Country Comes To Holmdel In Tribute To Hank Williams Sr.

HOLMDEL, NJ - Country star Hank Williams Sr. died 70 years ago, and a Holmdel show at Bell Works will pay homage to his legacy in a performance next week.

Pat Guadagno and his Lonesome Cowboys will host a Hank Williams 100th Birthday Bash at 7 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 10, presented by the Axelrod Performing Arts Center.

The concert will take place on the deck at Bell Works, overlooking some of Holmdel's own countryside.

Guadagno is a fan of Williams, born Hiram Williams, who died in 1953.

And it's his way to honor one of the most influential singers in American history, he says.

“We’ve put together a pretty fun band,” said Guadagno. “We have our own arrangements of the songs, but we’re staying really true to the originals.”

Guadagno first became interested in Hank Williams many years ago during his first trip to Nashville, he said, when he visited a museum that displayed the Cadillac in which Williams died on Jan. 1, 1953. Williams was ill and trying to get to a Canton, Ohio, performance in a snowstorm, but died at age 29 in the back seat of his car.

Williams’ legacy endures because his brutally honest songs were filled with heartache, honesty and raw emotion, Gaudagno said.

He left behind such hits as “Your Cheatin’ Heart,” “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry,” “Hey Good Lookin’” and “Lovesick Blues,” he said.

Born and raised in Alabama, Williams learned guitar from African-American blues musician Rufus Payne. Both Payne and Roy Acuff significantly influenced his musical style, according to a bio of Williams.

During his often troubled life, "the quality of Williams music, his art and what he put into the songs as both a writer and performer” are what impress Guadagno.

“They’re songs that anyone can relate to. 'I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry' is just a work of genius. It tears your heart out,” he said.

For the performance, Guadagno will be joined by Norman Seldin, Jackson Pines, PK Lavengood, Michael Patrick, Cranston Dean and Gary Oleyar.

You can learn more about "American Troubadour" Gaudagno and his performances at his website.

General admission tickets are $35 in advance and $45 at the door.

The concert will be held on the outdoor deck at Bell Works, 101 Crawfords Corner Road in Holmdel, and will be moved inside in case of rain. There is free parking.

Tickets are available by calling the Axelrod Performing Arts Center, Ocean Township, at 732-531-9106, ext. 14, or visiting www.axelrodartscenter.com. Tickets are not available at Bell Works.