Audrey Williams

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Audrey Williams Audrey Mae Sheppard was (February 28, 1923 - November 4, 1975) she was the first wife of Country music icon, Hank Williams and mother of Hank Williams, Jr.

In 1943, Williams met Audrey Mae Sheppard. At the age of 20, she was separated from her husband and a single mother. In a ceremony just ten days before her divorce became final, 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 the Drifting Cowboys. They recorded several duets together. One demo 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 Collin 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 The relationship between Hank and Audrey Williams also grew more tense as Hank began to started abusing again Audrey left Hank leaving him the choice to sober up and get clean Hank and Audrey would eventually reunited and in May of 1949 Audrey gave birth to Randall Williams Hank would nickname him Bocephus after the name of a Ventriloquist dumbie Audrey would make an apperance at the opery after the birth and offically name him Hank Williams Junior while on a hunting trip in Tennessee Hank would re-injure his back and would require surgury to repair it Hank was told by the doctors that his recovory would take 10 days and Hank was set for a concert for December 13, in Washington D.C. Hank had made a tape for the audiance to listen to, to explain why he couldn't make the concert

Deja Vu & Hank's Final Year

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On December 31, 1951 with allegations of mutual infidelities flew. and as Hank's problems with alcohol and pills returned. Audrey called Hank from a hotel were she was at and she said told Hank that he was to out of the house by the time she returned to their house in Tennessee and Hank replied to Audrey that "Audrey I won't live another year without you." and in May of '52, 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.

Facts about Audrey Williams

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Audrey played the Upright Bass

Her son Hank, Jr. would later say about his late mom "She could melt the wax off a Dixie cupe from 50 feet away"

Audrey is featured on several of Hank's songs they include the songs: "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", Something Got A Hold Of Me", "I Want To Live And Love", "Where The Soul Of Man Never Dies", "You're Gonna Change (Or I'm Gonna Leave)"

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 get anything from Hank's estate

Audrey refused to let Hank adopt her child Lycretia because she was affraid that he would take her if they got divorced

Audrey and Hank were married twice the first time in 1944 that ended offically in May of 1948 and they would re-marry sometime in 1949 and would end in divorce the final time in May of 1952

She paid Hank's second wife Billie Jean 30,000 dollars to release 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