I interviewed Mary Wallace, the president of the Hank Williams International Fan Club, in the house where Hank once lived. The house is also the home of the Hank Williams Museum. Behind Hanks boyhood home is a stage and cover enough for 5 thousand people called the Hank Williams Music Park. This is the location of the 30th Annual Hank Williams Festival June 12 & 13, when Georgiana, Alabama comes alive with a fun-filled weekend of country music, arts & crafts, food & drink. Good old-fashioned fun!

To say that Mary is enthusiastic would be an understatement. Her speech is like a lady of southern artisocracy. This energetic grandmother has the reputation of being the world's foremost authority on Hank Williams. Going up the steps to the front door she tells, "Hank used to sit on the front steps and make music blowing a piece of wax paper and comb. The boarding house across the street would open their windows to hear him play."

Mary started the fan club and is on the board of directors of the Museum. Everything in the museum was donated by Hank Williams' fans. Mary was the first donater of Hank memorabilia. Treasured items that she said, "....things that were packed up, rolled up, in the closet that are now on the walls. The pleasure is sharing with other Hank Williams fans."

The fan club is international with Mary receiving calls that day from Canada, Michigan, Ohio and Ireland. She said, "you never know when you answer the phone, where the Hank fans are from."

A museum visitor tells Mary, "Jett Williams looked more like Hank than Hank Junior." Mary replies, "Hank Junior looks like the Shepard side of the family. Way back a lot of people wondered about that because Hank and Audrey were separated when she got pregnant with Hank Junior. But when you look at Hank III, you know he was in Hank's bloodline. Not only in looks but his ways and mannerisms are just like Hank Sr's from what I am told."

We enter a room that she calls "the sponsor room." The companys which sponsored Hank when he was on the radio, like Mother's Best, Johnnie Fair Syrup during the Lousiana Hayride days, Duck Head was a Grande Ole Oprey sponsor, and of course Hadacol and their Caravan. In that room I ask Mary to tell me about herself. Mary said, "I was born and raised in McKenzie, which is just 7 miles south of Georgiana. I moved to Georgiana in 1958. I graduated from Moore Academy in Pineapple." I asked what was her earliest rememberance of Hank. Mary tells me, "Probally about 1949, I was quite young. My Mom always played the radio, especially late at night. A lot of times we would listen to the Grande Ole Oprey on WCKY in Cinncinate. It didn't matter that I had gone to bed, if "Hey Good Lookin'" came on the radio, I would jump out of the bed and run to the radio to listen. Jerry, I thought he was singing to me." (laughter) What inspired her to start the fan club? She answers, "I've thought about that. I really don't know. I have always loved Hank Williams. I love his music. I love what his music says. I had been involved with the Hank Williams Memorial Association's festival started at Mount Olive community (Hank's birthplace in south Butler County) in 1973. I knew from the response that people have about Hank. I knew there's something magic about Hank. I don't know. You can't put it into words. There's something magic about Hank Williams fans. When the City of Georgiana bought this house, I knew that I wanted to be part of it."

The fan club's website (www.hankwilliamsinternationalfanclub.com) has only been on line for 3 weeks and is getting thousands of hits. The fan club was founded in 1992 and the museum opened in 1993, the same week that the Hank Williams U.S. Postal commenretive stamp (29 cents) was released. The museum houses the largest collection of Hank Williams photos. Mary talks about the museum, "It's really unique because Hank Williams lived here. He ate here. He slept here. He played here. He played music on the steps here. You can feel the presence of his early years here in his boyhood home."

In Paul Hemphill's book Lovesick Blues: The Life of Hank Williams, he mentions Mary, "....a word from the president of the Hank Williams Fan Club (who maintains a spare bed in her house in case Hank shows up and "needs a place to rest"...." Mary stays busy while waiting. She manages the senior citizen center in Georgiana. The old folks there let you know in no uncertain terms their love and appreciation for her and her dedication.

Mary told me, "What is so amazing about all this is the people we have met along the way. All the people that knew Hank and they share with us the stories. From many you only hear about the drinking side of Hank. There was so much more to the man. He had so much God in him, that's why he could write those wonderful gospel songs. He delivered a surmon in his music. I think that is what I like best about Hank's music, it tells a story."

In another room in the museum is a three-sided steel guitar. It belonged to Pappy Neal McCormick, who was a full blooded Indian chief, who lived in Defuniak Springs, Florida. He was very talented and had a radio program that broadcast from the Carlos Hotel in Pensacola. Hank met Pappy while he was living where the museum is now. Hank would go down and make music with Pappy Neal (there is a CD that contains Hank plugging Pappy Neal for Sheriff). The three-sided steel guitar was set up to play Texas swing, Hawaiian and country music. He played a lot of Hawaiian music because in the early days if you were an Indian you did not have the freedom to go from state to state. So Pappy Neal passed himself off as a Hawaiian.

Space does not allow for all the stories I heard about Hank that day. One story does stick out in my mind. On a trip with Charles Carr, Hank stopped at an restaurant outside of Chattanoga. After the meal Hank left the waitress a $50 tip. Hank asked her if she had ever received a tip that large before. The waitress said, "Oh yes." He asked by who? The waitress said, "By you, Mr. Williams.

Mary tells another story about Hanks days living there, "Miss Lillie (Hanks Mother) worked at the hospital in Georgiana. She worked at night and slept in the day time. Hank would be up under the house singing. It has been said that Miss Lillie would stomp the floor and shout 'Hiram, hush that racket.' (laughter) Aren't we glad he didn't stop his singing."

There was a place Hank would go to dry out called "the hut." Hank would ask for Camel cigarettes, candy bars, funny books and to be left alone for 2 or 3 days. Don Helms (Hank's steel guitar player) went to see Hank one day at "the hut." Hank asked, "Don, when are they going to let us out of here?" Don replyed, "Hank, I'm not in here."

Another facsinating item to see in the museum is a quilt by Betty Robertson from Delaware, Oklahoma. Each block on the quilt tells the ancestry and history of Hank's life story.

The 30th Annual Hank Williams Festival at the Hank Williams Music Park in Georgiana, Alabama headliners will be Jett Williams, Brad Magness, Ronnie McDowell, Jeff Whitlow, David Church and Honky Tonk Tailgate Party (Jeff Bates, Mark Willis & Trent Willmon). Also appearing is Starla Jones, Mary McDonald, Colon Leatherwood, The Springs, The Joe Wright Band, The Queens, Ricky Fitzgerald, John Wise & Slim Pickin' Band and Jenny Sims. Plus meet and hear the former Drifting Cowboys (Hank's band). For more info call 334-376-2396, fax 334-376-9850 or email