Hank Williams Junior Is Finally Going to Be in the Country Music Hall of Fame

I'm a Bocephus fan and I always have been. As the son of one of country music's pioneers, he had a lot to live up to. He did and then some.

I also followed in my father's footsteps in the radio business so I felt a certain connection with Hank Jr. Like many of the acts getting into the Country Music Hall Of Fame, I think his is long overdue.

Just between the years 1979-1992 he released 21 albums and had forty four top 30 singles. He was an absolute staple of country radio. Because he had property in Montana, he performed in the state quite often. In fact, his Missoula show that I attended in 1985 was the loudest concert I was ever at, and I've been to a lot of concerts.

Southern Pacific was the opening act and they were awesome. Then Hank Jr. came out and rocked the arena. At one point he hopped up on his piano and fired several shots from his lever action Winchester. You don't see that at your average rock show, and Hanks show IS a rock show!

His numbers for album sales, radio singles, and five Entertainer Of The Year Awards should have gotten him in long ago. But I'm guessing his reputation probably hurt him with voters.

I've never actually got to meet him so I can't say how he really is. I did hear one story about when he was in the hospital in Missoula recovering from his fall from Ajax Mountain. He called a friend of mine who was on the air at a country station and thanked her for playing one of his songs.

If you're a fan, there are a couple of his songs you might like:

• "Two Old Cats Like Us" with Ray Charles
• "Fat Friends"
• "The American Way"
• "Dinosaur"
• "If You Don't Like Hank Williams".

Hank Jr. is the whole package because, in addition to playing several instruments and singing, he also wrote a lot of his own hits. I hope he makes a memorable speech at the award show.