Alphabet Beats #159: W is for....Williams as in Holly

W is for...

Holly Williams

Holly Williams is an American country music artist, though certainly not bound by that genre. She is the granddaughter of Hank Williams, Sr., the daughter of Hank Williams, Jr. and half-sister of Hank Williams III. Williams has released three studio albums: The Ones We Never Knew in 2004, Here with Me in 2009 and The Highway in 2013. The Highway was released on Williams' own label, Georgiana Records and made its debut at number 1 on the Billboard heat-seekers chart.

I stumbled over Holly's debut album not too long after it came out, not exactly certain now if I'd heard a track on the radio or read something about it, but I got it. There's been time inbetween releases, she and her sister had a series car accident in 2006 and Here With Me followed three years down the road from her debut.

Her 2013 album 'The Highway' is such a beautifully crafted album. One of my favourites from that year.

Enjoy the music by clicking on the links.

The Ones We Never Knew (2004)

Here With Me (2009)

(*due to not having studio version from the album this an alternative version of the song) 

 
    1."He's Making a Fool Out of You" (Chuck Jones, Holly Williams) – 3:56
    2. "Mama" (Williams) – 2:52
    3. "I Hold On" (Chris Janson, Williams) – 2:45*
        duet with Chris Janson
    4. "Keep the Change" (Luke Laird, Hillary Lindsey) – 3:33
    5. "Let Her Go" (Marcus Hummon, Williams) – 3:31
    6. "Three Days in Bed" (Williams) – 2:50
    7. "Alone" (Williams) – 4:25
    8. "A Love I Think Will Last" (Janson, Williams) – 2:50
        duet with Chris Janson
    9. "Gone With the Morning Sun" (Tom Bukovac, Sarah Buxton, Greg Vorobiov) – 3:38*
    10. "Without Jesus Here with Me" (Williams) – 3:25
    11. "Birds" (Neil Young) – 2:34

The Highway (2013)

More Holly Williams

The Attic Sessions.

I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry (Live).

The Highway (Grand Ole Opry 2014).

Waiting on June (American Songwriter Office 2014).

Railroads (WNCW).

Angel From Montgomery (Glasgow 2014).

No Surrender (Springsteen Cover).

I Hold On (with Chris Coleman BBC Alba 2010).

Drinkin' (Balcony TV).

Orphan Girl (Gillian Welch Cover Live 2014).

Without You (Live 2015). 

Umbrella (Rihanna Cover Live 2015).

Clay Pigeons (John Prine Cover Live 2015).

I Saw the Light (Hank Williams Cover Live 2014).

How Can You Refuse This Man (Hank Williams Cover). 

Happy Birthday Holly Williams

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

HOLLY WILLIAMS

BORN ON THIS DAY IN 1981

Click on the links to enjoy more from Holly

NPR Tiny Desk Concert.

Drinkin'.

Let You Go (Tonight Show with Jay Leno 2013).

Alone.

Waiting on June.

The Highway.

Sometimes.

Three Days In Bed.

Angel From Montgomery (Live in Glasgow 2014).

I Hold On (Live BBC Alba).

Holly Williams Interview WNCW 2014.

Without Jesus Here With Me (Live 2015).

Umbrella (Live 2015).

Orphan Girl (Live 2015).

I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry (Live 2013).

I Saw The Light (Live 2014). 

Tidy Tune #269:Waiting on June - Holly Williams

Holly Williams Tiny Desk Concerts at NPR

 14th July 2014 Holly Williams appeared at NPR to perform three songs on their Tiny Desk Concerts Series.

One of the most beautiful voices around I reckon.

Setlist

Drinkin'

Railroads

Waiting on June

Download an Audio of this performance here.

Remembering Hank

Born on this day in 1923 Country Legend Hank Williams.

Click on the links to enjoy the music.

Never Again Will I Knock on Your Door - (Debut Single 1947).

Move It On Over (1948).

Lovesick Blues - 1949.

BBC Documentary: The Real Hank Williams.

I Saw The Light - 1948.

Hey Good Lookin'.

Your Cheatin' Heart.

I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry.

Take These Chains From My Heart.

The Family

Hank Williams Jr

Hank Williams Jr and Kid Rock Crossroads (Full Session).

There's a Tear in My Beer - Hank Sr and Hank Jr.

Hank Williams III

The Rebel Within.

Risin' Outlaw (1999 Full Album).

Hank 3 and The Damn Band Live @ Exit, Nashville, 6th August 2011 (Full Show).

Holly Williams

Drinkin'.

Let You Go (Tonight Show with Jay Leno 2013).

Alone.

Waiting on June.

The Highway (Live).

I Hold On (Live BBC Alba).

Hank Covers

Tear in my Beer - Casino Steel.

Can't Get You Off Of My Mind - The The.

I Saw the Light/I'll Fly Away - David Crowder Band.

Long Gone Lonesome Blues - Girls, Guns and Glory.

Alone and Forsaken - Social Distortion.

You Know That I Know - Jack White.

Lost Highway - Jeff Buckley.

I'm So Happy I Found You - Lucinda Williams.

Ramblin' Man (Live) - Darrell Scott.

Holly Williams - The Highway 2013

2009 is a long way off now. That's the last time we heard on record Holly Williams with her 'Here With Me' album. But now she's back, no longer on a major label (their loss) but on an Indie (her own Georgiana imprint), and she's back crafting what she does best.

Holly Williams and Charlie Peacock co-produced the album and initially it was just going to be a nine track affair entitled 'Railroads'. But then she wrote 'The Highway' and scrapped the whole idea that 'Railroads' was going to be released (all the mastering, artwork etc was already done!).

There's a few guests on the album (Jackson Browne, Dierks Bentley, Jakob Dylan and Gwyneth Paltrow) but that shouldn't detract in any way the quality of the music that Holly Williams has put together. Some people will always point out that she's only where she is because of her famous Dad (Hank Williams Jnr) or Grandfather (Hank Williams), but that is a total diservice to her own creativity. She's a woman who has worked extremely hard to get where she is and has had struggles to go along with that (in 2006 she was involved in a car crash and it was questionable wether she would ever paly the guitar again! She wrote 'Without Jesus Here With Me' as a result of her experience).

The new album was released a couple of days ago in the USA and for some odd reason doesn't get a UK release until the summer of this year! She's already out on the promotional trail and has released a video for 'Drinkin', the opening song on the new album. She also appeared on Jay Leno Show performing 'Let You Go' (track 7 from the album).

Besides all the busyness of the music industry Holly also owns a Clothing Boutique called H.Audrey in Nashville (which she began after the car crash as she was uncertain of her musical pathway).