The official language on the autopsy (per People) is "pneumothorax due to perforated parietal pleura during liposuction with autologous fat reinjection procedure." She had a smile and presence that lit up every room and she never met a stranger she didn't befriend. The resulting operation marked the beginning of Williams' addiction to pain medication, per Sing a Sad Song. On Saturday, it was reported that Williams-Dunning, the daughter of country singer Hank Williams Jr., died as a result of a car crash. In the summer of 1952, Hank Williams had a brief affair with a dancer named Bobbie Jett. "Please pray for them so hard! His parents meant to christen him Hiram Williams, after Hiram of Tyre, the Biblical king, but he didn't end up becoming Hiram either. In 1937, Williams moved with his mother and sister to Montgomery. 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. Mary Jane Thomas, Hank Williams Jr's wife of 31 years, unexpectedly passed away at the age of 61. She was cleared for the procedures by a physician at home, according to the Medical Examiner's report. To have a kid [Carr] turn around, feel his pulse and realize [Williams] was dead, it felt anticlimactic., Besides, Neely adds, No matter which account you pick, there are going to be people who say, Thats not how it happened. . Just before midnight, Carr set about getting Williams to a planned New Years Day show in Canton, Ohio. At a time when the music he made was still mostly regional in its appeal, he was well on the way to national celebrity when he died in 1953, and his posthumous fame would grow even greater. The possibility was even suggested in the initial police report. She was ambitious, and Williams began to see real success after his marriage, signing a contract first with Acuff-Rose Music and then with MGM Records and releasing many of his most famous hits. Where Did Hank Williams Die. Williams-Dunning was driving a 2007 Chevy Tahoe while towing a boat Saturday night . Thomas was married to singer Williams, 72, for over 30 years. 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. Hank Williams first auditioned for the Grand Ole Opry in 1946, but he did not make the cut. I think he had a profound sadness in him, says Marc Abraham, writer and director of I Saw The Light. 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. Booze was freely available at most of their gigs, and Williams took full advantage, which caused tension in the band. It was there Hank would be given the opportunity to explore what would become his life's two greatest passions: music and alcohol. Suspendisse condimentum eu arcu vitae hendrerit. The truth about Hank Williams death may never be known. But in the short amount of time he had, Williams gave the world a series of hits, from "Cold, Cold Heart" to "Hey Good Lookin"' to "I Saw the Light," that delighted fans and influenced music for decades to come. I reached over and touched him. The death of Mary Jane Thomas is the latest tragedy in a string of unfortunate incidents for Hank Williams Jr.'s family, including the death of daughter Katie in 2020. I actually wrote 13 pages for that scene but took them out because they felt superfluous, says biopic writer and director Marc Abraham. Somewhere around Oak Hill, West Virginia, Carr looked into the backseat and realized Williams seemed rigid and unresponsive. Her cause of death was ruled accidental, according to the Palm Beach County medical examiner. . The cause of death for Mary Jane Thomas, the wife of country singer Hank Williams Jr., has been revealed. The former model, who was married to American singer-songwriter and musician Hank Williams Jr., passed away on March 22, 2022 aged 58. Following Williams' death, both Sheppard and Jones battled over his estate, each vying over the title of Hank Williams' widow. Hank Williams was undeniably a talented young musician. The death of Hank Williams, country music's first huge superstar, is still a bit of a mystery. "Tammy Wynette: A Daughter Recalls Her Mother's Tragic Life and Death," by Jackie Daly (Putnam), was published on Monday (May 8), the day that depositions were to begin in a wrongful-death lawsuit filed against the late singer's doctor. While on tour in Shreveport, he met a young woman named Billie Jean Jones. Alongside the video, he wrote: I've been quiet a long time now. Nobody would know where he was," via Sing a Sad Song. Hank Williams died on January 1, 1953, at the age of 29. Her spirit was gentle and giving. Carr called a doctor to Williams' room. New: A Medical Mistake Became Mary Jane Thomas' Cause of Death. They went on to live the most powerful love story of travel and hunting and raising a family. ** FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE--FILE **This is an undated file photo of Country and Western singer and guitarist Hank Williams. 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. Hiram "Hank" Williams (September 17, 1923 - January 1, 1953) was an American singer, songwriter, and musician. Williams was living his dream, but it would only last three years. He had also previously been arrested for forgery and armed robbery. In March, Samuel Williams paid tribute to his mom in a statement to People. 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. Tom [Hiddleston, the actor portraying Williams] puts across that impending sense of doom. Hank Jr., 72, is the son of legendary country musician Hank Williams, who died in 1953 at the age of 29, but is still regarded as one of the most influential artists in the genre. Hank's mother, Lillian Skipper Williams, played the . At these parties, adults would hide booze outside, but the boys would easily find the stash, and take nips until they got "dunk as hoot owls on it," recalled McNeil. Published on July 25, 2022 04:52 PM. May she rest in heaven and may God give power to his loved ones to deal with the great loss. By the age of 14, he was making $15 a week performing on WSFA, via the Montgomery Advertiser. She was private, compared to her country star husband, and although they separated in 2007, they reconciled in 2011. In 1952, Hank Williams had the bad luck of meeting a man who went by the name Doc Marshall. Hank Williams, the country legend and Hillbilly Shakespeare, didn't have the opportunity to live in the world long. While heart failure was reported as the official cause of death, officials observed that the man's body . Wynette's daughters obtained a court order last year to have Wynette's body exhumed for an autopsy to determine the cause of death. Jupiter's police department got "a medical call to the Jupiter Beach Resort & Spa" around 5pm the following day. By 1942, all the members of the band were drafted except for Hank Williams. Days after Sam made the claims,TMZconfirmed through court records that Hank filed a petition for an emergency conservatorship in August 2020 for Sam. Williams' mother, Bobbie Jett, was six months pregnant with her when Hank Williams married his second wife, Billie Jean Eshliman. On June 11, 1949, Williams made his live Grand Ole Opry debut. 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. The next day, Williams was still unwell, curling up in the backseat and saying all he wanted was to sleep. Lillie gave birth to Hank on September 17, 1923, per Biography. And a few, such as country music legend Hank Williams, have expired from other causes while they happened to be in vehicles. 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. Musician Hank Williams Jr's wife who died on March 22 is reported to have suffered a collapsed lung that was punctured during elective surgery the day before, states a report from the Palm Beach . But suspicions about this final journey arose immediately. More celebrity deaths:Mira Sorvino mourns father, 'Goodfellas' actor Paul Sorvino: 'My heart is rent asunder'. By the time Carr arrived at Oak Hill Hospital, Hank Williams had passed away. 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 . 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. But Williams wasn't cut out for shipyard work, and didn't last long in Oregon. After the procedure, Mary Jane went to a recovery facility where she was "speaking normally" and sitting up. He says Williams was conscious and joking when he left. 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). I think he had a profound sadness in him, says Marc Abraham, writer and director of, Williams had already been drinking when he was given a shot of B12 and morphine by the hotel doctor. 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. 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. Thomas, who was married to Williams for more than 30 years, passed back in March. She was rushed to a local hospital and died in the emergency room. 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. Sam was reportedly heavily impacted by the loss of his sister. Most accounts have Williams looking and sounding groggy, and hotel porters allegedly had to carry him to the car. Taste of Country talked to Williams Jr. in June about a wide ranging set of topics. 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. 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. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. The "Family Tradition" singer married Thomas in 1990. An autopsy report said the cause of death was accidental. "I'm certainly not an . Get the best of Fox News' entertainment coverage, right in your inbox. 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. For that reason, the new biopic I Saw The Lightopted to avoid the subject of Williams death. The cause of death was listed as accidental. She died at home, on a living-room couch, with her fifth husband, country music producer and songwriter George Richey, present. Sam seemed to be reeling from the death of his sister and the daughter of Hank Jr, first revealing the news of the accident himself on Facebook, writing: "My sister and brother in law have been in a terrible accident. 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. 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. In his grief, on March 29 . Rest in peace Mama, I will always be the son of Mary Jane.". It was also something that was suggested by the initial police report. 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. But inclement weather meant they couldnt get to Charleston, so the concert was canceled and they instead made a pit stop at the Andrew Johnson Hotel in Knoxville, Tenn. Williams had already been drinking when he was given a shot of B12 and morphine by the hotel doctor. They took my grief process, my spirit, my money, my car, my home, and everything possible in order to 'protect me.' Market data provided by Factset. Hank Jr has forged his own path in the country world and was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame last November. I'm still climbing out of it. His real name was Horace "Toby" Marshall, and he was not a real doctor. He also responded to a tweet from one fan celebratingBritney Spears'"first February" being victoriously freed of her conservatorship. Williams, the son of country music legend Hank Williams, had been married with Thomas for 32 years at the time of her death. 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. Later he shared more photos and thoughts. ", Caller: "Uh, it was kind of unexpected, but it was a natural death, yes. Holly has one child and Hank Jr has three grandchildren all together. Cras nunc lectus, tempor sit amet ex sed, malesuada malesuada justo. The concert was canceled and Carr and Williams instead stopped at the Andrew Johnson Hotel in Knoxville, Tennessee. The Darkness of Hank Williams. He would have custody until the child turned five, when they would then assume joint custody, per Lovesick Blues. Mary Jane was a former model for Hawaiian Tropic suntan lotion. Tracy Wright is an entertainment writer for Fox News Digital. Just before midnight, Carr set about getting Williams to a planned New Years Day show in Canton, Ohio. People reported the autopsy findingson Monday afternoon (July 25), four months after Mary Jane's death at age 58. Williams was an American singer-songwriter and musician regarded as one of the most significant country music artists of all time. They separated once in 2007 and reconciled four years later in 2011. 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. 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. The Death Car itself, a beautiful 1952 Cadillac, was put to practical use for years after Hank's death by the Williams family. 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. 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. 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 . He was cold." 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. He was born in Georgiana, Al., in 1923 as Hiram King Williams, and he died of a heart attack in 1953. The cause of death was listed as heart failure, but the exact cause is unknown. Williams and Thomas also share a son, Samuel Williams. According to station advertising head Irving Waugh, "It got to a point where he'd disappear for weeks at a time. Market data provided by Factset. It was at one of these medicine shows in Banks, Alabama in the summer of 1943 that he met Audrey Sheppard, a beautiful blonde with a figure that could "melt the wax off a Dixie cup," per Lovesick Blues. Thomas and Williams were married for over 20 years and shared two kids, son Sam and the late Katherine, who died in 2020. Hank Williams Jr. and Mary Jane Thomas in 2002. 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. "I think he had a profound sadness in him," says Marc Abraham, writer . To have a kid [Carr] turn around, feel his pulse and realize [Williams] was dead, it felt anticlimactic.. . 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. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. Most accounts have Williams looking and sounding groggy, and hotel porters allegedly had to carry him to the car. 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). The body remained there for hours as friends and relatives came and went and everyone waited for her private physician to fly in on a chartered plane from Pittsburgh to determine the cause of death. While it is generally believed his mother gave Hank Williams his first guitar, other locals wanted to claim the credit. Although he attempted at various points in his life to get sober, it never lasted long. I think he had a profound sadness in him, says Marc Abraham, writer and director of the new biopic. Multiple news outlets confirmed that Thomas, 58 (others stated she was 61), was rushed to a local hospital from the . Reports are conflicting on Thomas' age but range from 58 . No cause of death was provided at the time. But one big thing is left out of the movie: the singers mysterious death. But in the end it doesnt really matter, Hank Williams was dead at 29 years old. Williams was born with a mild undiagnosed case of spina bifida occulta, a disorder of the spinal column, which gave him . Hank Williams, the country legend and Hillbilly Shakespeare, didn't have the opportunity to live in the world long. She had a smile and presence that lit up every room and she never met a stranger she didn't befriend. While the official cause of death has been debated for more than 60 years, there is a timeline of events leading up to his death that those around him agreed upon. In August 1952, Williams was fired from the Grand Ole Opry for his failure to show up to Opry-sponsored appearances, according to PBS. It was never properly treated, and would cause him lifelong back pain. The story follows Williams country music career and the struggles thatthat went along with being a star including his battle with alcohol and infidelity. According to TMZ, country musician Hank Williams Jr's wife, Mary Jane, died on Tuesday at the age of 61. But one big thing is left out of the movie: the singers mysterious death. I actually wrote 13 pages for that scene but took them out because they felt superfluous, explains Abraham. Williams had already been drinking when he was given a shot of B12 and morphine by the hotel doctor. All of these occasions, Daly writes, triggered prescriptions for major pain-killing drugs. She became an accomplished musician in her own right, performing under the name Jett Williams. At the time, a family source speculated that it may have been a blood clot after an undisclosed medical procedure. It was something he apparently saw coming. Hiram King "Hank" Williams was an American singer-songwriter and musician regarded as one of the most significant country music artists of all time.