A Newfound Interest In Hank’s Songs
Although Hank Williams sang his final note over six decades ago, his legacy has been everlasting. Artists young and old cite the legendary figure as one of their greatest sources of inspiration, proving his influence will never fade away.
Hank’s songs have been passed down through generations of artists. They have also been passed down through his family, as his son, Hank Williams Jr., and his grandchildren have all recorded or performed covers of his songs.
His granddaughter, and Hank Jr.’s daughter, Hilary, performs an exceptionally stunning acoustic cover of his song “House of Gold.”
There has been a revived interest in Hank’s work over the past few years, due in large part to the viral video of “yodel boy” Mason Ramsey singing his song “Lovesick Blues” at a Walmart store in Illinois.
Ramsey was only 11 years old at the time, and found instant fame due to the video’s widespread success. He went on to earn a record deal just months later, and his debut EP contained his recordings of other famous Hank hits.
Another Outstanding Youngster
If you were impressed by the “yodel boy,” then get ready to meet “yodel girl.” When she was 11 years old, Ruby Leigh Pearson was also vocal powerhouse.
Ruby has since appeared on The Voice, and is currently competing as a contestant on Team Reba. She earned a four-chair turn for her yodel-infused rendition of Patsy Montana’s “I Want to Be a Cowboy’s Sweetheart.”
Years ago, a video surfaced online of Pearson performing Williams’ “Long Gone Lonesome Blues.” Written entirely by Williams, the track was released in 1950 and became a chart-topping hit.
As many times as we’ve heard “Long Gone Lonesome Blues” before, we’ve never heard it done with as much passion and power as Ruby poured into it. The normal sections of the song were impressive enough, as she dumped a wealth of emotion into her performance.
That’s quite remarkable, since not every artist is able to develop an emotional connection to a song…especially when they’re as young as Ruby.
But the yodeling sections of her performance are the ones that are sure to knock your socks off. Yodeling is not easy, but she does it with so much force that you’ll think it was an absolute cakewalk.
Go ahead and watch this talented little lady sing her heart out to Hank’s classic hit by tuning in to the clip below. Be on the lookout for her, because there’s no doubt she is star material!