Hank Williams III

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Shelton Hank Williams (December 12, 1972) is an American musician. He is sometimes credited as Hank III or even III. The three is often represented by a modified version of Raymond Pettibon's Black Flag logo.

The grandson of Hank Williams, Sr. and the son of Hank Williams Jr, he spent much of his early years playing drums in punk rock bands. In 1996, child support payments led Hank III to sign a contract with Nashville, Tennessee giant Curb Records. Three Hanks: Men With Broken Hearts was issued shortly thereafter, which brought the voices of all three generations of Williams men together. While this may seem to be a nice beginning, it was quite different from what Hank III himself desired musically. Despite having been born in Nashville, Tennessee, Hank III has never had a preference for mainstream Country.

While his name (and his uncanny vocal and physical resemblances to his grandfather) could have guaranteed him a thriving Country audience, Hank Williams III had no patience for the often predictable Nashville sound, nor for even the minimal constraints on behavior his promoters required. His opinions on this subject are well summed up in the songs "Trashville" and "Dick in Dixie."

Hank Williams III's first album on his own, titled Risin' Outlaw, was released in September 1999. Lovesick, Broke and Driftin' was released in 2002. Hank Williams III had a great deal of trouble with his label. Reportedly the label was unwilling to release his appropriately named This Ain't Country LP, nor allow him to issue it alone. The label was also upset that he sold t-shirts that read "Fuck Curb.".

In late 2004, Thrown Out of the Bar was slated for release but Curb opted not to release it. Hank Williams III and label executive Mike Curb would be in and out of court for the next year, and the judge ruled in favor of Hank Williams III in the spring of 2005, demanding that Curb release the album. Shortly thereafter, Hank Williams III and Curb came to terms, and Hank III dropped his "Fuck Curb" campaign. Bar was reworked into Straight to Hell.

Battles with Wal-Mart had delayed the release of Hank Williams III's third studio album, titled Straight To Hell, which was released on February 28, 2006 as a two-disc set in two formats: a clean version (for Wal-Mart), and an uncensored version, which was the first major-label Country album to bear a parental advisory warning.

Currently, Hank Williams III is touring in support of Straight To Hell, and has been overheard claiming that a rock record (presumably under the moniker of Assjack) will finally see the light of day in less than a year, followed by a new country album.

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