Lon made his living as a logger, so they didn't stay in Mount Olive for long. Thomas died March 22 at age 58. "I think he had a profound sadness in him," says Marc Abraham, writer . Check out what clicked this week in entertainment. This story has been shared 119,909 times. Hank Williams was born in September 1923 in a small Alabama farming community about 70 miles south of Montgomery. I Saw the Light, Hank Williams . Thomas, 58, died on March 22 of a collapsed lung that was punctured during elective surgery the day before, according to a report from the Palm Beach County Medical Examiner as well as an autopsy report, which were obtained by PEOPLE. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. As did other family members, like Hank Williams, Jr., who . Hank Williams, the country legend and Hillbilly Shakespeare, didn't have the opportunity to live in the world long. NASHVILLE Country superstar Tammy Wynette, who died at home under tangled circumstances on April 6, 1998, had become hopelessly addicted to powerful painkillers, primarily Demerol, Dilaudid and Versed, according to a controversial new book by one of Wynette's daughters. Get the best of Fox News' entertainment coverage, right in your inbox. Legal Statement. Over the years, the Skyline Drive-In has changed hands many times, but it has always borne the sign "Hank's Last Stop." (You can still see the baby blue "Death Cadillac" at the Hank . 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Thanks for contacting us. Williams decided to leave the music business altogether. She was cleared for the procedures by a physician at home, according to the Medical Examiner's report. Mary Jane's cause of death was announced on Tuesday, July 26, 2022. Legal Statement. There is no allegation that any of the medical staff involved in the surgery committed any wrongdoing. Miss Spruce Creek High School, Miss Hawaiian Tropic, Miss Mary Jane Williams, my mama forever my everything. Daly says her mother told her she had been beaten by Richey and concocted the abduction/beating story to explain the bruises. It was something he apparently saw coming. It was at one of these medicine shows in Banks, Alabama in the summer of 1943 that he met Audrey Sheppard, a beautiful blonde with a figure that could "melt the wax off a Dixie cup," per Lovesick Blues. Hiram "Hank" Williams died on January 1, 1953, at the age of 29. Williams and Thomas also share a son, Samuel Williams. Williams picked up a drinking habit as an early teen that he would never be able to beat. His spina bifida, never properly treated in childhood, was a chronic source of agony. In November 1942, he headed back to Alabama, working on and off for the rest of the war at the Alabama Dry Dock and Shipbuilding Company in Mobile. Just before midnight, Carr set about getting Williams to a planned New Years Day show in Canton, Ohio. Once called the King of Country Music, he died in 1953. Hank Williams Jr.'s Wife Mary Jane Thomas Has Died: 'A Beautiful Soul'. Hank Jr., has forged his own path in the country world and was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame induction last November. Williams had already been drinking when he was given a shot of B12 and morphine by the hotel doctor. (Ron Galella). Upon his death, his royalties were to be split between his widow, Billie Jean Williams Berlin, and his son, Hank Williams Jr. Hank was supposed to perform in Charleston, West Virginia on New Year's . Hank Williams Jr. and Mary Jane Thomas in 2002. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Thanks for contacting us. While heart failure was reported as the official cause of death, officials observed that the man's body . Hank was born with a spinal condition, known as spina bifida occulta, which was not well understood at the time. In 1952, Williams began performing with the Louisiana Hayride. But suspicions about this final journey arose immediately. On Jan. 22, 2021, Aaron died in his sleep, according to the Atlanta Braves, his long-time team. Thomas, 58, died on March 22 of a collapsed lung that . In recent years, a Knoxvillian . We've received your submission. Audrey Mae Sheppard was born in Banks, Alabama in 1923. Reports are conflicting on Thomas' age but range from 58 . Alysse Gafkjen. Years later he had the car restored and displayed it in his Nashville museum. Hank Williams, the country legend and Hillbilly Shakespeare, didn't have the opportunity to live in the world long. He died in 1939, but his musical legacy would live on in Williams. According to Hank Williams, So Lonesome, Marshall was actually a high school dropout, who had simply paid $35 to obtain a degree from the Chicago School of Applied Sciences that claimed he was a "Doctor of Science and Psychology." The musician wrote: "I am in a conservatorship," in five separate tweets each with one word of the message. Williams would return to Georgiana the following year with more sophisticated interests. The performance was so successful that the audience demanded six encores from Williams before the show could go on, according to History. On June 11, 1949, Williams made his live Grand Ole Opry debut. But inclement weather meant they couldnt get to Charleston, so the concert was canceled and they instead made a pit stop at the Andrew Johnson Hotel in Knoxville, Tenn. Williams had already been drinking when he was given a shot of B12 and morphine by the hotel doctor. But when they finally got hitched in 1944, it wasn't officially legal. Sam, 25, paid tribute to his late mother in a statement to PEOPLE shortly after her death. By 1930, Lillie was for all practical purposes a single mother, and the Great Depression was hitting the country. Mary Jane Thomas the wife of Hank Williams Jr. reportedlydied after undergoing plastic surgery in Jupiter, Fla. An autopsy rules that her cause of death was accidental, and she died due to a collapsed lung that was punctured the day before. This story has been shared 101,613 times. But as Jack Neely, executive director of the Knoxville History Project, explains, local folklore tells a different story. Payne, who also went by the nickname Tee-Tot, was a busker who performed blues on the streets of Georgiana and Greenville when Williams was a boy, per Britannica. (AP Photo/FILE) The new biopic "I Saw the Light," in theaters Friday, traces country . It was the biggest city Williams had ever lived in, and opportunities for the young musician abounded. At midnight, Carr began arranging to transport Williams to an early morning performance in Canton, Ohio. Sam was reportedly heavily impacted by the loss of his sister. As the end of World War II neared, Hank Williams returned to performing, but he had fallen far from his days as a star with his own radio show. A lonely and troubled man, Williams struggled with chronic pain and substance abuse issues that would hinder his success and ultimately lead to his untimely death at just 29-years-old. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Hank Williams performing "Hey Good Lookin' "#HankWilliams #HeyGoodLookin #Vevo On December 30, 1952, Williams was in bed at this Montgomery, Alabama, home with new wife Billie Jean. . The 58-year-old former model was found unresponsive on March 22, just one day after undergoing the fat-removal procedure on her back, arms and stomach, People reports. When new wife Billie Jean asked what was the matter, she claimed his reply was, I think I see God comin down the road.. Sam later spoke about how Katie's passing impacted him during an interview withPeoplein August 2021. "They . Due to a misspelling on his birth certificate, his official name was recorded as "Hiriam," according toLovesick Blues: The Life of Hank Williams. Sam shared the post as he wrote: "It's my second one not free.". She died from a collapsed lung after surgery. He was as thoughtful and (at times) fiery as you'd expect. Neither Hank Williams Jr. or Sam Williams have commented on the news of Mary Jane's autopsy. Thomas was married to singer Williams, 72, for over 30 years. The concert was canceled and Carr and Williams instead stopped at the Andrew Johnson Hotel in Knoxville, Tennessee. Wynette (born Virginia Wynette Pugh) moved herself and her daughters to Nashville from a life of poverty in rural Mississippi, where the former hair stylist became a country music superstar with such hits as "D-I-V-O-R-C-E" and "Stand by Your Man"(RealAudio excerpt). "Tammy Wynette: A Daughter Recalls Her Mother's Tragic Life and Death," by Jackie Daly (Putnam), was published on Monday (May 8), the day that depositions were to begin in a wrongful-death lawsuit filed against the late singer's doctor. "I'm certainly not an . Thomas and Williams were married for over 20 years and shared two kids, son Sam and the late Katherine, who died in 2020. A member of the country music icon's family revealed to TMZ that Mary Jane died on Tuesday, March 22, in Jupiter, Florida.. They hit it off, and Williams asked Sheppard to marry him almost immediately. Jupiter's police department got "a medical call to the Jupiter Beach Resort & Spa" around 5pm the following day. Rest in peace Mama, I will always be the son of Mary Jane.". According to Jones, he told her, "If you ain't married, Ol' Hank's gonna marry you. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Hank Williams died on January 1, 1953, at the age of 29. This is Hank Williams, Audrey Sheppard Williams and the . NOVEMBER 21: Mary Jane Thomas and 2020 inductee Hank Williams Jr. seen during the 2021 Medallion Ceremony, celebrating the Induction . Williams lived fast, both personally and professionally. The Tragic Real-Life Story Of Hank Williams. Hank Williams Jr. and wife Mary Jane Thomas in 1989. In 1953, five days before his daughter was born, Williams died . The 27-year-old was driving a Chevy Tahoe in . "She grew up competing in baton and cheerleading and was one of Hawaiian Tropic's top models. When he was sober, Williams was a great performer, but as Williams' drinking problem worsened, Opry executives began to lose patience. They shared daughter Katherine, who died in a car crash in 2020, and son Samuel, a musician. She did not discover she was Williams' daughter until her adoptive father disclosed the information when she was 21. Her bloodline was not legally recognized until 1987, and she was not granted rights to her birth father's estate until 1989. His mother became the band manager, booking gigs in dance halls and honky-tonks, and collecting admission money. Local lore also places Williams at a Knoxville hospital getting a second shot of morphine this in addition to the one administered by the hotel doctor that might have caused a drug overdose. About six or seven hours later, on the morning of Jan. 1, 1953, Carr realized his passenger was dead and already beset with rigor mortis, the, Priscilla Presley Shares Emotional Post On Lisa Marie's Birthday, Jay Leno Appears On First Talk Show Since Burn & Motorcycle Accidents, Sam Elliott Reunites With Big Lebowski Co-Star Jeff Bridges At SAG Awards, Florida Man Faces Legal Consequences For Hammer Attack On Shark, Dukes Of Hazzard Car Driven By Cast Members Has Been Totaled, Tom Sizemores Manager Releases Upsetting Update On His Condition, Austin Butler Called A True Gentleman For Helping Winners Up Steps At SAG Awards, Actor Who Plays Jamie On Yellowstone Addresses Rumors Of Behind-The-Scenes Drama. Hank Williams Jr. drove it when he was in high school. While her official cause of death remains unknown and does not appear to be suspicious, it has been reported that she presumably "suffered a complication, possibly a . There is a framework of events that is largely agreed upon, starting with Williams being chauffeured to a planned New Years Eve show in Charleston, W.Va. While Lillie worked hard for the band, she wasn't all too popular with the members. Mary Jane Thomas died on March 22 of a collapsed lung that was punctured during an elective surgery the day before, according to the Palm Beach County Medical Examiner's Office. At the time of Hank Williams' death in 1953, he was worth $10,000 (100,000 in today's money). Somewhere around Oak Hill, West Virginia, Carr looked into the backseat and realized Williams seemed rigid and unresponsive. (Carr died in 2013 and, for much of his life, kept silent on his journey with Williams.). . Receive daily updates with the best country music videos, news, and more! Her cause of death was not released. Hank Williams Jr. and wife Mary Jane Thomas arrive for the 37th annual Country Music Association Awards show Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2003, in Nashville, Tenn. . In 1951, Williams suffered another accident, this time while hunting. Just before midnight, Carr set about getting Williams to a planned New Years Day show in Canton, Ohio. Grace Lenehan Vaughn Published: April 7, 2022. Williams-Dunning was driving a 2007 Chevy Tahoe while towing a boat Saturday night . Hank Williams had suffered from back pain all his life. The body remained there for hours as friends and relatives came and went and everyone waited for her private physician to fly in on a chartered plane from Pittsburgh to determine the cause of death. It was never properly treated, and would cause him lifelong back pain. 27-year-old Katherine Williams-Dunning . Musician Hank Williams Jr's wife who died on March 22 is reported to have suffered a collapsed lung that was punctured during elective surgery the day before, states a report from the Palm Beach . . While it is generally believed his mother gave Hank Williams his first guitar, other locals wanted to claim the credit. In January 1953, Jones went to court, but the judge ruled that her marriage to Williams was illegal. In 1952, Hank Williams had the bad luck of meeting a man who went by the name Doc Marshall. Some biographers (including Colin Escott, whose book I Saw the Light provides the basis for the film) have suggested that Williams may have even died at the Andrew Johnson in Knoxville, and that Carr had unwittingly driven several hundred miles with a corpse. Mary Jane Thomas and Hank Williams Jr. in 2021. The daughter of country music star Hank Williams Jr. has died in a car crash. TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) A Florida medical examiner has released information on what exactly caused the death of Mary Jane Thomas, the late wife of country music singer Hank Williams Jr. A report . Send story tips to tracy.wright@fox.com. Hank felt there was something bad around the corner.. The time of death Wynette was 55 was never established, and no autopsy was performed. Hank Williams Death. They agreed that Williams' mother, Lillie, would raise the baby, with Williams and Jett having visitation rights. A representative for Bafitis Plastic Surgery did not immediately respond to The Posts request for comment. Most accounts have Williams looking and sounding groggy, and hotel porters allegedly had to carry him to the car. She could take down a ten-point buck and fix dinner for her grandchildren at the same time! The former model, who was married to American singer-songwriter and musician Hank Williams Jr., passed away on March 22, 2022 aged 58. 2022-03-30. This was the scene in Montgomery's Municipal Auditorium Jan. 4, 1953 as thousands filed past the open casket of singer-composer Hank Williams who died Jan. 1 . All rights reserved. Officials listed his cause of death as heart failure but noted that body contusions meant he had recently been in a fight. . The autopsy lists the cause of death as "pneumothorax due to perforated parietal pleura during liposuction with autologous fat reinjection procedure.". But as Jack Neely, executive director of the Knoxville History Project explains, local folklore tells a different story. Theres so much conjecture that both I Saw the Light and the 1964 biopic Your Cheatin Heart chose to avoid depicting the final journey altogether. In recent years, a Knoxvillian . But in the short amount of time he had, Williams gave the world a series of hits, from "Cold, Cold Heart" to "Hey Good Lookin"' to "I Saw the Light," that delighted fans and influenced music for decades to come. Williams-Dunning died in 2020 in a car accident in Tennessee. Hiram "Hank" Williams (September 17, 1923 - January 1, 1953) was an American singer, songwriter, and musician. RIP MAMA. The late Mary and Hank Jr. welcomed two children; Katie and Sam - daughters Hillary and Holly are Hank Jr.'s other children with his ex-wife Becky White. The cause of death for Mary Jane Thomas, the wife of country singer Hank Williams Jr., has been revealed.. Thomas, 58, died on March 22 of a collapsed lung that was punctured during elective surgery the day before, according to a report from the Palm Beach County Medical Examiner as well as an autopsy report, which were obtained by PEOPLE. ", 911 operator: "OK. Was it an expected death, sir? Regardless, they began touring together. Country music singer Hank Williams Jr daughter's accident in Henry County, Tennessee, about 100 miles west of Nashville on Saturday night (June 13, 2020) resulted in her death. July 26, 2022 3:44 PM. Fox News Flash top entertainment headlines of the week, Prince Harry's 'attacks' on 'villain' Camilla led to Frogmore Cottage eviction: expert, Film industry reacts to death of 'Saving Private Ryan' star Tom Sizemore: 'You're a legend', Matthew McConaughey and Camila Alves take bumpy second flight after 'CHAOS' on Lufthansa plane: 'Wish me luck', Kelsey Grammer wont apologize for the 'difference' that Jesus has made in his life, Person roaming in 'Scream' Ghostface costume prompts multiple police calls. At the time, Carrs nervous account of the final few hours of the journey were enough to raise questions of foul play, especially when some witnesses including a police officer claimed to have, oddly, seen a soldier also riding in the car. By the end of 1952, Williams was unable to continue touring. According to the Guardian, her identity was undisclosed for years. But clearly Williams' tragic death got in the way of that plan. Officials listed his cause of death as heart failure but noted that body contusions meant he had recently been in a fight. When the singers death was announced to the waiting crowd at the Palace Theatre in Canton, they sang Williams I Saw the Light in unison. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! Most accounts have Williams looking and sounding groggy, and hotel porters allegedly had to carry him to the car. ", The 25-year-old made the allegations in a silent YouTube video, holding up a sign that said: "I want out.". Thomas traveled from her home in Nashville, Tennessee, for liposuction and breast implant removal procedures performed at Bafitis Plastic Surgery, according to the reports, and was then cleared by physicians to recover at home, where she traveled to the nearby Jupiter Beach Resort & Spa in Palm Beach County. Thomas, who lived in Nashville, traveled to Jupiter, Fla., for the procedure. According to station advertising head Irving Waugh, "It got to a point where he'd disappear for weeks at a time. Doctor Explains Risks of Liposuction, What Patients Should Know Before Having Elective Surgery, Stars Who Removed or Regretted Their Breast Implants, Comedian Jak Knight's Cause of Death Confirmed by Coroner After 'Bust Down' Star Found Dead at 28, 21 Celebrities Who Bravely Went Public with Their Health Battles, Stars Who Faced Breast Cancer and Shared Their Stories, Remembering the 59 Slain Victims of the Las Vegas Concert Massacre, 3 Years Later, Comedian Donny Davis Died of Fentanyl and Alcohol Intoxication: Coroner, What to Know About Katherine Williams-Dunning, the Daughter of Hank Williams Jr. Who Was Killed, Kanye West Says Late Mom's Surgeon Is on New Album Cover: 'I Want to Forgive and Stop Hating', Nephew Investigated in Death of Kanye West's Mom. or redistributed. Per the agreement, Williams' mother adopted the baby. In his free time, Williams began to perform on the sidewalk outside of Montgomery's radio station, WSFA. However, he discovered shortly before his wedding to Jones that Jett was pregnant. Hiram King "Hank" Williams was an American singer-songwriter and musician regarded as one of the most significant country music artists of all time. By the age of 14, he was making $15 a week performing on WSFA, via the Montgomery Advertiser. (They later dropped Richey from the suit.). ", Caller: "Uh, it was kind of unexpected, but it was a natural death, yes. She died from a collapsed lung, TMZ reported Monday. . He "knew a good 'patient' when he saw one and he hinted at a 'pleasant' way to handle the problems of exhaustion, depression, insomnia, and all the other assorted ills that tend to beset a harried man," according to Coronet magazine. There, Thomas became unresponsive while sitting upright in bed, according to the outlet. All of these occasions, Daly writes, triggered prescriptions for major pain-killing drugs.