Monday, April 24, 2023

Flashback: When a Concert Wasn't a Concert

 It's never a good night when deputies seize your private plane.  Once upon a time, 1989 to be exact, Hank Williams, Jr. was supposed to get rowdy with 10,000 of his closest friends in Baton Rouge.  He got rowdy all right but not in the way those 10,000 fans expected that May 6 night.  Deseret News reported: 

Hank Williams Jr. may have lost quite a few fans in Baton Rouge, La., Saturday night. Williams cursed the crowd of 6,500, failed to finish his songs, chucked his fiddle in the air and stumbled off after only 20 minutes on stage.

Not only did the people demand their money back, they burned their Hank Jr. T-shirts. Sheriff's deputies seized Williams' private plane at the airport until his agents agreed to pay $65,000 to reimburse people for tickets, pay expenses and pay the Centroplex arena a profit.Williams eventually went home to Nashville Sunday, and publicist Kent Arwood explained the incident by saying it was caused by "a personal problem with Hank. It has nothing whatsoever to do with alcoholism or anything else like that."

Councilman Doug Wellborn was at the disastrous show and said he will push for a motion forbidding Williams from playing Baton Rouge again unless he apologizes. Article

Junior eventually got his Citation back and treated the fans to a show.  The AP reported on May 24, 1989: 

Three-time Country Music Association Entertainer of the Year Hank Williams Jr. returned for an ″apology concert″ and said ″some idiot″ drugged him before his aborted May 6 concert.

″When you’re a champion, they like to knock you down,″ Williams told the audience Tuesday night.

Williams began his previous performance with rambling 20-minute speech, made a false start on several songs, cursed the crowd and stormed offstage.

Williams, 39, who is known for his songs of hard drinking and rowdy living, agreed to pay concert organizers $65,000. He later offered to do Tuesday’s concert at his expense.

″I hate drugs,″ Williams told Teusday night’s sellout crowd of 10,000. ″I detest drugs. I’ll have me a beer, and I’ll have me a drink, (but) drugs have killed too many people. ...

″I’m mad for them (the fans) and I’m mad for me,″ Williams said.

He told the crowd that ″some idiot″ had slipped ″a foreign substance in my drink″ before the May 6 show.

A report released Monday by Kathy Gangwisch, a spokeswoman for Williams, said blood and urine tests taken four days after the concert were positive for Valium, ″a foreign substance available only by prescription and which Mr. Williams stated he did not take or possess.″

The city of Baton Rouge charged $5 a ticket for the concert. Proceeds will go to a fund for the families of police and firefighters killed in the line of duty.

Williams’ father, the country singer-songwriter, Hank Williams Sr., died in 1953 at age 29 from the effects of alcohol abuse. Article.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Reminds me of the "But I WILL NOT freebase cocaine" skit.

Luckily Hank didn't have to deal with some greedy "personal injury" lawyers and their Karen class action representative.

Anonymous said...

All his rowdy friends done rowdied on down....

Anonymous said...

Love his songs but the absolute worst concert I ever attended was Hank William Jr in Jackson, MS in the early 1980’s. Drunk as Cooter Brown, the sound was horrible and over the top loud.

I duck hunted in an area where Hank allegedly hunted and had tried to drive his Winnebago through a soy bean field. Heard it stayed there for a while until it dried up enough to get a piece of large piece of equipment to drag it out.

Those outlaw country singers could tell a story like no other could, but with the exception of “Weed instead of Booze Willie,” those drunkard demons tended to get the best of them.

Anonymous said...

Obviously, there is something about “OLE MISS” he didn’t like after the afternoon concert. Surprise, Surprise,Surprise.

Anonymous said...

This reminds me of the country star that was arrested for DUI in the 80’s in Jackson. As his sentence, he was supposed to donate a concert. It never happened. He never went to jail.

Anonymous said...

I didn't know deputies had the authority to seize an airplane (without a court order) and require that someone refund money (or pronounce any other sort of sentence).

Must be a Red Stick sorta thang.

Anonymous said...

KF, can you dig up the story about George Jones getting arrested for possession of cocaine by Mississippi Highway Patrolman south of Jackson? I think he was supposed to play a free concert but never did. A retired state trooper was retelling the story to me a number of years ago.

Anonymous said...

Just spent the last 30 minutes rolling on the floor over the - " I will not freebase cocaine !" skit. Which then lead me to the " I will not poach turkeys! " skit. people are hilarious.


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Trollfest '09

Trollfest '07 was such a success that Jackson Jambalaya will once again host Trollfest '09. Catch this great event which will leave NE Jackson & Fondren in flames. Othor Cain and his band, The Black Power Structure headline the night while Sonjay Poontang returns for an encore performance. Former Frank Melton bodyguard Marcus Wright makes his premier appearance at Trollfest singing "I'm a Sweet Transvestite" from "The Rocky Horror Picture Show." Kamikaze will sing his new hit, “How I sold out to da Man.” Robbie Bell again performs: “Mamas, don't let your babies grow up to be Bells” and “Any friend of Ed Peters is a friend of mine”. After the show, Ms. Bell will autograph copies of her mug shot photos. In a salute to “Dancing with the Stars”, Ms. Bell and Hinds County District Attorney Robert Smith will dance the Wango Tango.

Wrestling returns, except this time it will be a Battle Royal with Othor Cain, Ben Allen, Kim Wade, Haley Fisackerly, Alan Lange, and “Big Cat” Donna Ladd all in the ring at the same time. The Battle Royal will be in a steel cage, no time limit, no referee, and the losers must leave town. Marshand Crisler will be the honorary referee (as it gives him a title without actually having to do anything).


Meet KIM Waaaaaade at the Entergy Tent. For five pesos, Kim will sell you a chance to win a deed to a crack house on Ridgeway Street stuffed in the Howard Industries pinata. Don't worry if the pinata is beaten to shreds, as Mr. Wade has Jose, Emmanuel, and Carlos, all illegal immigrants, available as replacements for the it. Upon leaving the Entergy tent, fig leaves will be available in case Entergy literally takes everything you have as part of its Trollfest ticket price adjustment charge.

Donna Ladd of The Jackson Free Press will give several classes on learning how to write. Smearing, writing without factchecking, and reporting only one side of a story will be covered. A donation to pay their taxes will be accepted and she will be signing copies of their former federal tax liens. Ms. Ladd will give a dramatic reading of her two award-winning essays (They received The Jackson Free Press "Best Of" awards.) "Why everything is always about me" and "Why I cover murders better than anyone else in Jackson".

In the spirit of helping those who are less fortunate, Trollfest '09 adopts a cause for which a portion of the proceeds and donations will be donated: Keeping Frank Melton in his home. The “Keep Frank Melton From Being Homeless” booth will sell chances for five dollars to pin the tail on the jackass. John Reeves has graciously volunteered to be the jackass for this honorable excursion into saving Frank's ass. What's an ass between two friends after all? If Mr. Reeves is unable to um, perform, Speaker Billy McCoy has also volunteered as when the word “jackass” was mentioned he immediately ran as fast as he could to sign up.


In order to help clean up the legal profession, Adam Kilgore of the Mississippi Bar will be giving away free, round-trip plane tickets to the North Pole where they keep their bar complaint forms (which are NOT available online). If you don't want to go to the North Pole, you can enjoy Brant Brantley's (of the Mississippi Commission on Judicial Performance) free guided tours of the quicksand field over by High Street where all complaints against judges disappear. If for some reason you are unable to control yourself, never fear; Judge Houston Patton will operate his jail where no lawyers are needed or allowed as you just sit there for minutes... hours.... months...years until he decides he is tired of you sitting in his jail. Do not think Judge Patton is a bad judge however as he plans to serve free Mad Dog 20/20 to all inmates.

Trollfest '09 is a pet-friendly event as well. Feel free to bring your dog with you and do not worry if your pet gets hungry, as employees of the Jackson Zoo will be on hand to provide some of their animals as food when it gets to be feeding time for your little loved one.

Relax at the Fox News Tent. Since there are only three blonde reporters in Jackson (being blonde is a requirement for working at Fox News), Megan and Kathryn from WAPT and Wendy from WLBT will be on loan to Fox. To gain admittance to the VIP section, bring either your Republican Party ID card or a Rebel Flag. Bringing both and a torn-up Obama yard sign will entitle you to free drinks served by Megan, Wendy, and Kathryn. Get your tickets now. Since this is an event for trolls, no ID is required. Just bring the hate. Bring the family, Trollfest '09 is for EVERYONE!!!

This is definitely a Beaver production.


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Trollfest '07

Jackson Jambalaya is the home of Trollfest '07. Catch this great event which promises to leave NE Jackson & Fondren in flames. Sonjay Poontang and his band headline the night with a special steel cage, no time limit "loser must leave town" bout between Alan Lange and "Big Cat"Donna Ladd following afterwards. Kamikaze will perform his new song F*** Bush, he's still a _____. Did I mention there was no referee? Dr. Heddy Matthias and Lori Gregory will face off in the undercard dueling with dangling participles and other um, devices. Robbie Bell will perform Her two latest songs: My Best Friends are in the Media and Mama's, Don't Let Your Babies Grow up to be George Bell. Sid Salter of The Clarion-Ledger will host "Pin the Tail on the Trial Lawyer", sponsored by State Farm.

There will be a hugging booth where in exchange for your young son, Frank Melton will give you a loooong hug. Trollfest will have a dunking booth where Muhammed the terrorist will curse you to Allah as you try to hit a target that will drop him into a vat of pig grease. However, in the true spirit of Separate But Equal, Don Imus and someone from NE Jackson will also sit in the dunking booth for an equal amount of time. Tom Head will give a reading for two hours on why he can't figure out who the hell he is. Cliff Cargill will give lessons with his .80 caliber desert eagle, using Frank Melton photos as targets. Tackleberry will be on hand for an autograph session. KIM Waaaaaade will be passing out free titles and deeds to crackhouses formerly owned by The Wood Street Players.

If you get tired come relax at the Fox News Tent. To gain admittance to the VIP section, bring either your Republican Party ID card or a Rebel Flag. Bringing both will entitle you to free drinks.Get your tickets now. Since this is an event for trolls, no ID is required, just bring the hate. Bring the family, Trollfest '07 is for EVERYONE!!!

This is definitely a Beaver production.

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