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Fans of country music legend Hank Williams held their annual ceremony and wreath-laying at his gravesite at the Oakwood Cemetery Annex in Montgomery this morning.
It marked the 73rd anniversary of Williams’ death. He passed away on January 1, 1953, while en route to a New Year’s Day concert in Canton, Ohio. His memorial service was one of the biggest events in the history of the City of Montgomery.
“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 recognize the passing of one of Alabama’s favorite sons and greatest legends,” Hank Williams Museum Director Beth Petty said. “Hank’s fans from across the nation and even other countries have traveled to Montgomery to participate in the wreath-laying over the years, and we anticipate another healthy turnout for this 73rd anniversary memorial.”
“I’ve been coming to this event since I was a child, and I know that they are people from foreign countries people from far away places who travel to Montgomery on New Year’s Day just to pay respects to Hank Williams, and that’s a testament to his legacy and his talent and the way he touch people with his music,” David Azbell, who was the guest speaker at this year’s ceremony, told Action 8 News.
Petty says that fans of Williams should look forward to 2028, when the 75th anniversary of his death will include a gala memorial concert event in Montgomery in addition to the traditional graveside memorial.
The first memorial service held at Williams’ gravesite took place in September of 1954 to mark his birthday. Five-year-old Hank Williams Jr., his half-sister Lycrecia, and former Louisiana Gov. Jimmie Davis, a country music singer famous for recording the standard “You Are My Sunshine,” laid a wreath of red and white carnations and magnolia leaves as 250 participants watched.
A star-studded concert at Cramton Bowl held in conjunction with the first wreath-laying attracted an audience of 10,000 and included performances by Davis, Roy Acuff, Minnie Pearl, Ernest Tubb, Hank Snow and others. At the concert’s finale, the massive marble monument that currently rests atop Williams’ grave was publicly unveiled for the first time.