Review: Hank Williams (on BBC2) 5 Feb 05

Subject: Hank Williams 5/2/05 Sat BBC 2 9:05pm
From: Rasener
Date: 05 Feb 05 - 01:32 AM

This could be very interesting

Hank Williams: Honky Tonk Blues
Sat 5 Feb, 9:05 pm - 10:25 pm 80mins

With the help of Hank Williams' family and closest friends, this Arena documentary looks at the life of the country music singer-songwriter who, despite dying aged 29 over fifty years ago, still ranks among the most powerfully iconic figures in American music.

Hank Williams died on a journey half-way across America to a gig he would never make. He set the agenda for contemporary country songcraft and sang his songs with such believability that we feel privy to his world, despite the fact that he left no in-depth interviews and just a few letters. His brief and tragic death have only compounded his appeal.

With his seductive musings on love and ruin, Hank Williams didn't just embody the Honky Tonk ethos, he practically invented it. Dirt-poor and rail-thin, he blazed out of Alabama in the late 1940s with the go-for-broke fervour of a man whose days were numbered.

The emotional clarity of his voice spoke to millions, and by the age of twenty-five he was country music's first superstar. Four years later, overtaken by his own heart, he was gone - an icon to the world and an enigma to those who thought they knew him best.

Subject: Review: Hank Williams
From: Flash Company
Date: 05 Feb 05 - 12:40 PM

Programme on Hank Williams on BBC2 (UK) tonight at 9.00

FC

Subject: RE: Review: Hank Williams (on BBC2) 5 Feb 05
From: Strollin' Johnny
Date: 05 Feb 05 - 03:11 PM

Is that a warning?

Subject: RE: Hank Williams 5/2/05 Sat BBC 2 9:05pm
From: Strollin' Johnny
Date: 05 Feb 05 - 03:14 PM

Not my tasse de the Villan. (Sorry, can't do the acute accent on the 'e'). Give me Eydie Gorme any day (ask David about that!)

Subject: RE: Review: Hank Williams (on BBC2) 5 Feb 05
From: chris nightbird childs
Date: 05 Feb 05 - 03:16 PM

I know i'll be listening! Love Hank!

Subject: RE: Hank Williams 5/2/05 Sat BBC 2 9:05pm
From: Rasener
Date: 05 Feb 05 - 04:02 PM

I know about you and Eydie Gorme :-)

Subject: RE: Review: Hank Williams (on BBC2) 5 Feb 05
From: BanjoRay
Date: 05 Feb 05 - 07:11 PM

It was excellent, with lots of stuff from his old band members, wives, etc and some superb old footage.
Ray

Subject: RE: Review: Hank Williams (on BBC2) 5 Feb 05
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 05 Feb 05 - 07:16 PM

Pretty good. (And one unexpected treat was Hank Williams III, whom I hadn't come across - who seems to have more of a feeling for his grandfather's songs than Hank Junior.)

Subject: RE: Review: Hank Williams (on BBC2) 5 Feb 05
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 05 Feb 05 - 07:24 PM

Watched and enjoyed - at least as far as one can enjoy a tragic life - I guess having drink problems myself did get me thinking a lot about him rahter than some (as Ray ays) excellent footage.

Subject: RE: Hank Williams 5/2/05 Sat BBC 2 9:05pm
From: Bill Hahn//\\
Date: 06 Feb 05 - 12:59 AM

Dear Eydie and Steve have their place---but not in my heart. The "schmaltz" wold raise my cholesterol levels too high.

Actually, there was, what I believe, is the definitve TV docu-history of Hank William broadcast on PBS (American Masters) a while back. I taped it for posterity---well, mine at least.

If you ever get a chance to see the production of Lost Highway---w/ Jason Petty as Hank W. Not to be missed.

Bill Hahn

Subject: RE: Hank Williams 5/2/05 Sat BBC 2 9:05pm
From: GUEST,roger the dodger
Date: 06 Feb 05 - 04:05 AM

Is there a law in the good old US of A that says if you are called ' Hank ' you have to be a country and worsten singer?

Subject: RE: Review: Hank Williams (on BBC2) 5 Feb 05
From: GUEST,K
Date: 06 Feb 05 - 02:31 PM

Was excellent...! As all the BBC Arena music programms are, I remember Higway 61 Revisited, Walk A While On The WIld Side, Lost Highway... those are the old videos I have that I hope never will fail

Subject: RE: Review: Hank Williams (on BBC2) 5 Feb 05
From: Paco Rabanne
Date: 07 Feb 05 - 03:56 AM

Another classic well researched programme from the BBC.

Subject: RE: Review: Hank Williams (on BBC2) 5 Feb 05
From: SINSULL
Date: 07 Feb 05 - 09:55 AM

Hope it makes it across the ocean. Hank Williams is among my favorites and Luke the Drifter, my idol.

Subject: RE: Review: Hank Williams (on BBC2) 5 Feb 05
From: Rain Dog
Date: 07 Feb 05 - 10:43 AM

The program was a co-production with 2 American TV companies I think, one of which was Nashville based. I think the program was very enjoyable, even though it did not add a lot to my knowledge of Hank William ( and I do not know much about him ). Had a lot of interesting old film footage

On another note, I notice that Merle Kilgore who was in the program, died yesterday aged 70

Subject: RE: Review: Hank Williams (on BBC2) 5 Feb 05
From: GUEST
Date: 07 Feb 05 - 10:52 AM

It was a first class program. Lots of interesting footage, music and interviews. It didn't however mention 'Ol Hank being busted for drunk & disorderly or show the papparazzi shot of him being hauled off to jail. Or did I miss that? Anyway better to remember him in a good light. God Bless him wherever he is, his music certainly made my life richer.

Subject: RE: Review: Hank Williams (on BBC2) 5 Feb 05
From: GUEST,Sidewinder
Date: 07 Feb 05 - 06:43 PM

I missed it! "I'm a Rollin' Stone all alone and lost, for a life of sin I've paid the cost". I'll never get outta this world alive you know! Oh! Well I will look out for the BBC3 or 4 repeat and probably miss that also.

Alone and Forsaken.

Sidewinder.

Subject: RE: Review: Hank Williams (on BBC2) 5 Feb 05
From: Bill Hahn//\\
Date: 07 Feb 05 - 07:52 PM

Curious---was this different than the one shown in the U S on PBS (which I taped and have) called Lost Highway on the American Masters series?

By the way---if the show "Lost Highway" (w/ Jason Petty as HW) comes across the pond---not to be missed.

Bill Hahn

Subject: RE: Review: Hank Williams (on BBC2) 5 Feb 05
From: Kaleea
Date: 08 Feb 05 - 02:09 AM

Yes, Mr. Williams was a man with many inner demons, which led to a life of drinking. The deep emotional pain evident in his lyrics, which is why he & his songs became so popular with the common poor folks--often "country" folks as they lived a hard life (meaning those who live in a most simple way, out in rural areas). There have been a couple of movies about him, but I thought the better one was not with the big sun tanned movie star, but the PBS one. I think the guy who portrayed him in that was in Branson, MO. not too many years back. Anybody remember his name?

Subject: RE: Review: Hank Williams (on BBC2) 5 Feb 05
From: Rain Dog
Date: 08 Feb 05 - 05:57 AM

Bill H

It was a different program from that shown as part of the 4 part series Lost Highway . When I saw the trailers for the recent program I thought it was going to be a repeat but it was not.

The one shown on Saturday 5th March was solely about Hank Williams

Both of them are worth watching ( for thsoe who like that sort of thing ). I really enjoyed the series Lost Highway when it was shown last year

Subject: RE: Review: Hank Williams (on BBC2) 5 Feb 05
From: GUEST
Date: 08 Feb 05 - 12:11 PM

I think that a lot of time has be spent acknowledging the very real pain and suffering that Hank went through and which he also, apparently, put others through, but it is worth remembering that this is the man that sang "Hey Good Lookin'", Setting the Woods on Fire",
"Honky Tonkin'", "Jambalaya", "Move it on Over" These ain't no unhappy songs so evidently he had had a jolly side to his character.

Subject: RE: Review: Hank Williams (on BBC2) 5 Feb 05
From: El Dano
Date: 08 Feb 05 - 03:45 PM

My 13 year oldlad was pleased to announce that he'd spotted a prog in the tv listings that we both would like to watch,( I'm not a great fan of tv most of it I reckon is like a donner kebab ,great if you are too pissed to think of anything else)But what a great programme my lad had problems fathoming that the events depicted were from so long ago, but even greater problems trying to work out what facial injuries the various sidesmen had suffered shrapnel syphyllis or shpirits

Subject: RE: Review: Hank Williams (on BBC2) 5 Feb 05
From: Bill Hahn//\\
Date: 08 Feb 05 - 06:21 PM

Kaleea: You are probably referring to Jason Petty. He has been touring with Lost Highway--the life of Hank Williams.    When, and if, you see him on stage you can almost believe he is HW. An amazing performance that gets standing ovations each night. I add, here, that the rest of the cast is truly mesmerizing and the mood is complete. This includes the character who sits at side stage and plays the part of the person who taught the young Hank blues and guitar----Teetop (spelling?)

I had the pleasure of interviewing Jason Petty for my Traditions Program on WFDU. A most charming man who, in the middle of our chat, grabbed his guitar and said--let's do a few Hank songs now. In truth, on stage you really think you are watching HW---as I said.

Bill Hahn