Super Bowl Update

Mine was a family of high and liberal culture. Mom joyfully read us Shakespeare and Dickens; Pop lead passionate discussions of philosophy and politics. The approved musical  genre was classical, although My Fair Lady was allowed as well as Odetta Sings Dylan and a Marian Anderson recording of spirituals. Needless to say, Hank Williams was not on our radar.

My neighbor, Helen Ferebee, however, loved country music, loved old Hank. In the summer when the windows were open, music would float over into our yard. Once, when I was visiting, Helen played me some Hank Williams songs. I can't remember which ones, but I do remember the feel and sound of them. It crawled inside me and settled down, as real experience always does.

When I went home and asked my parents about Hank Williams, I was instructed that he and his music were not much.

 

The Board, chaired by Anders Gyllenhaal, executive editor of the Miami Herald, made the award after a confidential survey of experts in popular music.

“The citation, above all, recognizes the lasting impact of Williams as a creative force that influenced a wide range of other musicians and performers,” said Sig Gissler, administrator of the Pulitzer Prizes. “At the same time, the award highlights the Board’s desire to broaden its Music Prize and recognize the full range of musical excellence that might not have been considered in the past.

Though Williams was a star in his day who understood the power of image, at the core of his work was his ability to write and sing lines that resonated not only in the mind but deep in the heart of his listeners – which is why his songs so easily cross genres for other performers: His words speak of what we know to be true.