Today, Nashville singer/songwriter Sam Williams celebrates country pioneer and grandfather Hank Williams’ legacy and 100th birthday with a soothing rendition of “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry.” In true Sam Williams fashion, his beautiful voice is laced with hints of sorrow, vulnerability, and acceptance.
Listen to “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry” HERE
Over soft acoustic guitar chords, Williams sings, “Hear that lonesome whippoorwill / He sounds too blue to fly / The midnight train is whining low / I’m so lonesome, I could cry.”
“This song is special to me in many ways. I have always been hesitant to touch recording my grandfather’s songs, as there’s a sacredness to them. I wouldn’t want to do them injustice. ‘I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry’ has always been one of my favorites of his catalog,” Sam shares. “The release coinciding with his centennial birthday is a bittersweet happy birthday gift to the man I never knew that everyone seems to know. It is a reclamation of my name, my destiny in my family’s legacy, and a statement to country music. History and homage, respect, and reinvention, tattered and stolen coattails; I am a most honorable mention.”
In 2021, Williams released his debut LP Glasshouse Children, which received rave reviews from Rolling Stone, Music Row, and more. Holler Country hailed, “This almost faultless debut from 22-year-old Sam Williams has so many fine collaborations and great songs that it’s certainly been worth the wait,” while Associated Press added, “the handful of slow-paced reflective songs fit [Sam’s] own voice and vision nicely.”
Following incredible performances at CMA Fest this summer, the third-generation country music star is currently working on his next album expected in 2024.
Tomorrow, Sam returns to the Grand Ole Opry for a special performance. Gary Mule Deer, Logan Ledger, NEEDTOBREATHE, and more are set to perform. Tickets are available HERE.
Hosted by the Country Music Hall of Fame, Williams will also perform at Hank’s 100th: A Concert in Celebration of Hank Williams, presented by Spotify, on September 21. In celebration of what would’ve been his 100th birthday, this concert will feature a diverse representation of the Americana community— Suzy Bogguss, Laura Cantrell, Della Mae, Rodney Crowell, Brennen Leigh, Delbert McClinton, Charlie McCoy, Chuck Mead, Wendy Moten, Sam Williams, and more to be announced—performing interpretations of Williams classics in various styles, from honky-tonk to bluegrass to rock to R&B. For more information on the program, go HERE.
The grandson of country pioneer Hank Williams and the son of outlaw legend Hank Jr., Sam Williams is the latest in a long line of American originals. He sings with his own singular voice, and he writes in his own singular style, fusing gut-wrenching honesty with plainspoken poetics and raw vulnerability with deep empathy. With another album on the way, Sam Williams continues to prove that he is making a legacy for himself that is completely his own.
