If there’s one person in the country music world that has always spoken his mind, it’s Hank Williams Jr.
The son of the legendary Hank Williams somehow managed to make a name for himself, and he’s always done things his own way. Bocephus’ life has been filled with many ups and downs, yet he’s always maintained his positive, country-boy spirit. Even when he stared death right in the face, as we’ll touch on in just a second.
Another thing that has stayed consistent through the years is Hank Williams Jr’s faith. He’s always been open about his religious beliefs, and in no surprise at all, Bocephus has also always been quick to condemn things in religion that he doesn’t agree with.
The “Country State Of Mind” singer made that clear in an interview from 1982 when he pointed out that some churches and preachers weren’t in it for the right reasons:
“You know I’m kind of an old Southern Baptist. I guess that’s the churches I’ve been in and raised in. I don’t like to be hollered at though. I’ve seen, as we all have, some preachers are making money and that’s all.
And then there’s others that I could sit and talk to for a long time about this life and what we’ve been put here for.”
Following that quote, Hank Williams Jr. started exploring the idea that everyone is put on Earth for a reason. That consequently made him think back to his horrific 500-foot fall down a Montana mountain in 1975. This interview was only 7 years removed from that terrifying incident, so all of it was still very fresh in his mind (as it probably still is today).
Bocephus believes that the Good Lord upstairs had a lot to do with him making it through that near-death-experience, and went on to say that the doctors that treated him suggested he had been “spared” because he still had great things left to do:
“Like the doctors told me in Montana, they said, ‘We worked on a lot of boys in Vietnam, and they’re heads looked much better than yours when you came here. You’ve been left here to do something. This is more than we can do.'”
That goes to show just how bad of shape Hank Williams Jr. was after his fall.
Bocephus’ life was never the same after that fall, and though it was obviously a negative experience, it ended up leading to some very positive changes. Hank has since been more open about his faith, and is grateful for every single day.
Though he did go on to say that’s he no “perfect” person:
“I’m not gonna go around and preach to everybody. I’m no saint, brother, believe me. But I have been blessed, there’s no doubt about that. To be living, to be able to sing, to be able to write.”
You can hear more about Hank Williams Jr.’s beliefs on church and religion in the interview below:
