Hank Williams
Died: January 01, 1953
American singer, songwriter, and musician. Regarded as one of the most signi-
ficant and influential American singers and songwriters of the 20th century,
he recorded 35 singles (five released posthumously) that reached the top 10
of the Billboard Country & Western Best Sellers chart, including 11 that reached
No. 1 (three posthumously)...Williams was inducted into the Country Music Hall
of Fame in 1961, the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1970, and the Rock and Roll Hall
of Fame in 1987. The Pulitzer Prize jury awarded him a posthumous special citation
in 2010 for his "craftsmanship as a songwriter who expressed universal feelings with
poignant simplicity and played a pivotal role in transforming country music into a
major musical and cultural force in American life".
Townes Van Zandt
Died: January 01, 1997
John Townes Van Zandt was an American singer-songwriter.
He wrote numerous songs, such as "Pancho and Lefty", "For
the Sake of the Song", "If I Needed You", "Tecumseh Valley",
"Tower Song", "Rex's Blues", and "To Live Is to Fly", that are
widely considered masterpieces of American songwriting.
His musical style has often been described as melancholic
and features rich, poetic lyrics.
