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CWRU will host the seventh annual American Music Masters Conference,
"Honky Tonk Blues: the Music, Life and Legacy of Hank Williams,"
from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, September 28 in the University's
Thwing Center, 11111 Euclid Avenue. One of the great figures in
American music, Williams (1923-53) is best known for his string
of hits, which included "Your Cheatin' Heart," "Hey, Good Lookin',"
and "I Saw the Light."
photo courtesy of
the Rock and Roll
Hall of Fame and Museum
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The CWRU conference will bring academics, journalists, musicians,
and music industry representative together to explore William's
enduring legacy.
The keynote speaker will be Colin Escott, author of Hank Williams:
A Biography. Other participants will include Kira Florita,
director of special projects at the Country Music Hall of Fame,
who collaborated with Escott on the book Hank Williams: Snapshots
from the Lost Highway and co-produced the Grammy Award-winning
Complete Hank Williams box set and Peter Guralnick, author of
numerous books on American musical and cultural history, including
Last Train to Memphis: The Rise of Elvis Presley and
Careless Love: The Unmaking of Elvis Presley.
The conference also will feature performances and commentary
by Hank's daughter Jett Williams, and performers Don Helms, Marty
Stuart, and Tommy Shaw.
Inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1961 and into
the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987, Williams bridged the gap
between rural and popular music to create a new sound.
"Hank Williams brought country, blues, and gospel music together
in songs that were enormously honest and intimate," says Mary
Davis, conference director and CWRU's Robson Junior Professor,
adding that performers ranging from Bruce Springsteen to U2's
Bono have cited his influence in their work.
The conference is part of the annual American Music Masters series,
which is a co-production of CWRU and the Rock and Roll Hall of
Fame and Museum. Related events honoring Williams will include
the Rock Hall's all-star tribute concert at the State Theater
on the evening of September 28; an exhibit at the Rock Hall, which
will open in mid-September; and performances of the play "Lost
Highways: The Music and Legend of Hank Williams," on stage at
the Cleveland Play House from September 24 to October 20.
The conference is open to the public but registration is required.
The $25 registration fee covers admission to all conference events
and includes lunch; registration is free for all CWRU students.
Online registration and detailed information about the conference
may be found at http://www.cwru.edu/events/amm.
Those who register online will automatically be eligible to win
an electric guitar donated by the Rock Hall. Registration will
also be available on site during the conference. For information,
call 216-368-3836.
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