LIFE LIST UPDATE – No. 843: Visit the Hank Williams Statue in Montgomery

Hank Williams Statue in Montgomery, Ala.

Tuesday of last week would have been Hank Williams’ 90th birthday. Born on Sept. 17, 1923 in Butler County, Ala., Williams is considered one of the most important country music artists ever, and he’s arguably one of Alabama’s most famous natives. Who knows how much he would have accomplished had he not died in 1953 at the relatively young age of 29?

In 1991, a statue of Williams was erected in Lister Hill Plaza, which is a small park on North Perry Street in downtown Montgomery, Ala., between Montgomery City Hall and the old City Auditorium building. I used to live and work in Montgomery, but for whatever reason I’d never seen this statue in person. More than a year ago, I read about it in a magazine and placed it on my “life list” soon thereafter.

On Tuesday of last week, I read that it was Hank Williams’ birthday, so on my way to a Scottish Rite meeting in Montgomery Wednesday of last week, I took a few minutes to swing downtown to see this statue for myself. I arrived after most of the working crowd had departed for home, so the traffic downtown was relatively light and the Lister Hill Plaza was almost completely empty. I had plenty of time and space to examine the statue closely and to take lots of pictures.

I have to admit that this statue is so lifelike that it borders on eerie. I viewed it in broad daylight, and I can only imagine what it must look like at night. The statue shows him holding an old Martin & Co. guitar that seems to match the Puckish grin and musically-themed suit he’s wearing. Also, if you look closely, you’ll see that he’s wearing a large, distinctive “H.W.” ring on his left hand.

The statue is made of bronze and sits on a polished granite base. The front reads “HANK WILLIAMS, 1923-1953,” but the back says a whole lot more. The back of the base says “HANK WILLIAMS JR. WISHES TO THANK THE FOLLOWING FOR THEIR SPECIAL CONTRIBUTION IN MAKING THIS STATUE POSSIBLE - MAYOR EMORY FOLMAR, MONTGOMERY CITY COUNCIL, MERLE KILGORE, CECIL & BETTY JACKSON, IRENE WILLIAMS SMITH.” At the very bottom of the base, in smaller letters, are the words “CLAY HENLEY HOULDITCH, MEMORIAL AND STONE COMPANY, MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA, SEPTEMBER 17, 1991.”

Not far from this statue is an historical marker that tells even more about the statue. According to that marker, Hank Williams Jr. commissioned Texas sculptors Doug and Sandra McDonald in 1991 to create the statue of his father. The marker also points out that the statue faces the old Municipal Auditorium building, where Williams’ funeral was held in 1953. Nearly 3,000 people crowded into the building for his funeral and an estimated 20,000 stood outside in the cold during the service.

In the end, how many of you have ever taken the time to see the Hank Williams Statue in Montgomery? What did you think about it? Do you know of any other statues of famous Alabama residents? Where are they located? Let us know in the comments section below.