country. Similarly, his own daughter Holly, 42, has three studio albums to her name: The Ones We Never Knew (2004), Here with Me (2009) and The Highway (2013). While carving her own path in the music industry, she also pays homage to her famous grandfather.
Holly Williams shares a rare, remarkable photo of her grandfather, Hank Williams
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On Instagram, Holly shared a rare vintage photo with her 67k followers featuring Hank and his wife. “Grandpa Hank (in a rare picture without the cowboy hat) and grandma Audrey,” she captioned the post, adding, “only I could have met them.” The tags further reveal that the picture was from 1949, the same year Hank Jr. was born.
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In the picture, Hank is sharply dressed, his head indeed without his usual cowboy hat, as he stands beside his wife Audrey, whom Holly is partly named after; she is seen with her hair done in gentle waves framing an elegantly made-up face and delicate smile.
Family tree of Holly Williams
As Holly noted, she never got to meet her famous grandparents. Hank Sr. was just 29 years old when he died in 1953, the same year his second son, Jett, was born. Neither of Hank’s children got to know him. The “Lost Highway” singer and Audrey divorced in ’52 and Hank Sr. got married to Billie Jean Horton later that year. Audrey died in ’75 when she was just 52. His second wife, Billie Jean, is still alive today.
As for Holly, she is the middle child of Hank Williams Jr., with an older sister named Hilary; she is also the half-sister of Hank Williams III. By the time she was 17, Holly began playing one of her father’s guitars and started writing songs soon after.
Hank Williams Sr. may be gone, but the legacy he established decades ago continues to flourish.
