how old was hank williams senior when he died how old was hank williams senior when he died

[22] At a chance meeting in Georgiana, Williams met U.S. Representative J. Lister Hill while Hill was campaigning across Alabama. [66] In 1951, "Dear John" became a hit, but it was the flip side, "Cold, Cold Heart", that became one of his most recognized songs. A quick study, Williams learned how to play folk, country and, thanks to an African-American street musician named Rufus Payne, the blues. I told Carr that Williams looked dead but I did not press the point when Carr explained that Williams had been given two sedatives, Kitts was quoted as saying. Having only recently recorded what would become some of his best-loved songs -- including Kawliga and Your Cheatin Heart -- Williams performed his final concert in Austin, Texas on Dec. 19, 1952. Carr stopped at a small all-night restaurant and asked Williams if he wanted to eat. [64][65] Some of the compositions were accompanied by a pipe organ. Many of their replacements refused to play in the band due to Williams' worsening alcoholism. We strive for accuracy and fairness.If you see something that doesn't look right,contact us! While Jett was a college junior at the University of Alabama in Montgomery majoring in recreation therapy, her adoptive . They moved to a new house on the other side of town on Rose Street, which Williams' mother soon turned into another boarding house. He denied any responsibility in both deaths. Jeff Wallenfeldt, manager of Geography and History, has worked as an editor at Encyclopaedia Britannica since 1992. Despite his relatively brief career, he is one of the most celebrated and influential musicians of the 20th century, especially in country music. Lillie Williams became the Drifting Cowboys' manager. [113] In the 1980 Canadian film, Hank Williams: The Show He Never Gave, Williams is portrayed by singer Sneezy Waters. Finally, after not hearing from the singer for two solid hours, the driver pulled the car over in Oak Hill, West Virginia, at 5:30 in the morning. Liquored up and abusing morphine, he collapsed in a hotel room in Knoxville, Tennessee. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Williams began his music career in Montgomery in 1937, when producers at local radio station WSFA hired him to perform and host a 15-minute program. Stamey. [25][26] Payne's base musical style was blues. In 1947, he released "Move It on Over", which became a hit, and also joined the Louisiana Hayride radio program. Best Known For: Hank Williams became one of America's first country music superstars, with hits like "Your Cheatin' Heart," before his early death at 29. Hank Williams, Sr. passed away on January 1, 1953 at 29 years old.Hank Williams Net Worth. Williams told a story in later concerts that attributed his name change to a cat's yowling. [34] He returned to perform in KWKH and WBAM shows and in the Louisiana Hayride, for which he toured again. Hank Williams died of drug and alcohol abuse at the age of 29. [97], Williams' final single, released in November 1952 while he was still alive, was titled "I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive". Marshall had been previously convicted for forgery, and had been paroled and released from the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in 1951. His iconic status was amplified by his death at age 29 and by his reputation for hard living and heart-on-the-sleeve vulnerability. Williams was among the first class of artists inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1961, and in 2010, the Pulitzer Board awarded him a special citation for songwriting. [76] In October 1952 he married Billie Jean Jones. The local record shops reportedly sold all their Williams records, and customers were asking for all records ever released by Williams. Because a corpse was involved, Stamey called in radio officer Howard Janney. Marshall stated that Williams told him that he had decided to "destroy the Hank Williams that was making the money they were getting". [125][126] In July 2020, his granddaughter Katherine (Hank Jr.'s daughter) died in a car crash at the age of 27. Hank Williams, byname of Hiram Williams, also called the Hillbilly Shakespeare, (born September 17, 1923, Georgiana, Alabama, U.S.died January 1, 1953, Oak Hill, West Virginia), American singer, songwriter, and guitarist who in the 1950s arguably became country music 's first superstar. Hank Williams, Jr., was only 3 years old when his father died ("Hank".Bio para.4). A doctor was called to examine him. [38] The band traveled throughout central and southern Alabama performing in clubs and at private gatherings. [88] The two arrived at the Andrew Johnson Hotel in Knoxville, Tennessee, and Carr requested a doctor for Williams, who was affected by the combination of the chloral hydrate and alcohol he had consumed on the way to Knoxville. [77] It was the second marriage for both (each being divorced with children). [107] He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame[108] in 1961 and into the Alabama Music Hall of Fame in 1985. Carr and Williams checked out of the hotel, but the porters had to carry Williams to the car as he was coughing and hiccuping. [81] A relationship with a woman named Bobbie Jett during this period resulted in a daughter, Jett Williams, who was born five days after Williams died. Under the name of Dr. C. W. Lemon he prescribed Williams with amphetamines, Seconal, chloral hydrate, and morphine, which made his heart problems worse. By the end of 1952, Williams had started to suffer heart problems. [45] Sheppard later told Williams that she wanted to move to Montgomery with him and start a band together and help him regain his radio show. He wrote songs weekly to perform during the shows. As the titles of some of Williams' songs suggest, heartbreak and turmoil were never that far from his life. Hank Williams Sr. The newlyweds spent Christmas 1952 with Williamss mother in Montgomery. His name was misspelled as "Hiriam" on his birth certificate, which was prepared and signed when he was 10 years old. His mother adopted Jett, who was made a ward of the state after her grandmother died and then adopted by another couple. Instead, Williams died 67 years ago, on Jan. 1, 1953. The worker claimed that she sold Williams' notes to a representative of the Honky-Tonk Hall of Fame and the Rock-N-Roll Roadshow. Montgomery, Alabama Hank Williams was country music's first megastar. In 1977, a national organization of CB truck drivers voted "Your Cheatin' Heart" as their favorite record of all time. Astrological Sign: Virgo, Death Year: 1953, Death date: January 1, 1953, Death State: West Virginia, Death City: Oak Hill, Death Country: United States, Article Title: Hank Williams Biography, Author: Biography.com Editors, Website Name: The Biography.com website, Url: https://www.biography.com/musicians/hank-williams, Publisher: A&E; Television Networks, Last Updated: September 18, 2019, Original Published Date: April 2, 2014. The song resonated with music fans, as well as executives at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, who invited Williams to perform. [3] In October 1952, he married Billie Jean Jones. Williams later credited him as his only teacher. Hank Williams Jr. was performing his father, Hank Sr.'s, songs on stage at age 8. Entrance marker of the Oakwood Annex Cemetery in, Grave of Audrey (left) and Hank Williams (right) at Oakwood Annex Cemetery, Oklahoma investigation of Horace Marshall. Heart failure and hard living did him in. The house had a small garden on which they grew diverse crops that Williams and his sister Irene sold around Georgiana. 'The Garden Spot Programs' 1950", "Hank Williams' 'The Garden Spot Programs' Named Best Historical Album at the 2015 Grammy Awards", "Tom Hiddleston played country icon Hank Williams in biopic", "File Action to Untangle Hank Williams Estate", "Mother's Best, Hank's Best: A Conversation With Jett Williams and the Students", "The Year's Top Country & Western Artists/The Year's Top Country & Western Records", "PBS 'Country Music' - Native stories of Hank Williams Sr., Loretta Lynn and Peter La Farge", "Native American Music Awards Hall of Fame", "Country Music by Ken Burns Episode 3 The Hillbilly Shakespeare", Listing of all Hank Williams's songs and alternatives, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hank_Williams&oldid=1142672396, Special Awards and Citation for his pivotal role in transforming country music, This page was last edited on 3 March 2023, at 19:34. Later that year he received his first recording contract, with Sterling Records; however, it was on the start-up label MGM that he had his first hit, Move It on Over in 1947. Also, the Drifting Cowboys were at the time backing Ray Price, while Williams was backed by local bands. While he was medically disqualified from military service after suffering a back injury caused by falling from a bull during a rodeo in Texas, his band members were all drafted to serve. The performances greatly increased Williams' name recognition, but he still lacked a number one hit. Born and raised in Alabama, Williams was given guitar lessons by African-American blues musician Rufus Payne in exchange for meals or money. The janitor was accused of theft, but the charges were later dropped when a judge determined that her version of events was true. He was severely injured after falling from a truck, breaking his collarbone and suffering a severe blow to the head. [32] During the same year, he participated in a talent show at the Empire Theater. He was dead on arrival at an Oak Hill hospital, the front page of The Alabama Journal read. Most of the material was written by Williams himself, in some cases with the help of Fred Rose and his son Wesley. Lyons recalled how Hank rose from being a shoeshine boy to star of the stage. Later, he started to consume painkillers, including morphine, and alcohol to ease the pain. Carr drove through the night as Williams declined his offer to stop for food. [16] The couple divorced on May 29, 1952. His stardom put money in his pocket and gave him the kind of creative freedom artists long for. Meanwhile, "Weary Blues From Waitin'" reached No. If Williams had lived, it's not entirely certain that the Nashville music community, so eager to shed its hillbilly roots, would have continued to embrace Williams' music. His song "Your Cheatin' Heart" was written and recorded in September 1952, but released in late January 1953 after his death. 29, January 1st 1953. He sang "Cold, Cold Heart", "Hey Good Lookin''", "Glory Bound Train" and "I Saw the Light" with other cast members, and a duet, "I Can't Help It (If I'm Still in Love with You)" with Anita Carter. [43] The book only listed lyrics, since its main purpose was to attract more audiences, though it is also possible that he did not want to pay for transcribing the notes. It was at this time that Williams decided to change his name informally from Hiram to Hank. [105] Williams had 11 number one country hits in his career ("Lovesick Blues", "Long Gone Lonesome Blues", "Why Don't You Love Me", "Moanin' the Blues", "Cold, Cold Heart", "Hey, Good Lookin'", "Jambalaya (On the Bayou)", "I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive", "Kaw-Liga", "Your Cheatin' Heart", and "Take These Chains from My Heart"), as well as many other top 10 hits. . When new wife Billie. [77], During his last recording session on September 23, 1952, Williams recorded "Kaw-Liga", along with "Your Cheatin' Heart", "Take These Chains from My Heart", and "I Could Never be Ashamed of You". [29] In 1937, Williams got into a fight with his physical education teacher about exercises the coach wanted him to do. [10] Carr and Williams headed out of Knoxville from the Andrew Johnson Hotel via Gay Street to Magnolia Ave to 11w. [98][99] Williams' remains are interred at the Oakwood Annex in Montgomery. Chief Winfred Patterson who arrested Hank said to the Alabama Journal in 1971 that Hank was "more or less having DT's (delirium tremens). Hank Williams, byname of Hiram Williams, also called the Hillbilly Shakespeare, (born September 17, 1923, Georgiana, Alabama, U.S.died January 1, 1953, Oak Hill, West Virginia), American singer, songwriter, and guitarist who in the 1950s arguably became country musics first superstar. He was scheduled to perform a few gigs on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day to see in. Long plagued by alcoholism, Williams fell ill at the Andrew Johnson Hotel in Knoxville on the last night of 1952. On the evening of December 30, 1952, the restless, rail-thin 29-year-old tossed and turned in bed at his home in Montgomery, Ala. In the 1970s, he created his own musical identity, combining country with Southern rock and blues. A rookie Tennessee highway patrol officer, Swann Kitts, told reporters he had stopped the Cadillac and fined Carr $25 for speeding, The United Press reported on Jan. 2, 1952. His performances were acclaimed when he was sober, but despite the efforts of his work associates to get him to shows sober, his abuse of alcohol resulted in occasions when he did not appear or his performances were poor. Omissions? [92] In Williams' Cadillac, the police found some empty beer cans and unfinished handwritten lyrics. [25] His funeral was said to have been far larger than any ever held for any other citizen of Alabama,[27][21] and the largest event ever held in Montgomery,[28] surpassing Jefferson Davis' inauguration as President of the Confederacy. He died in the back seat of his Cadillac while being driven to a gig on New Year's Day 1953. [59] On May 21, he had been admitted to North Louisiana Sanitarium for the treatment of his alcoholism, leaving on May 24. Ernest Tubbs began the funeral with Beyond the Sunset and Red Foley and The Statesman Quartet sang Peace In The Valley.. [59] During 1949, he joined the first European tour of the Grand Ole Opry, performing in military bases in England, Germany and the Azores. The station's owner called the local police chief. In February 2005, the Tennessee Court of Appeals upheld a lower court ruling stating that Williams' heirsson, Hank Williams Jr, and daughter, Jett Williamshave the sole rights to sell his recordings made for a Nashville radio station in 1951. In June, he divorced Audrey Williams,[2] and on August 11, Williams was dismissed from the Grand Ole Opry for habitual drunkenness. The first celebration, in 1954, featured the unveiling of a monument at the Cramton Bowl that was later placed at the gravesite of Williams. This addiction eventually led to his divorce from Audrey Williams and his dismissal from the Grand Ole Opry. "[34], On March 10, Marshall was called again to testify. Williams, who was recently separated from WSM "for failure to make appearances," was a resident of Montgomery, Ala. As a youth he sold peanuts and shined shoes, meanwhile strumming on a. In 1930, when Williams was seven years old, Elonzo began experiencing facial paralysis. The album included unreleased songs. The recordings were found by collector George Gimarc at radio station KSIB in Creston, Iowa. You wrote only what happened to you and the people around you, Advertiser columnist Allen Rankin wrote on the day of the funeral. Picking up the guitar for the first time at the age of eight, Williams was just 13 when he made his radio debut. [13][14], As a child, Williams was nicknamed "Harm" by his family and "Herky" or "Skeets" by his friends. Hank Williams is considered one of the most popular American country music singer/songwriters with songs like "Cold, Cold Heart," "Your Cheatin' Heart," "Hey, Good Lookin'" and "I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive." [60] Williams released seven hit songs after "Lovesick Blues", including "Wedding Bells",[55] "Mind Your Own Business", "You're Gonna Change (Or I'm Gonna Leave)", and "My Bucket's Got a Hole in It". [50], On September 14, 1946, Williams auditioned for Nashville's Grand Ole Opry, but was rejected. His mother subsequently demanded that the school board terminate the coach; when they refused, the family moved to Montgomery, Alabama. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Probably taught his first chords by Payne, Williams began playing the guitar at age 8. [139] On October 22, 1975, a federal judge in Atlanta, Georgia, ruled Horton's marriage to Williams was valid and that half of Williams' future royalties belonged to her.[140]. Williams remains a beloved albeit tragic figure in country music and his work continues to influence musicians to this day. After Hawkshaw Hawkins and other performers started singing Williams' song "I Saw the Light" as a tribute to him, the crowd realized that he was indeed dead and began to sing along. [138], After Williams' death, Audrey Williams filed a suit in Nashville against MGM Records and Acuff-Rose. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1961, the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1970, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987, and the Native American Music Awards Hall of Fame in 1999. Having interviewed Carr, the best that Peter Cooper of The Tennessean could offer was that "somewhere between Mount Hope and Oak Hill", Carr noticed Williams' blanket had fallen off. They later drove to Oak Hill in search of a hospital, stopping at a Pure Oil station on the edge of town. . Under Williams' guidance, Sheppard started playing bass and began performing in his band. The man in the back seat was singer-songwriter Hank Williams Sr. "I ran in and explained my situation to the two interns who were in the hospital," said Carr, now a 67-year-old Montgomery businessman. His substance abuse problems continued to spiral out of control as he moved to Nashville and officially divorced Sheppard. On . [86] Fitzgerald was interviewed, and he suggested that Lillie Williams operated a brothel at her boarding house in Montgomery. His body was initially transported to Montgomery and placed in a silver coffin shown at his mother's boarding house. It could be argued, in fact, that his early death only enhanced his legend. Father and son rarely saw each other over the next decade, with Williams' mother, who ran rooming houses, moving the family to Greenville and later Montgomery, Alabama. [11] Carr later drove on until he stopped for fuel at a gas station in Oak Hill, West Virginia, where he discovered Williams seemingly asleep in the back seat. [41], The American entry into World War II in 1941 marked the beginning of hard times for Williams. [73] That same year, Williams had a brief extramarital affair with dancer Bobbie Jett, with whom he fathered a daughter, Jett Williams. The Pulitzer Prize jury awarded him a posthumous special citation in 2010 for his "craftsmanship as a songwriter who expressed universal feelings with poignant simplicity and played a pivotal role in transforming country music into a major musical and cultural force in American life". Picking up the guitar for the first time at the age of eight, Williams was just 13 when he made his radio debut. A doctor injected Williams with two shots of vitamin B12 that contained morphine. Instead of performing, Williams died 70 years ago today, on Jan. 1, 1953. During World War II Williams commuted between Mobile, where he worked in a shipyard, and Montgomery, where he pursued a musical career. [19] In 1935, they settled in Garland, Alabama, where Lillie opened a new boarding house; they later moved with Williams' cousin Opal McNeil to Georgiana, Alabama,[20] where Lillie took several side jobs to support the family despite the bleak economic climate of the Great Depression. His son, Hank Jr., was ranked on the same list. [132] Broadcast in 1949, the shows were recorded for the promotion of Hadacol. Beside Hanks coffin were two large wreaths shaped like guitars, another set of flowers was shaped like a Bible, two lamps were shining purple lights, and in his hands there was a small Bible. [16], The circumstances of Williams's death are still controversial. It included 10 songs: "Mother Is Gone", "Won't You Please Come Back", "My Darling Baby Girl" (with Audrey Sheppard), "Grandad's Musket", "I Just Wish I Could Forget", "Let's Turn Back the Years", "Honkey-Tonkey", "I Loved No One But You", "A Tramp on the Street", and "You'll Love Me Again". Secondly,how did hank williams pass away? However, much of what led to his non-sobriety is exactly what made his music as good as it was. He was unable to read or notate music to any significant degree. Why was Hank Williams an alcoholic? Years of back pain, alcoholism, and prescription drug abuse severely compromised Williams' health. Roy Acuff, along with a host of countrys biggest stars, performed I Saw The Light., MONTGOMERY, AL - JANUARY 4: Guitar themed flower arrangements adorn the gravesite of country singer Hank Williams as he is laid to rest at the Oakwood Cemetary Annex on January 4, 1953 in Montgomery, Alabama. It's hard to know another's lips will kiss you And hold you just the way I used to do Hank Williams, the 29-year-old King of Country Music, was to have flown to Charleston, West Virginia for a New Years Eve concert but an ice storm near Nashville kept him away. Long plagued by alcoholism, Williams fell ill at the Andrew Johnson Hotel in Knoxville on the last night of 1952. His first wife and his mother were the driving forces behind having the marriage declared invalid, and they pursued the matter for years. James E. (Jimmy) Porter was the youngest, being only 13 when he started playing steel guitar for Williams. [112] He was ranked second in CMT's 40 Greatest Men of Country Music in 2003, behind only Johnny Cash who recorded the song "The Night Hank Williams Came To Town". Hank Williams had something that humanity universally needs -- a song with a heart-felt message.. By the early 1940s, he'd caught the attention of music executives in Nashville. Hank Williams decided he wanted to go ahead with the performances he had scheduled on . Stars of the Grand Ole Opry were expected along with thousands of fans to bid farewell to Williams. The day after Williams died, The Montgomery Advertiser recalled Williams as a former peanut vendor who learned to play guitar at age 6. Jones declared "I have never accepted the report that my husband died of a heart attack. The world he seemed to identify most with was the musical sounds that poured out of the radio and emanated from church choirs. A friend of the family denied his claims, but singer Billy Walker remembered that Williams mentioned to him the presence of men in the house being led upstairs. He made his radio debut at age 13; formed his first band, Hank Williams and his Drifting Cowboys, at age 14; and early on began wearing the cowboy hats and western clothing that later were so associated with him. People from 35 states were said to have made the trip to say farewell to Hank. He had 2 stepmothers and a mother. The Garden Spot Programs, 1950, a series of publicity segments for plant nursery Naughton Farms originally aired in 1950. Hank jr. was three years old when his father died in 1959. Over the next several years he churned out a number of other big hits, including "Cold, Cold Heart," "Your Cheatin' Heart," "Hey Good Lookin'," "Lost Highway," and I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive." The result of the original autopsy indicated that Williams died of a heart attack. Later he would dull his physical pain with morphine, but alcohol remained his painkiller of choice when he sought to relieve the heartache of his tumultuous relationship with Audrey Sheppard, whom he married in 1942 (they divorced in 1952). Hiram "Hank" Williams (September 17, 1923 January 1, 1953) was an American singer, songwriter, and musician. Hanks first and second wives watched from the front pew. [7] Because of an ice storm in the Nashville area that day, Williams could not fly, so he hired a college student, Charles Carr, to drive him to the concerts. Williams was born with a mild undiagnosed case of spina bifida occulta, a disorder of the spinal column, which gave him lifelong paina factor in his later abuse of alcohol and other drugs. On New Year's Day 1953, at the age of 29, Williams suffered from heart failure while being driven to his next scheduled concert in Charleston, West Virginia, and died suddenly in the back seat of the car in Oak Hill, West Virginia. Hank Williams was just 29-years-old when he died, but had lived quite a life in his short years. [80] In June 1952, Williams moved in with his mother, even as he released numerous hit songs such as "Half as Much" in April, "Jambalaya (On the Bayou)" in July, "You Win Again" in September, and "I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive" in November. Jones agreed to Williams's terms. A pop cover version by Tony Bennett released the same year stayed on the charts for 27 weeks, peaking at number one. [33], As part of an investigation of illicit drug traffic conducted by the Oklahoma legislature, representative Robert Cunningham seized Marshall's files. Before it was over, some 20,000 people had filled the auditorium and the street outside for what was described as the largest funeral in Montgomerys history. Among other fake titles he claimed to be a Doctor of Science. Since the revelation of her famous father, she initiated legal claims to his estate and battled her half-brother, who refused to acknowledge her for a long time. [31], In July 1937, the Williams and McNeils opened a boarding house on South Perry Street in downtown Montgomery. When new wife Billie Jean asked what was the matter, she claimed his. Stopping for gas in Oak Hill, West Virginia, Carr realized Williams was dead. [127] His great-grandson Coleman Finchum, son of Hank Williams III, released his debut single credited to IV and the Strange Band in 2021. Carr later kept driving until he reached a gas station in Oak Hill, West Virginia, where Williams was discovered unresponsive in the back seat. [32] The Cadillac in which Williams was riding just before he died is now preserved at the Hank Williams Museum in Montgomery, Alabama. In Knoxville, Tennessee, the two stopped at the Andrew Johnson Hotel. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. Copy. At cafes across the South, the paper added, his songs blared over radios as news of his death spread. [43] The recordings "Never Again" and "Honky Tonkin'" became successful, and earned Williams the attention of MGM Records. She stated that she received after Williams' death a bill for $800 from Marshall for the treatment. [129][130], Material recorded by Williams, originally intended for radio broadcasts to be played when he was on tour or for its distribution to radio stations nationwide, resurfaced throughout time. In 1946, Williams traveled to Nashville to meet with music publisher Fred Rose and the Acuff-Rose Publications company. [35], Williams' successful radio show fueled his entry into a music career. Audrey Williams divorced him that year; the next day he recorded "You Win Again" and "I Won't be Home No More". In 1951, Williams fell during a hunting trip in Tennessee, reactivating his old back pains and causing him to be dependent on alcohol and prescription drugs. The important thing is that he made millions of people happy, an editorial in The Advertiser stated on Jan. 3, 1953. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Lillie was unwilling to let him reclaim his position as the head of the household. In April 1948, he scored a second Billboard success with "Honky Tonkin.'". In ways that must have seemed unimaginable to this poor country boy, Williams' life quickly changed. They began to fill the auditorium hours before the afternoon funeral. [37], In August 1938, Elonzo Williams was temporarily released from the hospital. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Ultimately, the completion of the album included recordings by Alan Jackson, Norah Jones, Jack White, Lucinda Williams, Vince Gill, Rodney Crowell, Patty Loveless, Levon Helm, Jakob Dylan, Sheryl Crow, and Merle Haggard. [90], At around midnight on January 1, 1953, when the two crossed the Tennessee state line and arrived in Bristol, Virginia, Carr stopped at a small all-night restaurant and asked Williams if he wanted to eat. But coupled with Williams' obvious talents as a singer and songwriter was an increasing dependence on alcohol, which he'd started abusing in order to relieve his sometimes excruciating back pain. He showed up unannounced at the family's home in Montgomery.