Cradle of the Stars: The Story of the Louisiana Hayride; Hank Williams, Jr. Interview

Not even of the shop. Thank you for joining us. Good enough for the hey rads good enough for me. Oh yeah. Good enough for now boy let's talk about the hay ride that one of the reasons you need to do this interview with us but you know about that right now only reason. Well I did not want to he hates interviews that is not one of them the only reason I'm alive. But you know what I let you know that's why we're going to leave. That's why our born in Shreveport go dead it would be an example of that he had been doing that might've been born in Montgomery or one row. You get real special feelings if it ain't right and yet well that's where you started the story.

You're not on the Grand Ole Opry it was kind of what their first and then they operate and then back to a lot of friends who had a lot of a lot of friends around there. Ration or drunken or whatever. Lots of room but maybe more than a day off. Like you are today. Now that you know I guess you could say that he was fired from the Grand Ole Opry Roll Over There were fired. Just amongst your friends you're mentioning but amongst your friends what you know is there a general feeling among country music artist today about the hayride about it's important they know what it was. If they know if they're not you know what it was you know I was there for a long time ago.

They know anything about you know Elvis Presley was asking Worldwatch to do next you know. Sure the local Not only country one I'm sure a lot of the rock people. A lot of people that would be you know looking at this documentary later letter altogether may not know anything about that. You know they may have heard about it but I don't know you know be curious about this interview and probably have a lot of respect for what you have to say but they'll want to know maybe most of all if the music played back then had any kind of influence on you you're just a kid but you know your baby baby baby back then but knowing that particular part of history how much of an influence did it have on you and what you're you know what you're doing now. Whirls lots of music has influence on my going to Louisiana years ago to influence only but I mean in the 40s the 40s or 50s the 50s

was played in Sandiego or in the New Iberia you know. Jimmy Rogers has a lot of influence on me. He's before the hayride I mean he he was never on the show but of you know naturally dad is sort of a heavy honky tonk dance beat to him. Hey good luck and jam the live heavy backbeat be here still. And of course that was a on the hay ride and well like I said and I have a lot of fluid on my car like I was sold to the family tradition or All My Rowdy Friends of Saddleback and I like that women never had the big clarinets and stuff where that's not really just right down the

road it's still Louisiana. It's great you know it's pretty obvious that that your father's work influenced the hayride but I'm curious as to whether or not what you've been told that you've grown up with whether or not you feel the hayride influenced your dad or your family. You know in life. When I was born here must have influenced him a lot. You must know that I was born into a board of the big and little bit called momma was on plane trying to get there and it said come here as I can't do that I will start a ride I can't leave now right. Not now you got me here. Living in that apartment in your city.

So yeah it'll always have a book on me plus you know that I know you have a lot of freedom to be ran around with you know it's where I ran an affair and you know there was one adoptive that I ride not sure about right price but there were several guy where Merle Kilgore he met them at the hay ride before that. Some of the other people that start out become friends. Yes as I'm sure you noticed guys that were a lot of them that I've you know have met maybe four in my life. Henry Clay's or you know I don't know him well but you are all the prime example and I'm sure there's a lot of others who were not even thinking about that you know.

Oh yeah. If the hero goes to a lot of people like musicians especially band members. Lot of that some of the people that we've talked to I get the impression they're really protective about the hayride I mean whether they are people who are thankful for where they were and whatever they have this protective thing are always quick to say well you know but you know it's not a stepchild in Nashville it's not a bush league in comparison to the Grand Ole Opry. Yeah that's probably the people that had something to do with backing it or putting it on. Can you compare the two. There are there are pluses and minuses. Or are they separate camps where you think they're separate. Sure the Grand Ole Opry is one of the longest running radio if not the longest running radio show.

And the Grand Ole Opry had the national life and accident insurance company behind it boys and we had his insurance company behind it kind of helps you know helps a little bit and you know there's Hopper land 500 rounds and 500 more over here and you know it's different it's not the same thing although myself maybe I'd rather play that rather than the rental rate. So you know all the plastic and Chrome is not everything because I played the Grand Ole Opry not too long ago. I think some of the Osbourne brothers stand there and I went out and did three songs that had all been number one country single chart and I counted. And I said Mara let's go you know. He said hey man these people come in here

on a bus in Canada. They don't know Jimmy Rodgers So it really just foreigner and it's just saying it's a song you know let's bustle Mali in and sell the package with you whether it's a joke a debate it's a bus tomorrow. So it was VERY LONG AS around an auditorium or not to marry. We played regular shows there you know elected everything but the Grand Ole Opry was a little spirit I guess. Let's. Still thank her it's got to be actually I'm sure. The bottom line the bottom line are out there a couple weeks ago. How long will you stay just got the chills. I mean I think it's like going to us for the first time working you know. Oh yeah there's that. They're outlaw sure municipal auditorium.

And that's the same thing just like the Ryman oratory and then when you change it it can't be the siren. Just thinking of the style guy who always been there would mean a lot to a lot of former war thats the word clients of the U.S. border one of the rounds with him this is where where you stood on the shore it was freshly stood. That would mean you know a lot to me just tell you one question about yourself just how you got started. People say that you know did you just know yourself. Pick up some stuff you know where I was picking up something and play it all the time banging on pianos or.

Borrowing guitars or running around back of the hate or out peeking in dressing rooms you know and so you who had this guitar or I didn't need much encouraged me. I was touring on the road with a Cadillac with a big old trailer about a bag bass fiddle strapped on there was a lot more fun than going to school. You know when you're 10 years old you know this big thing to a kid so I didn't need a lot of good when I was ready to go but I sure like going out the airport get on that plane. So when I was 10 I was a good laugh. I'll never get a good night backglass and lay up in that window where those old men and all they have to set and not getting that backglass it was just perfect. And I got about 14 I couldn't fit in there. Boys traveled a lot of miles in cars and a

lot of miles a lot of miles and busses. Pretty much what people told you I mean I have no memory at all. I mean you know I like it. When I was born in May 26 to 49 and Daddy had left and he started that high also national mood entered in 50 or 51. Yeah so when it was just it was Montgomery report but he was gone. You know he would just as the song would go and when Lovesick Blues that did it you know he built the big mansion on Franklin Road that was that's where where. He came back to Biloxi and Sharif Borton different places for like us where you just have boy and go and get away you know.

Well I did so many shows weather. And learned a lot. I'm doing writing about Man's how to handle bands that kind of stuff naturally not as much as daddy was. Blues everybody but I guess just watch and just learned and learn and handle things because when we get down to it maybe if you hadn't gotten him to go to Nashville there wouldn't have been you know I Williams at all. You know he was working in a shipyard immobile putting ships together and you know people on both sides of the fence said the same

thing. I guess I'm a lot like David there he had to be pushed and prodded a little bit I'd be fine go ahead here get you shell crackers up and stay there stead of hey man you know you got this TV special you need to go do it and she went got him one time in Kentucky. They were catching a copy of her and said Oh my goodness a movie don't overreach number war. So I think when a plane landed on the water and he did get real excited about it. So yeah when they made the trip to Fred Rose's office in Nashville and he sang some of the songs and then he gave him an idea and said Well I don't know if you Roky the knot and came back he had written national heel that tore it all started right there in the office and she was a hard drive.

And. He became hard drive and I read it in some ancient times. A rat has got to be you know. One of the. The pillars and you know just the institution. Country music in fact when you get right down to it you know I don't know maybe so but the barn dance and all that doesn't mean anything to me but the Grand Ole Opry and that's all I knew about I don't know about the last barn dance or Maggie valleys and I guess that's more the bluegrass people or. I didn't know about those I knew about the Opry and the big jam bery and out there nothing more. You know there were some big stars that came from these places.

I just didn't know as much about the other Cincinnati as or the same rules and all. Of like its own record shows at the opera that's where the big people.