Audrey Williams
Audrey Williams (born Audrey Mae Sheppard, February 28, 1923 - November 4, 1975), was an American musician bestknown as the first wife of Country music icon, Hank Williams and mother of Hank Williams, Jr..
Audrey and Hank were married and divorced twice: from December 15, 1944 until May 26, 1948; and from August 9, 1949 until July 10, 1952.
History
In 1943, Williams met Audrey Mae Sheppard. At the age of 20, she was separated from her first husband, and a single mother to Lycretia. In a ceremony just ten days after her divorce became final (and before the expiration of a sixty-day waiting period required after a divorce), she and Hank were married before a justice of the peace at his gas station near Andalusia, Alabama in December 1944. With the help of his new bride, who took over his mother's motivating role, Audrey and Hank made a visit to Nashville with the intent of meeting songwriter and music publisher Fred Rose, one of the heads of Acuff-Rose Publishing. Rose liked Hank’s songs and asked him to record two sessions for Sterling Records, which resulted in two singles. Both of the singles “Never Again” in December, 1946 and “Honky Tonkin’” in February, 1947 were successful and Hank signed a contract with MGM Records early in 1947. Rose took over as Hank's manager and record producer.
Audrey began to push for her own spot in the limelight. Since the start of their relationship, Hank had sometimes allowed her to play with his backing band the Drifting Cowboys. They recorded several duets together. One demo recording revealed that "Audrey's voice sounded like fingernails scraping down a blackboard. She was shrill and tuneless, and her problems were compounded by a weak sense of time," Country biographer Colin Escott wrote. "Her duets with Hank were like an extension of their married life in that she fought him for dominance on every note."
In early 1948, tension grew in the relationship between Hank and Audrey Williams as Hank began to abuse Audrey again. She left Hank, leaving him the choice of choosing alcohol or choosing her. Hank and Audrey would eventually be reunited, and on May 26, 1949, Audrey gave birth to Randall Williams. Hank would nickname him "Bocephus", after the name of a ventriloquist's dummy. Audrey would make an appearance at the Grand Ole Opry after the birth and officially rename him Hank Williams, Junior.
Audrey Williams never remarried (and to do so would have caused her to lose the fifty percent of Hank's royalties awarded her in the divorce) and died on November 4, 1975. Her last years were spent abusing alcohol and drugs.
Déjà Vu and Hank's Final Year
On December 31, 1951 with allegations of mutual infidelities, Hank's problems with alcohol and pills returned. Audrey called Hank from a hotel and told Hank that he was to be out of the house by the time she returned to Tennessee. Hank replied with the prophetic, "Audrey I won't live another year without you." In June of 1952, Audrey and Hank were officially divorced for the second time. She was awarded the house and their child, as well as half of his future royalties.
Notable facts about "Miss Audrey"
Audrey played the Upright Bass.
Her son Hank, Jr. would later say about his late mom "She could melt the wax off a Dixie cup from 50 feet away".
Audrey is featured on several of Hank's songs including: "Lost On The River", "I Heard My Mother Praying For Me", "Dear Brother", "Jesus Remembered Me", "The Pale Horse And His Rider", "Jesus Died For Me", "Help Me Understand" (on one of the Mother's Best recordings), Something Got A Hold Of Me", "I Want To Live And Love", and "Where The Soul Of Man Never Dies."
She is credited as being the driving force behind the success of both Hank Williams and Hank Williams, Jr.
When Audrey first met Hank's mother Lilly he was asked "where do you find this whore." and the only time they ever got along was after Hank died and they refused to let Billie Jean Williams get anything from Hank's estate.
It is a popular belief that Audrey wrote the "Mansion On The Hill" because Hank had writers block after meeting with Fred Rose.
Audrey refused to let Hank adopt her child Lycrecia because she was afraid that he would take her if they got divorced.
She paid Hank's second wife Billie Jean $30,000 to relinquish the title as Hank's widow.
When Audrey died she was bankrupt.
Hank Jr's relationship with his mother Audrey became estranged after Hank Junior turned 18.
In the media
Audrey's name is mentioned in the song "The Night Hank Williams Came To Town" - On and on he sang into the night "Jambalya", "Your Cheatin' Heart", "I Saw The Light"/And how'd they get Miss Audrey in that gown on the night Hank Williams came to town. Audrey is also mentioned in "Tangled Up Roses" by Shooter Jennings.