Katherine Williams-Dunning, the daughter of country music singer Hank Williams Jr. and his third wife, Mary Jane, died in a car accident in . In 1952, Williams began performing with the Louisiana Hayride. They were married from 1977-to 1983. Just before midnight, Carr set about getting Williams to a planned New Years Day show in Canton, Ohio. 3.7K. She died at home, on a living-room couch, with her fifth husband, country music producer and songwriter George Richey, present. Country music:Reba McEntire will hit the road this fall with Terri Clark: 'Gals gotta stick together! 2023 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Satellite Information Network, LLC. Hank was born with a spinal condition, known as spina bifida occulta, which was not well understood at the time. Breaking News. 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. Market data provided by Factset. 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 oddly claimed to have seen a soldier also riding in the car. Williams' mother, Bobbie Jett, was six months pregnant with her when Hank Williams married his second wife, Billie Jean Eshliman. They separated once in 2007 and reconciled four years later in 2011. I think he had a profound sadness in him, says Marc Abraham, writer and director of the new biopic. 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. It is unclear if the arrangement is still in effect. I'm still climbing out of it. A member of the country music icon's family revealed to TMZ that Mary Jane died on Tuesday, March 22, in Jupiter, Florida.. Archive of the Death of Hank Williams | Saving Country Music 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. . She was private, compared to her country star husband, and although they separated in 2007, they reconciled in 2011. She wasdriving an SUV that was towing a boat when it crossed the median and rolled over. In 1953, five days before his daughter was born, Williams died . While heart failure was reported as the official cause of death, officials observed that the man's body . Tracy Wright is an entertainment writer for Fox News Digital. Alysse Gafkjen. Reports are conflicting on Thomas' age but range from 58 . Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. His long term substance abuse also began to put a strain on his body, and at the end of 1951, he suffered a minor heart attack, according to Biography. In his first statement since the death of his wife, Mary Jane, Hank Williams Jr. thanks fans and friends for their prayers. Katherine Williams-Dunning was 27. In one sensational passage, Daly writes that Wynette's infamous 1978 kidnapping from a Nashville shopping mall had been staged by Wynette herself possibly in league with Richey. Multiple news outlets confirmed that Thomas, 58 (others stated she was 61), was rushed to a local hospital from the . Where Did Hank Williams Die. The autopsy lists the cause of death as "pneumothorax due to perforated parietal pleura during liposuction with autologous fat reinjection procedure.". Getty. Charles Carr, who was just 18 and a college freshman when he drove country music legend Hank Williams on his final journey more than 60 years ago, died July 1 after a brief . The Accepted Story of Hank Williams' Death. Based on no more than this temporal link, anti-vaccine . While the official cause of death has been debated for more than 60 years, there is a timeline of events leading up to his death that those around him agreed upon. 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 . 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. Hank Williams wasn't born Hank Williams. The WSFA radio station was also fed up with his behavior, and in August 1942, Williams was let go from his job at the WSFA for "habitual drunkenness," according to I Saw the Light. His real name was Horace "Toby" Marshall, and he was not a real doctor. 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." I actually wrote 13 pages for that scene but took them out because they felt superfluous, explains Abraham. The book recounts Wynette's tumultuous life, career and five marriages, including a stormy six-year union with country legend George Jones. Williams was still set on marrying Jones, so he and Jett devised an arrangement. Born in 1949 to Williams Sr. and his first wife, Audrey Williams, Hank Jr. was raised by his mother after his father's death when he was 3-year-old. Some have suggested that Williams may have even died at the Andrew Johnson Hotel in Knoxville, and that Carr had unknowinglydriven several hundred miles with a deceased Williams in the back seat. This is Hank Williams, Audrey Sheppard Williams and the . 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Market data provided by Factset. ", Caller: "Uh, it was kind of unexpected, but it was a natural death, yes. Just before midnight, Carr set about getting Williams to a planned New Years Day show in Canton, Ohio. A Justice of the Peace married the couple outside of a Texaco Station in Andalusia, Alabama, before Sheppard completed the required 60-day waiting period following her divorce from her first husband, per Sing a Sad Song. Mary Jane was a former model for Hawaiian Tropic suntan lotion. Mary Jane Thomas's cause of death revealed: Hank Williams Jr's - MEAWW He died in 1939, but his musical legacy would live on in Williams. Hank Williams + Audrey Williams' Love Story. His official cause of death was listed as heart failure, but there are many who say otherwise. He made ends meet performing in small medicine shows, pitching cure-alls to crowds from a flatbed trailer. DeadDeath - Death and Obituary Blog 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. 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. By the end of 1952, Williams was unable to continue touring. In 1952, Hank Williams had the bad luck of meeting a man who went by the name Doc Marshall. I actually wrote 13 pages for that scene but took them out because they felt superfluous, explains Abraham. She was ambitious, and Williams began to see real success after his marriage, signing a contract first with Acuff-Rose Music and then with MGM Records and releasing many of his most famous hits. It was never properly treated, and would cause him lifelong back pain. Hank Williams Jr's Wife Cause Of Death Revealed, Related To Cosmetic The death of Hank Williams, country music's first huge superstar, is still a bit of a mystery. On December 30, 1952, Williams was in bed at this Montgomery, Alabama, home with new wife Billie Jean. But as Jack Neely, executive director of the Knoxville History Project explains, local folklore tells a different story. Hank Williams Jr.'s wife cause of death released - WFLA But, it's the 'still climbing' part that is the most important. Williams decided to leave the music business altogether. 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. The couple's relationship was stressful from the start. Her Cheated Heart : Hank Williams Sr. Recognized Her Birth, But Jett On June 11, 1949, Williams made his live Grand Ole Opry debut. 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. "Please pray for them so hard! The coroners report also listed that she was given an anticoagulant, and had suffered mild brain swelling in addition to mild coronary artery disease and fatty metamorphosis of the liver, a common finding for people with a history of alcoholism. In 1949, however, following the release of his hit "Lovesick Blues," it was a different story. According to TMZ, country musician Hank Williams Jr's wife, Mary Jane, died on Tuesday at the age of 61. Here I have tried to tell the story as briefly as possible using information from a number . I think he had a profound sadness in him, says Marc Abraham, writer and director of the new biopic. However, when Hank was only six, Lon suffered facial paralysis as a result of what was most likely a brain aneurysm. However, he discovered shortly before his wedding to Jones that Jett was pregnant. Sam later spoke about how Katie's passing impacted him during an interview withPeoplein August 2021. Hank Williams Jr. has broken his silence regarding the tragic death of his wife, Mary Jane Thomas. (Ron Galella). In his free time, Williams began to perform on the sidewalk outside of Montgomery's radio station, WSFA. He was also invited to perform on the Grand Ole Opry's first European tour, performing at military bases overseas at the end of 1949. In the summer of 1952, Hank Williams had a brief affair with a dancer named Bobbie Jett. New: A Medical Mistake Became Mary Jane Thomas' Cause of Death. The autopsy determinedshe died of a collapsed lung sustained during the surgery. The truth about Hank Williams death may never be known. She was rushed to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead. She was released from the facility on March 21 and taken to a recovery facility nearby. It was there Hank would be given the opportunity to explore what would become his life's two greatest passions: music and alcohol. At the time of Hank Williams' death in 1953, he was worth $10,000 (100,000 in today's money). At a time when the music he made was still mostly regional in its appeal, he was well on the way to national celebrity when he died in 1953, and his posthumous fame would grow even greater. Thanks for contacting us. Could you send someone, please? The cause of death was listed as accidental. 2022-03-30. 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.". We've received your submission. It was also something that was suggested by the initial police report. She received a $30,000 settlement, but gave up all rights to his estate and name. (Carr died in 2013 and, for much of his life, kept silent on his journey with Williams.). She became an accomplished musician in her own right, performing under the name Jett Williams. The former model, who lived in Nashville, had traveled to Jupiter, Florida to undergo liposuction, as well as to remove previous breast implants at Bafitis Plastic Surgery. Prior to confirmation of his sister's passing, Williams asked followers on Facebook . It was the biggest city Williams had ever lived in, and opportunities for the young musician abounded. Hank Williams Jr's wife Mary Jane Cause of death | SmileTimes The doctor injected him with B6 and B12 vitamins and declared him fit for travel the next morning.