Hank Williams: Snapshots From The Lost Highway

by Colin Escott, Kira Florita, Rick Bragg (Foreword)

He was just twenty-nine years old and had beena recording artist for less than six years when he died on New Year's Day 1953. Yet the songs Hank Williams left behind-including "I Saw the Light," "Cold Cold Heart," "Your Cheatin' Heart"-transformed him into a legend whose influence is felt as strongly today as ever. But for all that Hank Williams's music seems to reveal, his fans have been given remarkably little of the man himself. Now Colin Escott and Kira Florita present a previously undiscovered wealth of private family snapshots, letters, unpublished interviews, and other ephemera-including his final lyric, found in the backseat of the car where he died. Most extraordinary, though, are the previously unseen handwritten lyrics-almost thirty songs altogether. In paperback for the first time, this is a windfall of memorabilia for his fans everywhere."An amazing slice of music Americana....This haunting volume has the jarring effect of a train You simply can't look away. Country artist Marty Stuart provides a fascinating introduction." - Nashville Scene

Genres: Music, Biography, History, Photography, Nonfiction

208 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2001

About the author

Colin Escott is the foremost authority on Sun Records. He first wrote the company’s history in 1975 and has revised and expanded it several times since. He has published several other volumes on the early days of country music, including a biography of Hank Williams and The Grand Ole Opry: The Making of an American Icon. He won a Grammy for his work on Mercury Records’ The Complete Hank Williams, and in 2010 received a Tony nomination for Million Dollar Quartet, a Broadway musical about the legendary one-night jam session of Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, and Jerry Lee Lewis.

Reviews

[Tracy Gaughan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was recently discussing some of my poetry with my Dad, I was embarrassed that some of my material had made it to amateur print with words crossed out, scribbles etc. and he said how interesting he thought that was and compared it to the country singer Hank Williams, who when found dead one new years' morning in the rear of his car, had a number of songs written on pieces of paper left all over the floor, these songs had words crossed out, scribbles, spelling mistakes etc and they featured in this biography, which I borrowed from him. So interesting to read about this young guy who sung his way from nothing in a small town in Alabama by becomming one of the most famous and significant county music singers of all time. The bio is filled with family photos, unrecorded songs and lyrics, interviews with family members and insights into how years of back pain, alcoholism and prescription drug abuse contributed to Hank Williams untimely death at the age of only 29. Fascinating read.

[David Ward · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hank Williams: Snapshots From the Lost Highway by Colin Escott (DaCapo Press 2001) (Biography). This is a fascinating look at Hank Williams' life and legacy. It is a well-documented tale of his life with information and documentation never made public before. Hank packed a lot into his 29 years, and there are a lot of good stories here. My rating: 7.5/10, finished 2003.

[Ellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Includes photos not previous printed. Copies of birth & death certificates of key players. Copies of marriage and divorce documents.

Some detail I've not read elsewhere. Almost like being an "insider".

I liked this one more than most.

Disappointing: Someone cut out a photo; the book I had is permanently damaged. What a shame.

[Samantha York · Rating 4 out of 5]

Awesome artifacts, solid text/description. Nothing earth-shattering, but fun for Hank fans.

[Miranda · Rating 3 out of 5]

~ 3.75 ~

[Garrett Cash · Rating 4 out of 5]

For those interested in Hank Williams this book is a must-read. There's so many great photos that you wouldn't think even exist.

[Leo Felkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

My musical hero. Such talent from a poor & uneducated Southern gent.