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Hank Williams Jr. Drops New Single After Honoring Late Wife Mary Jane Thomas

Yesterday, Hank Jr.’s Instagram page was a little busier than usual. First, we learned that Tennessean was premiering a new single from Hank Williams Jr.’s new album Rich White Honky Blues. Then, we saw Bochephus pay tribute to his late wife Mary Jane Thomas with a sweet throwback photo from the day they met. Today, the country icon released the second single from his upcoming album. “Georgia Women” is now available on all streaming services.

News of the new single broke on Hank Williams Jr.’s Instagram. The post’s caption gave a little more information about “Georgia Women” before urging fans to go listen to it and watch the video. The caption states that blues legend R.L. Burnside originally recorded the song. Check out Hank’s version below.

R.L. Burnside included “Georgia Women” on two separate releases in 1997. It appeared on his album Mr. Wizard as well as on a 45 rpm single called Sympathy for the Record Industry with “Four Women” as the B-Side.

More About Hank Williams Jr.’s New Single

Bocephus plans to pay homage to blues greats with Rich White Honky Blues. With that in mind, it’s easy to see why “Georgia Women” is the second single from Hank Williams Jr.’s new album. The Mississippi-born Burnside was a master of Hill Country Blues and played his entire life. His career started in the early 60s and ended when he passed away in 2005. Like many bluesmen, Burnside didn’t get his due until the later stages of his career. However, he left his mark on not only the blues but also American music as a whole. In short, Bochephus knows how to pick ‘em.

The first two singles from Hank Williams Jr.’s upcoming record give us a taste of what we can expect. The lead single, “44 Special Blues” was penned by legendary bluesman Robert Johnson. In both releases, we see Hank Jr. staying faithful to the original recordings. So, that tells me that this isn’t just a record of blues covers for Williams. Instead, it is a tribute to the performers who helped to shape American music as well as his sound.

Hank Jr. on Rich White Honky Blues

Hank Williams Jr. recorded his upcoming album at Easy Eye Sound. In a post from the record company about the upcoming album, Hank Jr. talked about why he decided to do a blues album. “The blues is where it all comes from. It’s the start of everything musical in my family; everything starts with Tee-Tot and flows from there. I’ve always flirted with this stripped-back blues – all the way back to the ’80s. But I finally made an album that’s just that, and I like it.”

It’s hard to argue with that statement. Hank Sr. is one of the most important artists in country music history and the blues were at the center of the music he made. Listen back to songs like “So Lonesome I Could Cry” “Move It On Over” and “Lovesick Blues” and you’ll hear those sounds and themes front-and-center.

For the most part, we tend to think of Hank Williams Jr as the son of the single most influential country singer in history. In truth, he has the blood of a bluesman running through his veins.

Rich White Honky Blues drops June 17th from Easy Eye Sound.