Sam Williams – the out-and-proud country-singing gay son of Hank Williams, Jr. and grandson of Hank Williams – is gearing up to make a new music announcement. But before he does, he turned to social media on Thursday morning to make a few declarations aimed at the sharped-tongued, unsupportive people on social media.
He takes verbal aim at people who try to use his family name against him, say that his voice isn’t country enough and attack him for his sexuality.
“I’ll just put it this way,” he wrote. I like boys, and I like making country music, and I’m pretty damn good at it.”
However, his missive took a minute to build to that point. Williams started his note, which appeared as a reel on Instagram, by repeating a comment he’s frequently received throughout his short career – “Hank Williams is rolling over in his grave.”
“It’s wildly immature to use someone’s own family against them in a sense that you know them better than the person you’re disparaging,” he wrote. “No one knew my grandpa, nor has his literal blood in their veins other than my family and I.”
Williams took issue with the assertion that his voice doesn’t sound like “real country music” and pointed out that Dolly Parton, Marty Stuart, Bill Anderson and more have supported him.
“Then I’m pigeonholed into ‘this pop country garbage,’” he said. “While my debut album definitely forays into pop, I don’t even know how to explain this one.”
He referenced his coming out in his “Tilted Crown” video last year and quipped it was “just entirely shocking and repugnant.”
“I couldn’t even delve into all the commentary around that,” he said. “In order to be a man, a country musician, or a proper descendant of Hank, being gay is the last straw – according to the dufus circle of idiots who received their masters in Country Music History from ________. Fill in the blank.”
Williams also took issue with people who attempted to pit himself and his half-brother, Hank 3, against each other. He said the pair had “no bad blood.” He pointed out that Hank 3 and their father first rerecorded Hank Williams’ music for their first commercial entry and success in music and said it should have been that way because it’s “his blood and namesake.”
The singer said he had the opportunity to come to Nashville, fake his tone, wear the clothes, and present himself as the new Hank Williams, but wanted to create his own image and sound.
“Don’t even get me started on coattails,” he said. “My family’s name and image has been used over and over and over. The coattails have been ridden and worn out for over 70 years now. I could have really ridden them like you’ve never seen. I chose not to.”
That said, Williams is looking forward to his new music coming out and says he writes about life experience. He promised it’s imminent, and the announcement is coming tomorrow.
