Tracy Wright is an entertainment writer for Fox News Digital. 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. The producers noticed his talent, and invited him to perform on air. It was the biggest city Williams had ever lived in, and opportunities for the young musician abounded. Hank Williams Jr.'s youngest son, Sam, said he was under a conservatorship put in place by the family following the death of his sister Katherine in 2020. Just before midnight, Carr set about getting Williams to a planned New Years Day show in Canton, Ohio. According to Jones, he told her, "If you ain't married, Ol' Hank's gonna marry you. On March 22, she suddenly became unresponsive, the report says. Williams' mother, Bobbie Jett, was six months pregnant with her when Hank Williams married his second wife, Billie Jean Eshliman. Despite his volatile first marriage, Hank Williams wasn't scared away from the institution entirely. The truth about Hank Williams death may never be known. When new wife Billie Jean asked what was the matter, she claimed his reply was, I think I see God comin down the road.. He died in 1939, but his musical legacy would live on in Williams. The official language on the autopsy (per People) is "pneumothorax due to perforated parietal pleura during liposuction with autologous fat reinjection procedure." In 1937, Williams moved with his mother and sister to Montgomery. Could you send someone, please? Hank's mother, Lillian Skipper Williams, played the . Hiram "Hank" Williams (September 17, 1923 - January 1, 1953) was an American singer, songwriter, and musician. While heart failure was reported as the official cause of death, officials observed that the man's body . Miss Spruce Creek High School, Miss Hawaiian Tropic, Miss Mary Jane Williams, my mama forever my everything. And a few, such as country music legend Hank Williams, have expired from other causes while they happened to be in vehicles. ", Hank Williams Jr.'s youngest son, Sam, said he was under a conservatorship put in place by the family following the death of his sister Katherine in 2020. Some biographers (including Colin Escott, whose book I Saw the Light provides the basis for the film) have suggested that Williams may have even died at the Andrew Johnson in Knoxville, and that Carr had unwittingly driven several hundred miles with a corpse. The cause of death was listed as accidental. The autopsy determinedshe died of a collapsed lung sustained during the surgery. The Medical Examiner's report said that Thomas' surgeon said her vitals were normal, and she was given Lovenox, an anticoagulant. Hank felt there was something bad around the corner.. She and Williams, the 73-year-old son of late country legend Hank Williams, met in 1985 at one of his concerts and were married in 1990. . Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. Williams lived fast, both personally and professionally. 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. Williams lived fast, both personally and . 3.7K. A member of the country music icon's family revealed to TMZ that Mary Jane died on Tuesday, March 22, in Jupiter, Florida.. Hank Williams died on January 1, 1953, at the age of 29. The couple's relationship was stressful from the start. She says Wynette's drug problems were linked to her disastrous marriages and stormy affairs, as with actor Burt Reynolds. He was cold." Thanks for contacting us. According to station advertising head Irving Waugh, "It got to a point where he'd disappear for weeks at a time. Based on no more than this temporal link, anti-vaccine . 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. Her spirit was gentle and giving. Thomas was married to singer Williams, 72, for over 30 years. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, In October of 1939, he dropped out so he could tour with the band full time, per Lovesick Blues. On Jan. 22, 2021, Aaron died in his sleep, according to the Atlanta Braves, his long-time team. RIP MAMA. The famed country star's wife had suddenly become unresponsive and was "transported to a local hospital where she was pronounced dead.". There is no allegation that any of the medical staff involved in the surgery committed any wrongdoing. Grace Lenehan Vaughn Published: April 7, 2022. Hank felt there was something bad around the corner.. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. In 1952, Hank Williams had the bad luck of meeting a man who went by the name Doc Marshall. 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. Thomas was rushed to a local hospital and died in the emergency room, the report said. Whiskey Riff. All rights reserved. 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. TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) A Florida medical examiner has released information on what exactly caused the death of Mary Jane Thomas, the late wife of country music singer Hank Williams Jr. A report . It was 60 years ago today that the legendary Hank Williams passed away in the back seat of his powder blue Cadillac in Oak Hill, West Virginia en route to a performance in Charleston, W. Va. Hank died of heart failure thought to be brought on by the combination of alcohol, pills, and morphine administered for an ailing back, but the death continues to be shrouded in some mystery to this day. 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. All rights reserved. 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. She was rushed to a local hospital and died in the emergency room. The autopsy lists the cause of death as "pneumothorax due to perforated parietal pleura during liposuction with autologous fat reinjection procedure.". She was 58. Only George Jones, Daly says, truly loved Wynette, but she writes that his own addiction to alcohol doomed their marriage from the start. 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. . In June 2020, the couple's 27-year-old daughter,Katherine Williams, died in a car crash inHenry County, Tennessee. The coroner's office determined that "Thomas' lung collapsed after her surgeon punctured the (parietal pleura) membrane while completing the fat transfer as part of a breast lift following a breast implant removal," according to People. He and his cousin, J.C. McNeil, with whom he was almost inseparable, spent their time listening to gospel music on Sunday mornings and lively string band performances at the raucous parties held in the camps on Saturday nights. 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. She was a headstrong, recently divorced mother of a 2-year-old, six months his senior and also a musician. The new biopic I Saw the Light, in theaters Friday, traces country legend Hank Williams struggles with alcohol, infidelity and the weight of being one of the biggest music stars in the United States, following hits such as his cover of Lovesick Blues (1949) and his own Why Dont You Love Me (1950). Market data provided by Factset. Hank Jr is the son of Hank Williams - a revered country legend who had 12 Number 1 singles, including three posthumously. Send story tips to tracy.wright@fox.com. The autopsy indicates that Thomas' lung collapsed after her surgeon punctured the membrane while completing the fat transfer as part of a breast lift following a breast implant removal. 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 New York Post writes. Today you can still visit the spot where Hank's legendary journey ended. It was something he apparently saw coming. Katherine Williams-Dunning, the daughter of country music singer Hank Williams Jr. and his third wife, Mary Jane, died in a car accident in . He checked into the North Louisiana Sanitarium at the fall of 1951, but was unable to quit drinking for good. Less than 48 hours later, Hank Williams was dead. 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. His long term substance abuse also began to put a strain on his body, and at the end of 1951, he suffered a minor heart attack, according to Biography. They were married from 1977-to 1983. At midnight, Carr began arranging to transport Williams to an early morning performance in Canton, Ohio. Hank Williams Jr.s late wife, Mary Jane Thomas, died on March 22 due to a "collapsed lung that was punctured during elective surgery" performed the day before in Florida. 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. Hiram "Hank" Williams died on January 1, 1953, at the age of 29. . Market data provided by Factset. She received a $30,000 settlement, but gave up all rights to his estate and name. 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. While his WSFA solo shows were successful, it was decided that in order to take his career as a country star to the next level, he would need to form a band. To have a kid [Carr] turn around, feel his pulse and realize [Williams] was dead, it felt anticlimactic.. Due to a misspelling on his birth certificate, his official name was recorded as "Hiriam," according toLovesick Blues: The Life of Hank Williams. Country music:Reba McEntire will hit the road this fall with Terri Clark: 'Gals gotta stick together! But as Jack Neely, executive director of the Knoxville History Project, explains, local folklore tells a different story. Legal Statement. 1 (three . His official cause of death was listed as heart failure, but there are many who say otherwise. By the end of 1952, Williams was unable to continue touring. 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Unfortunately, she died in 1955, just three years after her son's death, so little Jett went into foster care, becoming a ward of the state before she was eventually adopted. She was rushed to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead. Officials listed his cause of death as heart failure but noted that body contusions meant he had recently been in a fight. 3 min read. . 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. HANK Williams Jr's wife's cause of death has been revealed after her tragic passing at age 61. Hank Williams first auditioned for the Grand Ole Opry in 1946, but he did not make the cut. 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. Like his first marriage, Williams did not want to wait to marry Jones. She was 58. Holly has one child and Hank Jr has three grandchildren all together. The next day, Williams was still unwell, curling up in the backseat and saying all he wanted was to sleep. Suspendisse condimentum eu arcu vitae hendrerit. 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. Carr called a doctor to Williams' room. Thomas was "sitting up in bed, speaking normally" the next day when she "suddenly" became unresponsive. Rest in peace Mama, I will always be the son of Mary Jane.". Tragedy has struck the Williams family previously. The doctor injected him with B6 and B12 vitamins and declared him fit for travel the next morning. 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. His official cause of death was listed as heart failure, but there are many who say otherwise. 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. . Mary Jane Thomas, the wife of country singer Hank Williams Jr., died from a collapsed lung just a day after she had liposuction, officials said. He made ends meet performing in small medicine shows, pitching cure-alls to crowds from a flatbed trailer. NASHVILLE Country superstar Tammy Wynette, who died at home under tangled circumstances on April 6, 1998, had become hopelessly addicted to powerful painkillers, primarily Demerol, Dilaudid and Versed, according to a controversial new book by one of Wynette's daughters. She wasdriving an SUV that was towing a boat when it crossed the median and rolled over. Williams was an American singer-songwriter and musician regarded as one of the most significant country music artists of all time. In November 1942, he headed back to Alabama, working on and off for the rest of the war at the Alabama Dry Dock and Shipbuilding Company in Mobile. He might have been scrawny and somewhat sickly, but Hank"had a lot of nerve," according to his cousin Taft Skipper inSing a Sad Song: The Life of Hank Williams. Update: While earlier there was only speculation that Mary Jane Thomas may have died of a complication from a medical procedure, a coroner has now revealed the real reason four months after her death. She died from a collapsed lung, TMZ reported Monday. His spina bifida, never properly treated in childhood, was a chronic source of agony. The couple were married in Louisiana by a Justice of the Peace on October 18, 1952, but Jones' divorce would not be officially finalized until October 28, 1952, according to Hank Williams, So Lonesome. College student Charles Carr had been hired to drive the Im So Lonesome I Could Cry Singerto West Virginia, but winter weather made it impossible to reach the venue. Hiram King "Hank" Williams was an American singer-songwriter and musician regarded as one of the most significant country music artists of all time. I actually wrote 13 pages for that scene but took them out because they felt superfluous, says biopic writer and director Marc Abraham. Serena Williams stepmom's debts continue to spiral amid crumbling home battle, 'Glaring error' left 'habitual liar' Alex Murdaugh 'boxed in' during trial, Alex Murdaugh jailed for life after disgraced lawyer guilty of murder, Murdaugh sentenced to LIFE in prison after being found guilty of double murder, 2020 THE SUN, US, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED | TERMS OF USE | PRIVACY | YOUR AD CHOICES | SITEMAP, Hank Williams' wife Mary Jane Thomas died of a punctured lung following surgery, an autopsy report has revealed, Mary Jane traveled from Nashville to Jupiter, Florida, for liposuction and a breast implant removal, People reported. Mary Jane Thomas, the wife of country singer Hank Williams Jr., died from a collapsed lung just one day after having liposuction surgery, officials said. The possibility was even suggested in the initial police report. . Most accounts have Williams looking and sounding groggy, and hotel porters allegedly had to carry him to the car. Ultimately, that would never happen. This story has been shared 101,613 times. They took my grief process, my spirit, my money, my car, my home, and everything possible in order to 'protect me.' On her third birthday, custody would go to Williams. The wife of country music legend Hank Williams Jr., Mary Jane Thomas, reportedly died from complications related to cosmetic surgery. But when they finally got hitched in 1944, it wasn't officially legal. 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. . Hank's mother, Lillie, and father, Lon, had briefly settled in a rural area of Alabama called Mount Olive, to start their family. Just before midnight, Carr set about getting Williams to a planned New Years Day show in Canton, Ohio. His mother flew him home to Montgomery so he could try to get well, according to Hank Williams, So Lonesome. Bop Shop: Songs From J-Hope And J. 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Fox News Flash top entertainment and celebrity headlines are here. Williams had already been drinking when he was given a shot of B12 and morphine by the hotel doctor. In January 1953, Jones went to court, but the judge ruled that her marriage to Williams was illegal. The Tragic Real-Life Story Of Hank Williams. I Saw The Light, the Hank Williams biopic, will be playing in theaters around the country on Friday (March 25). Sam, 25, paid tribute to his late mother in a statement to PEOPLE shortly after her death. The late Mary and Hank Jr welcomed two children, Katie and Sam. Hank Jr.'s wife of more than 30 years, she was just 58 at the time of her death (other reports cited her age at 61). This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, ", The 25-year-old made the allegations in a silent YouTube video, holding up a sign that said: "I want out.". Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Neither Hank Williams Jr. or Sam Williams have commented on the news of Mary Jane's autopsy. But their marriage was tumultuous, and provided much of the raw fodder for Williams' more lonesome melodies, most famously "Cold, Cold Heart." Mary Jane was Williams' third wife. I said, 'if you keep drinkin' ain't nobody in the business gonna pay us no attention," via I Saw the Light: The Story of Hank Williams. 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.. But, according to a new story from the New York Post, one of the biggestissues of debate about Williams life remained untouched by the movie: His mysterious death, something that the singer predicted less than 48 hours before he died. When he was sober, Williams was a great performer, but as Williams' drinking problem worsened, Opry executives began to lose patience. After meeting in 1985 at one of Williams shows in Washington state, the pair tied the knot in 1990. They hit it off, and Williams asked Sheppard to marry him almost immediately. He was born in Georgiana, Al., in 1923 as Hiram King Williams, and he died of a heart attack in 1953. It was there Hank would be given the opportunity to explore what would become his life's two greatest passions: music and alcohol. The couple married in 1990 and had two children: a daughter, Katherine Williams-Dunning, and son, Samuel Williams. During her life, Wynette underwent more than three dozen major surgeries, primarily due to abdominal adhesions. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Daly hints that Wynette would deliberately hurt herself in order to gain access to drugs and once hurled herself offstage during a concert to earn a trip to the emergency room. 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. According to band member Sammy Pruett, "none of us dug her too damn much.". The 27-year-old was driving a Chevy Tahoe in . His real name was Horace "Toby" Marshall, and he was not a real doctor. Richey recently sold the luxurious Nashville mansion where they lived for $1.2 million. Hank Williams, the country legend and Hillbilly Shakespeare, didn't have the opportunity to live in the world long. Peter . At the time, Carrs nervous account of the final few hours of the journey were enough to raise questions of foul play, especially when some witnesses including a police officer claimed to have, oddly, seen a soldier also riding in the car. In light of the sad news, her brother and county music star, Williams, is now expressing his pain over the loss of his sister. Mary Jane Thomas and Hank Williams Jr. attend his 2021 Medallion Ceremony, celebrating the Induction of the Class of 2020 at Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, Tennessee. In recent years, a Knoxvillian . In 1949, however, following the release of his hit "Lovesick Blues," it was a different story. Williams would return to Georgiana the following year with more sophisticated interests. He said: "I definitely broke and went through a really, really, really hard time. Unfortunately, his fast living also contributed to his downfall. 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. The car in which Hank Williams passed his last few hours and died on New Year's Day, 1953 is exhibited at the Hank Williams Museum in Montgomery, Alabama. He "knew a good 'patient' when he saw one and he hinted at a 'pleasant' way to handle the problems of exhaustion, depression, insomnia, and all the other assorted ills that tend to beset a harried man," according to Coronet magazine. It was never properly treated, and would cause him lifelong back pain. Mary Jane, who appeared alongside Williams Jr. when he was recently inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, is survived by the singer, their son, and three grandchildren. He also responded to a tweet from one fan celebratingBritney Spears'"first February" being victoriously freed of her conservatorship. 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. Katherine Williams-Dunning was 27. Hank Williams Jr. drove it when he was in high school. Hank Williams + Audrey Williams' Love Story. He married Becky White from 1977-83, and they had two children together, daughters Holly and Hilary Williams. or redistributed.