It’s a track that helped outline the legend of Hank Williams, although it was initially a B-side. It’s been coated by scores of notable artists from Johnny Money to Elvis Presley, Dean Martin to Del Shannon, and Roy Orbison to Little Richard. And it was on August 30, 1949, that Hank recorded “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry” in a studio in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Certainly probably the most lovelorn lyrics in all of nation music, “I’m So Lonesome…” was written by Williams throughout his troubled relationship together with his spouse Audrey Sheppard. He recorded it at Herzog Studio on that late summer time day, as he approached his twenty sixth birthday.
Hank was, by now, a longtime nation star, having scored Prime 10 hits in that format with “Move It On Over” and ”I’m A Lengthy Gone Daddy” and a large No.1 earlier in 1949 with “Lovesick Blues.” He would haven’t any fewer than six nation hits that yr, and two of them have been double-sided success wherein the flip additionally made the charts.
Farewell to the 40s
However for his ultimate single launch of 1949 in November, MGM Information determined that “Lonesome” could be a mere B-side, enjoying second fiddle to the admittedly extra uptempo and radio-friendly “My Bucket’s Got A Hole In It.” The A-side was certainly extremely profitable, climbing to No.2 on Billboard’s Greatest Sellers In Shops nation chart.
However whereas “Lonesome” by no means attained a chart place of its personal, it grew to become a extremely common a part of Hank’s repertoire, and later that of many others. When Elvis carried out it on his Aloha From Hawaii TV particular of 1973, he described it as “probably the saddest song I’ve ever heard.” It’s now one of many songs most carefully related to Williams and his all-too-short profession.
Actually a whole lot of covers of the tune have been recorded, beginning virtually instantly with one early in 1950 by the Foggy Mountain Boys. Interpretations have diverse in model far and huge, from the Everly Brothers to Al Inexperienced, and from Townes Van Zandt to Yo La Tengo.
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