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. He married Becky White from 1977-83, and they had two children together, daughters Holly and Hilary Williams. According to the New York Post, the singer, who suffered from back problems, was given a sedative before departing to a scheduled New Years Eve show in Charleston, West Virginia. A representative for Bafitis Plastic Surgery did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment, nor did a spokesperson for Williams. More celebrity deaths:Mira Sorvino mourns father, 'Goodfellas' actor Paul Sorvino: 'My heart is rent asunder'. The autopsy indicates that Thomas' lung collapsed after her surgeon punctured the membrane while completing the fat transfer as part of a breast lift following a breast implant removal. I think I see God comin down the road.. He's since been able to carry on promotinghis Rich White Honky Blues album and conducting several interviews without interruption. The house formerly belonged to country music legend Hank Williams. The 58-year-old former model was found unresponsive on March 22, just one day after undergoing the fat-removal procedure on her back, arms and stomach, People reports. I actually wrote 13 pages for that scene but took them out because they felt superfluous, explains Abraham. 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. Unable to fly, and now unable to make it to Charleston on time, Williams hired a driver named Charles Carr to drive him to Canton, Ohio for the New Year's Day show. The next day, Williams was still unwell, curling up in the backseat and saying all he wanted was to sleep. Hank Williams died on January 1, 1953, at the age of 29. Regardless, they began touring together. 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. After the procedure, Mary Jane went to a recovery facility where she was "speaking normally" and sitting up. Hiram "Hank" Williams died on January 1, 1953, at the age of 29. The "All My Rowdy Friends" singer and ex-"Monday Night Football" crooner met Thomas in 1985 at one of his concerts in Washington state. Check out what clicked this week in entertainment. College student Charles Carr had been hired to drive the Im So Lonesome I Could Cry Singerto West Virginia, but winter weather made it impossible to reach the venue. Hank Jr.'s daughters Hilary and Holly Williams from his marriage to Becky White were both severely injured in an auto accident in 2006, with Hilary going into cardiac arrest . Neither Hank Williams Jr. or Sam Williams have commented on the news of Mary Jane's autopsy. Under the name Dr. C.W. But, it's the 'still climbing' part that is the most important. All of these occasions, Daly writes, triggered prescriptions for major pain-killing drugs. He underwent a spinal fusion operation at Vanderbilt University Hospital, according to the Guardian, but the difficult recovery only left Williams even more dependent on painkillers like morphine. Her spirit was gentle and giving. NOVEMBER 21: Mary Jane Thomas and 2020 inductee Hank Williams Jr. seen during the 2021 Medallion Ceremony, celebrating the Induction . According to station advertising head Irving Waugh, "It got to a point where he'd disappear for weeks at a time. In recent years, a Knoxvillian . Most accounts have Williams looking and sounding groggy, and hotel porters allegedly had to carry him to the car. 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. Williams lived fast, both personally and . Williams was still set on marrying Jones, so he and Jett devised an arrangement. But suspicions about this final journey arose immediately. Multiple news outlets confirmed that Thomas, 58 (others stated she was 61), was rushed to a local hospital from the . The parietal pleura is a membrane that's bound by connective tissue to the inner surface of the chest wall, and plays a major role in the formation and removal of pleural fluid, according to Science Direct. His official cause of death was listed as heart failure, but there are many who say otherwise. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Get the best of Fox News' entertainment coverage, right in your inbox. Hank was born with a spinal condition, known as spina bifida occulta, which was not well understood at the time. They agreed that Williams' mother, Lillie, would raise the baby, with Williams and Jett having visitation rights. Is this, by any chance, Tammy Wynette?". When new wife Billie Jean . They took my grief process, my spirit, my money, my car, my home, and everything possible in order to 'protect me.' H. ank Williams is the most important of all country musicians, past and present. Sam was reportedly heavily impacted by the loss of his sister. For his part, Hank was always picking up odd jobs, selling peanuts or shining shoes on the corner to make extra cash. All are shocked about the longtime wife of country music legend Hank Williams Jr., Mary Jane Thomas' cause of death that was released after she reportedly passed away on Tuesday (March 24, 2022) at the age of 61. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, Miss Spruce Creek High School, Miss Hawaiian Tropic, Miss Mary Jane Williams, my mama forever my everything. HANK Williams Jr's wife's cause of death has been revealed after her tragic passing at age 61. She was rushed to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead. The autopsy determinedshe died of a collapsed lung sustained during the surgery. TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) A Florida medical examiner has released information on what exactly caused the death of Mary Jane Thomas, the late wife of country music singer Hank Williams Jr. A report . The autopsy listed seven other findings including mild brain swelling, mild coronary artery disease, and fatty metamorphosis of the liver, according to the outlet. Quisque turpis dui, rhoncus quis metus a, scelerisque vestibulum turpis. The cause of death was listed as accidental. Born in 1949 to Williams Sr. and his first wife, Audrey Williams, Hank Jr. was raised by his mother after his father's death when he was 3-year-old. After his wife's tragic death, Hank Jr said: "Her kind spirit and beautiful and endearing love carries on in the hearts of our son, Sam, grandsons Beau and Tennyson, and granddaughter Audrey Jane.". You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! In his free time, Williams began to perform on the sidewalk outside of Montgomery's radio station, WSFA. It was never properly treated, and would cause him lifelong back pain. Country music icon Hank Williams Jr. 's late wife, Mary Jane Thomas, died from a collapsed lung -- and it happened just one day after she'd gone under the knife . 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. (They later dropped Richey from the suit.). Williams Jr. thanked fans for their prayers and support immediately following his wife's death. His official cause of death was listed as heart failure, but there are many who say otherwise. . or redistributed. Hank's mother, Lillie, and father, Lon, had briefly settled in a rural area of Alabama called Mount Olive, to start their family. A lonely and troubled man, Williams struggled with chronic pain and substance abuse issues that would hinder his success and ultimately lead to his untimely death at just 29-years-old. In 1949, however, following the release of his hit "Lovesick Blues," it was a different story. No cause of death was provided at the time. There is a framework of events that is largely agreed upon, starting with Williams being chauffeured to a planned New Years Eve show in Charleston, W.Va. The autopsy proved that traces of the drugs Versed and Phenergan were still in her body, although no exact cause of death could be determined, other than the expected finding of heart failure. But their marriage was tumultuous, and provided much of the raw fodder for Williams' more lonesome melodies, most famously "Cold, Cold Heart." Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. 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 . Mary Jane's cause of death was announced on Tuesday, July 26, 2022. Afterwards, he began to deteriorate physically, putting on weight and losing his hair. Lillie gave birth to Hank on September 17, 1923, per Biography. I actually wrote 13 pages for that scene but took them out because they felt superfluous, says biopic writer and director Marc Abraham. All rights reserved. By 1942, all the members of the band were drafted except for Hank Williams. Hank Williams Death. The cause of death for Mary Jane Thomas, the wife of country singer Hank Williams Jr., has been revealed. Thomas, 58, died on March 22 of a collapsed lung that was punctured during elective surgery the day before, according to a report from the Palm Beach County Medical Examiner as well as an autopsy report, which were obtained by PEOPLE. The wife and former model had traveled from Nashville to Jupiter, Florida to undergo liposuction and get previous breast implants removed, People reported. 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. (Carr died in 2013 and, for much of his life, kept silent on his journey with Williams.). He died in 1939, but his musical legacy would live on in Williams. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. 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. Although he attempted at various points in his life to get sober, it never lasted long. To have a kid [Carr] turn around, feel his pulse and realize [Williams] was dead, it felt anticlimactic.. Katherine died in a vehicle collision in Tennessee in 2020 when she lost control of the SUV she was driving. However, when Hank was only six, Lon suffered facial paralysis as a result of what was most likely a brain aneurysm. Mary Jane Thomas, the wife of Hank Williams Jr., died suddenly on Tuesday at the age of 58 following a "medical procedure." Country music legend Hank Williams Jr. is in mourning today after the sudden death of his wife Mary Jane Thomas "following a medical procedure" that was carried out in Florida. It is unclear if the arrangement is still in effect. The daughter of country music star Hank Williams Jr. has died in a car crash. The Tragic Real-Life Story Of Hank Williams. Thomas, 58, traveled from . Once called the King of Country Music, he died in 1953. ', Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Richey recently sold the luxurious Nashville mansion where they lived for $1.2 million. Mary Jane Thomas and Hank Williams Jr. in 2021. 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. Hank Williams became one of America's first country music superstars, with hits like "Your Cheatin' Heart," before his early death at 29. The doctor injected him with B6 and B12 vitamins and declared him fit for travel the next morning. There, Thomas became unresponsive while sitting upright in bed, according to the outlet. Hank Williams, the country legend and Hillbilly Shakespeare, didn't have the opportunity to live in the world long. Booze was freely available at most of their gigs, and Williams took full advantage, which caused tension in the band. Her death was ruled an accident. Hank Williams performing "Hey Good Lookin' "#HankWilliams #HeyGoodLookin #Vevo 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. Williams decided to leave the music business altogether. During her life, Wynette underwent more than three dozen major surgeries, primarily due to abdominal adhesions. On December 30, 1952, Williams was in bed at this Montgomery, Alabama, home with new wife Billie Jean. Sam, 25, paid tribute to his late mother in a statement to PEOPLE shortly after her death. I'm still climbing out of it. Hiram "Hank" Williams (September 17, 1923 - January 1, 1953) was an American singer, songwriter, and musician. The $50 million lawsuit, filed by the singer's daughters on April 5, 1999, alleges that the doctor maintained Wynette "on a regimen of narcotic and other addictive prescription medicine.". 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. Williams-Dunning died in 2020 in a car accident in Tennessee. Most accounts have Williams looking and sounding groggy, and hotel porters allegedly had to carry him to the car. By the end of 1952, Williams was unable to continue touring. In June 2020, the couple's 27-year-old daughter,Katherine Williams, died in a car crash inHenry County, Tennessee. 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. Williams had already been drinking when he was given a shot of B12 and morphine by the hotel doctor. After meeting in 1985 at one of Williams shows in Washington state, the pair tied the knot in 1990. The late Mary and Hank Jr welcomed two children, Katie and Sam. Where Did Hank Williams Die. This was the scene in Montgomery's Municipal Auditorium Jan. 4, 1953 as thousands filed past the open casket of singer-composer Hank Williams who died Jan. 1 . Hank Williams + Audrey Williams' Love Story. 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. Williams. The "Family Tradition" singer married Thomas in 1990. Only George Jones, Daly says, truly loved Wynette, but she writes that his own addiction to alcohol doomed their marriage from the start. This story has been shared 101,613 times. Later he shared more photos and thoughts. The Drifting Cowboys were a popular act, but by the age of 16, Williams was already struggling to control his drinking. The famous Hank Williams was dead at 29 from whiskey, hard living, and heart failure. By 1930, Lillie was for all practical purposes a single mother, and the Great Depression was hitting the country. The famed country star's wife had suddenly become unresponsive and was "transported to a local hospital where she was pronounced dead.". Hank Williams Jr., 73, is the son of country music legend Hank Williams. The former models cause of death was listed in the official autopsy as "pneumothorax due to perforated parietal pleura during liposuction with autologous fat reinjection procedure," according to medical reports obtained by Fox News Digital. Published on July 25, 2022 04:52 PM. Hank Williams Jr. drove it when he was in high school. 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. 7/25/2022 2:31 PM PT. 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. Sam later spoke about how Katie's passing impacted him during an interview withPeoplein August 2021. 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. Officials listed his cause of death as heart failure but noted that body contusions meant he had recently been in a fight. An autopsy report said the cause of death was accidental. She was released from the facility on March 21 and taken to a recovery facility nearby. She became an accomplished musician in her own right, performing under the name Jett Williams. In his grief, on March 29 . Legal Statement. And, Carr claims that he spoke briefly with the singerin the car after they left the Knoxville hotel. 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. , -Hank Williams to wife Billie Jean shortly before he died, Elizabeth Olsen and Tom Hiddleston, who plays Hank Williams, in I Saw the Light.. They had a son, Hank Williams, Jr., in 1949. 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. Fox News Flash top entertainment and celebrity headlines are here. On June 11, 1949, Williams made his live Grand Ole Opry debut. The musician wrote: "I am in a conservatorship," in five separate tweets each with one word of the message. Daly writes that she herself had been to the house earlier that day and had found Wynette asleep or at least totally unresponsive on the couch, with Richey sitting in a bathrobe, uncommunicative. Daly hints that Wynette would deliberately hurt herself in order to gain access to drugs and once hurled herself offstage during a concert to earn a trip to the emergency room. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Some have suggested that Williams may have even died at the Andrew Johnson Hotel in Knoxville, and that Carr had unknowinglydriven several hundred miles with a deceased Williams in the back seat. While heart failure was reported as the official cause of death, officials observed that the man's body . The possibility was even suggested in the initial police report. The singer's wife was released from the hospital March 21 and was transported to a resort for recovery. 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. In 1951, Williams suffered another accident, this time while hunting. 3 min read. His daughter, christened Antha Belle Jett, was born just five days after Williams' death. She died from a collapsed lung, TMZ reported Monday. But as Jack Neely, executive director of the Knoxville History Project explains, local folklore tells a different story. While it is generally believed his mother gave Hank Williams his first guitar, other locals wanted to claim the credit. He survived a suicide attempt (OD'd on pills) and a mountain fall of over 500 feet on Mt. The coroners report also listed that she was given an anticoagulant, and had suffered mild brain swelling in addition to mild coronary artery disease and fatty metamorphosis of the liver, a common finding for people with a history of alcoholism. Hank felt there was something bad around the corner.. Years later he had the car restored and displayed it in his Nashville museum. Katie Williams and Tyler Dunning.". He was found dead in the backseat of his car, which was parked on the side of the road between Montgomery, Alabama, and Oak Hill, West Virginia. I reached over and touched him. It was also something that was suggested by the initial police report. A member of the country music icon's family revealed to TMZ that Mary Jane died on Tuesday, March 22, in Jupiter, Florida.. A 19-year-old high school dropout, Jones had recently separated from her husband when she met Williams. Hank Jr., has forged his own path in the country world and was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame induction last November. It was the biggest city Williams had ever lived in, and opportunities for the young musician abounded. July 7, 2013 12 AM PT. The WSFA radio station was also fed up with his behavior, and in August 1942, Williams was let go from his job at the WSFA for "habitual drunkenness," according to I Saw the Light. Mary Jane was released from Bafitis Plastic Surgery at around 7pm on March 21 where she was reportedly "sitting up in bed, speaking normally.". Grace Lenehan Vaughn Published: April 7, 2022. While Lillie worked hard for the band, she wasn't all too popular with the members. 1:44. According to the Guardian, her identity was undisclosed for years. Thomas, who lived in Nashville, traveled to Jupiter, Fla., for the procedure. With his WSFA wages, he linked up with another young musician, Smith Adair, and formed a band called the Drifting Cowboys, per Sing a Sad Song. Thomas, 58, traveled from Tennessee to Florida for liposuction and a procedure to remove previous breast implants witha breast lift at Bafitis Plastic Surgery, locatedin Jupiter, investigators say in the documentsobtained by USA TODAY. They began to tour around Alabama, charging 25 cents a show. Daly says that the National Enquirer knew about the death long before Nashville authorities were summoned. Answer (1 of 6): Randall Hank Williams (AKA Hank Williams, Jr) is alive and well. It was there Hank would be given the opportunity to explore what would become his life's two greatest passions: music and alcohol. Jones tried her hardest to keep Williams sober, attempting to enforce a limit of two cans of beer, saying, "If he got more, I'd force milk and two raw eggs down him, then I'd call my brothers to pack him off to the hospital.". Hank Williams death remains somewhat of a mystery to this day. Suspendisse condimentum eu arcu vitae hendrerit. 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Mary Jane's cause of death. Initial reports suggest that Mary Jane may have passed away due to complications from . The performance was so successful that the audience demanded six encores from Williams before the show could go on, according to History. Tragedy has struck the Williams family previously. Thomas, pictured with Williams in 1989, traveled from her home in Nashville, Tennessee, for liposuction and breast implant removal procedures. You're about the purtiest thing I ever saw," via Sing a Sad Song. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. In the summer of 1952, Hank Williams had a brief affair with a dancer named Bobbie Jett. 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. Hank Williams wasn't born Hank Williams. She was cleared for the procedures by a physician at home, according to the Medical Examiner's report. He claimed his famous father and half-sister,Holly, put him under a conservatorship in August 2020. He pulled into a gas station to receive directions to the nearest hospital, but it was too late. Hank Williams Jr. has broken his silence regarding the tragic death of his wife, Mary Jane Thomas. On July 1, 1990, the couple tied the knot in Missoula, Montana, per the . 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. 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. 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. On March 22, she suddenly became unresponsive, the report says. In light of the sad news, her brother and county music star, Williams, is now expressing his pain over the loss of his sister. . Hank Williams Jr. and wife Mary Jane Thomas in 1989. (Terry Wyatt). "A family member verified Mary Jane died Tuesday in Jupiter, Florida, and we're told the early indication is that she died as a result of a medical procedure problem - probably a blood clot.". He made ends meet performing in small medicine shows, pitching cure-alls to crowds from a flatbed trailer. Some biographers (including Colin Escott, whose book I Saw the Light provides the basis for the film) have suggested that Williams may have even died at the Andrew Johnson in Knoxville, and that Carr had unwittingly driven several hundred miles with a corpse. 2023 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Satellite Information Network, LLC. Hank Williams was undeniably a talented young musician. Thomas and Williams were married for over 20 years and shared two kids, son Sam and the late Katherine, who died in 2020. "My dear Mama Mary Jane was a beautiful soul who forever affected everyone who knew her. Katherine Williams-Dunning, the daughter of country music singer Hank Williams Jr. and his third wife, Mary Jane, died in a car accident in . Carr stopped at the Andrew Johnson Hotel in Knoxville, Tennessee, where Williams began to feel ill, hiccuping and convulsing, according to Lovesick Blues. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. About six or seven hours later, on the morning of Jan. 1, 1953, Carr realized his passenger was dead and already beset with rigor mortis, the New York Post writes. "My dear Mama Mary Jane was a beautiful soul who forever affected everyone who knew her. Williams-Dunning was driving a 2007 Chevy Tahoe while towing a boat Saturday night . Who knew that the Beach Beauty would turn out to be a world-class hunter and adventurer? Tom [Hiddleston, the actor portraying Williams] puts across that impending sense of doom. 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. It was also something that was suggested by the initial police report. The car in which Hank Williams passed his last few hours and died on New Year's Day, 1953 is exhibited at the Hank Williams Museum in Montgomery, Alabama. 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. "I think he had a profound sadness in him," says Marc Abraham, writer . The specifics of Williams' demise are unknown. Hank Williams Jr.'s wife, Mary Jane Thomas, died after undergoing an elective cosmetic surgery, reports from Florida's Palm Beach County medical examiner reveal. In November 1942, he headed back to Alabama, working on and off for the rest of the war at the Alabama Dry Dock and Shipbuilding Company in Mobile. Cras nunc lectus, tempor sit amet ex sed, malesuada malesuada justo. She received a $30,000 settlement, but gave up all rights to his estate and name. The Darkness of Hank Williams. He had also previously been arrested for forgery and armed robbery. . He would have custody until the child turned five, when they would then assume joint custody, per Lovesick Blues. There is a framework of events that is largely agreed upon, starting with Williams being chauffeured to a planned New Years Eve show in Charleston, W. Va. On Saturday, it was reported that Williams-Dunning, the daughter of country singer Hank Williams Jr., died as a result of a car crash. This time, the legality of the marriage would cause real trouble for Jones. Thomas traveled from her home in Nashville, Tennessee, for liposuction and breast implant removal procedures performed at Bafitis Plastic Surgery, according to the reports, and was then cleared by physicians to recover at home, where she traveled to the nearby Jupiter Beach Resort & Spa in Palm Beach County.