Hank Williams Jr. loves to perform here in Virginia Beach for all his rowdy country music fans and is coming back for what is sure to be another incredible concert this Saturday, June 19th, at the Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater.
Hank has been creating his fan loving music since 1964, releasing 54 studio efforts, over 100 singles and selling over 70 million albums with 10 number one singles, 13 number one albums, 20 gold albums and six platinum albums. His 1982 Hank Williams Jr's Greatest Hits sold over three million copies, earning an incredible five time platinum status in the U.S.
Hank has won eight Grammy Awards, multiple ACM Awards, ACMA Awards, a CMT Awards, multiple Emmy Awards and in 2020, Hank was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
Get ready to join “Bocephus†himself and sing-a-long to such iconic hits like “Family Tradition,” “A Country Boy Can Survive,” “All My Rowdy Friends Are Coming Over Tonight,” and other famous Hank Williams Jr hits, at the Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater this Friday June 19th for an amazing night from start to finish. Also performing with Hank this Friday night is the famous The Marshall Tucker Band for what is sure to be an unforgettable night for all who will be attending.
For tickets and more info, go to https://www.virginiabeachamphitheater.com/events/hank-williams-jr-19-june-2026/
I have been blessed to not only see Hank's incredible concert in the past when he was here at the amphitheater but also the distinct pleasure of interviewing him. As a huge Hank Williams Sr and Jr fan myself, it was definitely a highlight for me to interview Hank and he was just as delightful and entertaining in the interview as he was in the concert. Here are portions of our interview from back then.
Yiorgo: Can you give me a memory or two of what it was like getting banjo lessons from Earl Scruggs and piano lessons from Jerry Lee Lewis?
Hank Williams, Jr.: Well … everyone from Jerry Lee Lewis to Fats Domino to Little Richard were over at our office just to play the piano and talk to momma. So, my childhood was not a normal childhood. Jerry Lee showed me how to boogie-woogie on the piano and I was so young, I really didn't know at that time how big of a star Jerry was. He was just a guy over at the house. Earl and Louise Scruggs were dear friends. Earl taught me many things on the banjo. Those are memories you just wish you had on tape.
Y: Knowing what you know now about how your life has turned out, if you could change what happened on Aug. 8, 1975 on Ajax Mountain in Montana, would you?
HW: That day changed my life forever. Prior to that day, I was always living in daddy's shadow. I think after the fall, I discovered who I was and what I wanted to do. I woke up in the hospital room with June Carter Cash and Johnny Cash at my bedside. You know lots of people don't realize, June Carter Cash is my godmother. She and Johnny stayed with me, prayed over me, and were there for me whenever I needed them.
Y: In 1989 you recorded the electronic video duet with your dad on the song “There's A Tear In My Beer.†What are your memories of those times?
HW: I wish I would have been able to be in the studio with daddy to really make the recording. But thanks to good technology, I was able to record with him years after his passing. That, I think, was like the first time something like that had happened. I don't remember when Natalie Cole did it with her father, but I think we were first in making such a recording. Hearing daddy's voice over the headphones just sent chill bumps through my entire body. It was a magical day in the studio and it became a magical moment for the video.
Y: How and where do you see yourself and your influence in the music world … and life in general?
HW: If my music has touched anybody, helped them through a tough time, spoke to them in a way that I was their voice on a subject … then I feel that I did what I was supposed to do. Music is a way of communicating, I just happen to be outspoken and speak what I believe. I share a lot of that in my music. I hear lots of people say that I influenced their sound, and if I did, well then that's great.
Y: How would you like to be remembered?
HW: I want people to know that I meant what I say … and I do what I say. I am not a fake and I am not going to try and convert fans just to be popular. My fans are loyal to me because I am loyal back.
Y: When you're relaxing, who do you listen to and whose music do you enjoy playing for your own amusement?
HW: I listen to rhythm and blues, some old Waylon (Jennings), and a variety of things. I am not a radio guy, so I don't just sit around and listen to the new artists today.
Yiorgo is an arts, entertainment and sports writer. A stage, TV and movie actor, he is also a sports entertainer, educator, motivational speaker, writer, storyteller and columnist.
