Hank Williams had suffered from back pain all his life. Within 48 hours of Williams prediction, he had met his maker, but the circumstances surrounding how he died have given rise to one of music historys greatest debates. When the singers death was announced to the waiting crowd at the Palace Theatre in Canton, they sang Williams I Saw the Light in unison. Officials listed his cause of death as heart failure but noted that body contusions meant he had recently been in a fight. For his part, Hank was always picking up odd jobs, selling peanuts or shining shoes on the corner to make extra cash. In Georgiana, Lillie landed a coveted job at a cannery, according toSing a Sad Song. I Saw The Light, the Hank Williams biopic, will be playing in theaters around the country on Friday (March 25). Thomas was released from the facility at 7 p.m. on March 21 and was "sitting up in bed, speaking normally" the next day, the reports said, only to "suddenly" become unresponsive. Singer Hank Williams Jr. and wife Mary Jane Thomas, attends the 2008 BMI Country Awards in Nashville, TNN., on Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2008. The exact cause of death, and what happened in the last 48 hours of his life will perhaps never really be known. Marshall was a skilled conman. On February 8, 1999, the Death Car returned to Montgomery with the opening of the Hank . But suspicions about this final journey arose immediately. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Williams, the son of country music legend Hank Williams, had been married with Thomas for 32 years at the time of her death. RIP MAMA. Williams-Dunning was driving a 2007 Chevy Tahoe while towing a boat Saturday night . Billie Jean claimed that Williams couldnt stop tossing and turning and said I think I see God comin down the road. Less than 48 hours later, Hank Williams was dead. On the evening of Dec. 30, 1952, the restless, rail-thin 29-year-old tossed and turned in bed at his home in Montgomery, Ala. Local lore also places Williams at a Knoxville hospital getting a second shot of morphine this in addition to the one administered by the hotel doctor that might have caused a drug overdose. Thomas and Williams were married for over 20 years and shared two kids, son Sam and the late Katherine, who died in 2020. While heart failure was reported as the official cause of death, officials observed that the man's body . Katie Williams and Tyler Dunning.". He married Becky White from 1977-83, and they had two children together, daughters Holly and Hilary Williams. There is a framework of events that is largely agreed upon, starting with Williams being chauffeured to a planned New Years Eve show in Charleston, W. Va. According to the Guardian, her identity was undisclosed for years. Years later he had the car restored and displayed it in his Nashville museum. . We've received your submission. During her life, Wynette underwent more than three dozen major surgeries, primarily due to abdominal adhesions. Mary Jane Thomas, the wife of Hank Williams Jr., died suddenly on Tuesday at the age of 58 following a "medical procedure." Country music legend Hank Williams Jr. is in mourning today after the sudden death of his wife Mary Jane Thomas "following a medical procedure" that was carried out in Florida. Thomas was married to singer Williams, 72, for over 30 years. Thomas, who lived in Nashville, traveled to Jupiter, Fla., for the procedure. A lonely and troubled man, Williams struggled with chronic pain and substance abuse issues that would hinder his success and ultimately lead to his untimely death at just 29-years-old. Published on July 25, 2022 04:52 PM. Williams-Dunning died in 2020 in a car accident in Tennessee. A member of the country music icon's family revealed to TMZ that Mary Jane died on Tuesday, March 22, in Jupiter, Florida.. As did other family members, like Hank Williams, Jr., who . Most accounts have Williams looking and sounding groggy, and hotel porters allegedly had to carry him to the car. Mary Jane's cause of death. They went on to live the most powerful love story of travel and hunting and raising a family. Holly has one child and Hank Jr has three grandchildren all together. HANK Williams Jr's wife's cause of death has been revealed after her tragic passing at age 61. She had a smile and presence that lit up every room and she never met a stranger she didn't befriend. But in the end it doesnt really matter, Hank Williams was dead at 29 years old. His official cause of death was heart failure, though it is widely believed that he died due to a lethal mix of morphine and alcohol. Although he attempted at various points in his life to get sober, it never lasted long. A 19-year-old high school dropout, Jones had recently separated from her husband when she met Williams. The Palm Beach County Medical Examiner also listed her death as "accidental" after a surgeon punctured the membrane close to her chest wall following her breast lift procedure. He responded to an ad from Kaiser Shipbuilding, a shipyard company in Portland, Oregon that promised a free one-way ticket, training, free rent, and a steady wage for anyone willing to work. Despite persistent health problems, Hank Williams decided he wanted to go ahead with the performances he had scheduled on New Year's Eve of 1952 and New Year's Day. or redistributed. Daughters Hillary and Holly are Hank Jr's other children with his ex-wife Becky White, who he was married to from 1977 to 1983. Miss Spruce Creek High School, Miss Hawaiian Tropic, Miss Mary Jane Williams, my mama forever my everything. I think he had a profound sadness in him, says Marc Abraham, writer and director of the new biopic. New: A Medical Mistake Became Mary Jane Thomas' Cause of Death. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. . Within 48 hours of Williams prediction, he had met his maker, but the circumstances surrounding how he died have given rise to one of music historys greatest debates. Most accounts have Williams looking and sounding groggy, and hotel porters allegedly had to carry him to the car. In his childhood, Hank Jr. received music lessons from several artists that were friends with his father, including people like Merle Haggard, Johnny Cash, Lightnin' Hopkins, and Jerry Lee Lewis. His mother flew him home to Montgomery so he could try to get well, according to Hank Williams, So Lonesome. To have a kid [Carr] turn around, feel his pulse and realize [Williams] was dead, it felt anticlimactic.. They had a son, Hank Williams, Jr., in 1949. Hank Williams Jr Daughter's Accident Resulted in Her Death. Mary Jane Thomas' cause of death has reportedly been confirmed. Carr stopped at the Andrew Johnson Hotel in Knoxville, Tennessee, where Williams began to feel ill, hiccuping and convulsing, according to Lovesick Blues. Upon his death, his royalties were to be split between his widow, Billie Jean Williams Berlin, and his son, Hank Williams Jr. Hank was supposed to perform in Charleston, West Virginia on New Year's . Local lore also places Williams at a Knoxville hospital getting a second shot of morphine this in addition to the one administered by the hotel doctor that might have caused a drug overdose. All the responsibility for supporting the family now fell to Lillie. It was never properly treated, and would cause him lifelong back pain. Thomas, pictured with Williams in 1989, traveled from her home in Nashville, Tennessee, for liposuction and breast implant removal procedures. Published: Dec. 31, 2020, 6:00 a.m. NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - NOVEMBER 21: Mary Jane Thomas and 2020 inductee Hank Williams Jr. seen during the 2021 Medallion Ceremony, celebrating the Induction of the Class of 2020 at Country Music . Her cause of death was not released. Get the best of Fox News' entertainment coverage, right in your inbox. Whiskey Riff. Officials listed his cause of death as heart failure but noted that body contusions meant he had recently been in a fight. Sign up to get unlimited songs and podcasts with occasional ads. But Williams wasn't cut out for shipyard work, and didn't last long in Oregon. Theres so much conjecture that both I Saw the Light and the 1964 biopic Your Cheatin Heart chose to avoid depicting the final journey altogether. Discover Hank Williams Death Monument in Oak Hill, West Virginia: A humble plaque marks the site where the country music legend was found dead in his Cadillac. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. According to Hank Williams, So Lonesome, Marshall was actually a high school dropout, who had simply paid $35 to obtain a degree from the Chicago School of Applied Sciences that claimed he was a "Doctor of Science and Psychology." Williams Jr. thanked fans for their prayers and support immediately following his wife's death. The Medical Examiner's report corrects that and specifies the procedure, statingshe had gone from Nashville to Jupiter, Fla. to undergo liposuction and to remove previous breast implants. CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER, He also posted on Instagram shortly after her death, "I will always be the son of Mary Jane. ', Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Now she gets to radiate from above with my sister Katherine Diana right by her side," he shared. The daughters then filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against the doctor and Wynette's widower, Richey. The singer, who suffered from a back problem, was given a sedative by his regular doctor who had allegedly purchased a fake medical diploma through the mail and was rumored to frequently overprescribe before setting off with a college student named Charles Carr acting as his driver. Hank Williams + Audrey Williams' Love Story. Answer (1 of 6): Randall Hank Williams (AKA Hank Williams, Jr) is alive and well. The first concert was scheduled to be performed in Charleston, West Virginia, but his plans were disrupted by an ice storm that delayed his travel. About six or seven hours later, on the morning of Jan. 1, 1953, Carr realized his passenger was dead and already beset with rigor mortis, the, Priscilla Presley Shares Emotional Post On Lisa Marie's Birthday, Jay Leno Appears On First Talk Show Since Burn & Motorcycle Accidents, Sam Elliott Reunites With Big Lebowski Co-Star Jeff Bridges At SAG Awards, Florida Man Faces Legal Consequences For Hammer Attack On Shark, Dukes Of Hazzard Car Driven By Cast Members Has Been Totaled, Tom Sizemores Manager Releases Upsetting Update On His Condition, Austin Butler Called A True Gentleman For Helping Winners Up Steps At SAG Awards, Actor Who Plays Jamie On Yellowstone Addresses Rumors Of Behind-The-Scenes Drama. Thomas traveled from her home in Nashville, Tennessee, for liposuction and breast implant removal procedures performed at Bafitis Plastic Surgery, according to the reports, and was then cleared by physicians to recover at home, where she traveled to the nearby Jupiter Beach Resort & Spa in Palm Beach County. Fox News Flash top entertainment and celebrity headlines are here. As the end of World War II neared, Hank Williams returned to performing, but he had fallen far from his days as a star with his own radio show. "My dear Mama Mary Jane was a beautiful soul who forever affected everyone who knew her. He married Gwen Yeargain from 1971-77, and the former couple had one son, musician Hank Williams III. In 1937, Williams moved with his mother and sister to Montgomery. While her official cause of death remains unknown and does not appear to be suspicious, it has been reported that she presumably "suffered a complication, possibly a . Her spirit was gentle and giving. He survived a suicide attempt (OD'd on pills) and a mountain fall of over 500 feet on Mt. She moved the family first to Garland and then to Georgiana, Alabama, where she successfully ran a series of boarding houses. 2023 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Satellite Information Network, LLC. Preview of Spotify. Charles Carr, who was just 18 and a college freshman when he drove country music legend Hank Williams on his final journey more than 60 years ago, died July 1 after a brief . Alan Jackson, Shania Twain, Kenny Rogers Among Worlds Top Old-School Country Artists, Study Finds, 11 Cringeworthy Country Commercials Fit for the Super Bowl, 15 Country Legends Who Deserve to Be in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Hank Williams Jr. Unveils Summer 2023 Amphitheater Tour Dates, Hank Williams Jr.s Son, Sam Williams, Comes Out as Gay in New Music Video + Interview, Jerry Lee Lewis Doctors Stopped Him From Attending Country Music Hall of Fame Ceremony, Hank Jr. Is Grandpa of the Year, It Would Seem [Pictures], Hank Williams Jr Fires Civil War Cannon on Fourth of July: It Made a Pretty Big Bang [Watch]. He thinks Williams died --- the official cause was heart failure --- somewhere between Bristol, Tenn., and Oak Hill on the way to a New Year's Day 1953 show in Canton, Ohio. He died in 1939, but his musical legacy would live on in Williams. Mary Jane Thomas and Hank Williams Jr. in 2021. (They later dropped Richey from the suit.). Hank Williams Jr. and wife Mary Jane Thomas arrive for the 37th annual Country Music Association Awards show Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2003, in Nashville, Tenn. . On the evening of December 30, 1952, the restless, rail-thin 29-year-old tossed and turned in bed at his home in Montgomery, Ala. But one big thing is left out of the movie: the singers mysterious death. MTV, EMA and all related titles, logos and characters are trademarks of Viacom International Inc. Star hooked on painkillers, Jackie Daly writes. Thomas, 58, traveled from Tennessee to Florida for liposuction and a procedure to remove previous breast implants witha breast lift at Bafitis Plastic Surgery, locatedin Jupiter, investigators say in the documentsobtained by USA TODAY. The musician wrote: "I am in a conservatorship," in five separate tweets each with one word of the message. Over the years, the Skyline Drive-In has changed hands many times, but it has always borne the sign "Hank's Last Stop." (You can still see the baby blue "Death Cadillac" at the Hank . Thomas, 58, died on March 22 of a collapsed lung that . Get the best of Fox News' entertainment coverage, right in your inbox. However, he discovered shortly before his wedding to Jones that Jett was pregnant. She was rushed to a local hospital and died in the emergency room. The wife of country music legend Hank Williams Jr., Mary Jane Thomas, reportedly died from complications related to cosmetic surgery. His official cause of death was listed as heart failure, but there are many who say otherwise. ", The 25-year-old made the allegations in a silent YouTube video, holding up a sign that said: "I want out.". My father fell in love with the Daytona Beach beauty the minute he set eyes on her in the early '80s. Her death was ruled an accident. We've received your submission. Born in 1949 to Williams Sr. and his first wife, Audrey Williams, Hank Jr. was raised by his mother after his father's death when he was 3-year-old. Who knew that the Beach Beauty would turn out to be a world-class hunter and adventurer? The 58-year-old former model was found unresponsive on March 22, just one day after undergoing the fat-removal procedure on her back, arms and stomach, People reports. He picked up music at an early age, gaining unprecedented success with his own radio show when he was still a teenager and achieving a Grand Ole Opry debut at just 25-years-old. She could take down a ten-point buck and fix dinner for her grandchildren at the same time! Market data provided by Factset. The pairraised two children daughter Katie Williams-Dunning and son Samuel Williams. Her husband, Tyler Dunning, was in the vehicle and survived with critical injuries. Thomas, pictured with Williams in 1989, traveled from her home in Nashville, Tennessee, for liposuction and breast implant removal procedures. The "All My Rowdy Friends" singer and ex-"Monday Night Football" crooner met Thomas in 1985 at one of his concerts in Washington state. The cause of death for Mary Jane Thomas, the wife of country singer Hank Williams Jr., has been revealed. On her third birthday, custody would go to Williams. In recent years, a Knoxvillian . Mira Sorvino mourns father, 'Goodfellas' actor Paul Sorvino: 'My heart is rent asunder', paid tribute to his mom in a statement to People, Reba McEntire will hit the road this fall with Terri Clark: 'Gals gotta stick together! Just before midnight, Carr set about getting Williams to a planned New Years Day show in Canton, Ohio. . Marshall convinced Williams to make him his personal physician, for the price of $300 a week. He was as thoughtful and (at times) fiery as you'd expect. Hank Williams was born in September 1923 in a small Alabama farming community about 70 miles south of Montgomery. "He would try most anything he was pretty independent.". Hank Williams Jr.'s wife, Mary Jane Thomas, died after undergoing an elective cosmetic surgery, reports from Florida's Palm Beach County medical examiner reveal. She died from a collapsed lung, TMZ reported Monday. On June 11, 1949, Williams made his live Grand Ole Opry debut. or redistributed. He made ends meet performing in small medicine shows, pitching cure-alls to crowds from a flatbed trailer. In October of 1939, he dropped out so he could tour with the band full time, per Lovesick Blues. Thanks for contacting us. The 27-year-old was driving a Chevy Tahoe in . has been telling people he was the doorman at the Andrew Johnson, and he says Hank was conscious and joking when he left. Carr had insisted that Williams couldnt have been dead in Knoxville, because they had spoken briefly in the car after leaving town. She was rushed to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead. The Death Car itself, a beautiful 1952 Cadillac, was put to practical use for years after Hank's death by the Williams family. Due to his bad back, he received a 4-F deferment from the draft, but there was no hope for continuing the band, per Lovesick Blues. Breaking News. Prior to confirmation of his sister's passing, Williams asked followers on Facebook . Mary Jane Thomas died on March 22 of a collapsed lung that was punctured during an elective surgery the day before, according to the Palm Beach County Medical Examiner's Office. Just before midnight, Carr set about getting Williams to a planned New Years Day show in Canton, Ohio.