‘Catch of the Day’ – Hank Williams, Jr. ft Eric Church “Are You Ready For The Country” [VIDEO]

Today our spotlight falls on a country music icon, the son of a country music legend, and the father of two more country artists who just seem to keep carrying on the "family tradition".

Hank Williams nicknamed his son Randall Hank "Bosephus" after a ventriloquist dummy used by Grand Ole Opry performer Rod Brasfield. Hank Williams, Jr. first came to the music industry's attention at age 8, when his mother started touring Hank Jr singing his legendary father's songs. The younger Williams provided the singing voice of his father in the 1964 movie Your Cheatin' Heart, and his career was off and running.

Hank, Jr. became disillusioned as a "Hank Williams Impersonator" and eventually severed all ties with his mother, Audrey, who had been guiding his career. He would relocate to Alabama, the home-state of his father and began playing with a group of outlaw country and southern rock musicians, changing the path of his career forever. The album Hank Williams Jr and Friends, released in 1975, would feature Waylon Jennings, Toy Caldwell and Charlie Daniels. It would eventually become Williams' first platinum album.

Later in 1975, another event that would forever change Williams' live occurred. While climbing Ajax Peak in Montana, Williams fell nearly 500 feet when the snow beneath him collapsed. He suffered multiple skull and facial fractures; to hide the resulting scars, Williams grew a beard and began wearing sunglasses and a cowboy hat, a look that became Williams' signature look.

When Williams "turned his back" on the country music "establishment" and what was perceived to be the memory of Hank Sr., a lot of "purists" snubbed his new sound. But as he began churning out hit after hit, the "establishment" slowly, and almost begrudgingly, accepted the new Junior. Between 1979 and 1992, Williams released 18 studio albums and 3 compilations, all were certified at least gold by the RIAA. He ran together a string of 30 consecutive top-10 singles, eight of which went to #1.

For his career, Bosephus has released 36 studio albums, 2 live albums and 22 compilation albums. The albums have produced 41 top-10 hits and 10 number ones. Williams is preparing to release his 37th studio album, Its About Time on January 15th, and the lead single is our focus today. Hank Williams, Jr., featuring Eric Church and "Are You Ready For The Country" is today's Catch of the Day, new music you haven't heard, but you'll want to hear it again.