Hank Williams III
My mom was always playing Elvis around the house or ZZ Top, so there was always rock-n-roll and country being played.Collection: Mom
I've always had that feeling for the dark side, for the anger and the hate-rock. The music is just the way I deal with it.Collection: Anger
I thank God for all the independent hard rock that I grew up with.
I know I'm a sinner.
I'm involved with Satanists and activities.
If I'm opening up for George Jones or playing a complete honky-tonk, I do true country music. But if it's a complete rock club, I'll do some country and a little bit of this hillbilly acoustic country metal or whatever it's called.
We're kind of like the Kurt Cobain of country music in a way.
I'll tell you, Nashville ruined country music.
The only person out there worthy of mixing political views and music is Jello Biafra.
I'm a musician... not a politician.
I don't like being told what to do, and I don't need to be told what my record should sound like.
You can't say I don't work hard and give all I got.
It seems that pop country has stuck around a long time.
I still believe in hope and that a good song will push itself.
It's really tough - if you're on a major label and they want you to have a number one song, you need to do what they say.
Each Hank Williams has always had an independent streak.
I've always known the kind of songs I wanted to sing and play.
For someone like me, if I ever had huge success or whatever that is, I would just play smaller venues two to three nights in a row just to keep the intimacy level there and that's my take on it, but it just depends what you're going for.
To me, country music is emotions, certain harmonies. But it's all in the emotions - a lot of good times, a lot of hard times.
I've got no respect for anyone who tries to take the easy way out.
Unless you can't take care of yourself or stuff like that, I'm always standin' for you to hold onto life as much as you can.
I don't want to have to talk to a lawyer if I want to jam with someone or if I want to sing on someone's album.
The best music out there isn't on the radio.
It was fun trying to use a few different voices for the vocal track on 'Country Heroes.'
My grandfather always sang about the light, and for some reason, I don't know why, it even goes back to when I was seven, eight years old, I've always been attracted to the dark.
I mean, out of every five shows we do, there's somebody saying Hank Sr.'s rolling around in his grave.
I always think Hank Williams knew that he was going to die young, and that's why he did that much work.
The biggest production show I went to with my step-dad and my mom was Adam Ant when I was probably eleven.
Hank Williams, Hank Jr. and myself, if you check your history, you'll see that they've always played in rowdy environments. Part of that is a lot of people are coming to forget their problems and not being told what to do for a couple of hours and not try to have anything sold to them or pushed on them.
I got my first drum kit when I was six years old.
My first vinyl was a Kiss record and a Walt Disney record. I liked the energy of rock and roll.
I was a massive Sid Vicious fanatic.
I told all my punk friends, 'If I'm gonna do country music, I'm gonna milk it.'
I was like, 'I'm never gonna do country, I'm never gonna give in, you'll never see me wear a cowboy hat.'
In reality, I never even got to have a Hank Williams instrument. I got a tie, a fishing lure and a check.
When I'm feeling awful, music is the only thing that releases the pressure. It's been the best psychiatrist I've ever had.
Well, I've always felt connected to the outsider.
Over the years, Cajun music has always calmed me down, or if I'm feeling real sick or feeling real unsettled, I can put that music on and try to get focused again.
I always saw myself as a sideman. I figured I'd end up a drummer.
My country stuff, it might sound like Hank Williams - that's just the way it is. But I'd rather sound like Hank Williams than Trace Atkins.
I have never had a business mind.
Radio can break you.
There's a lot of different moods that come across in my shows. Even when I'm playing a slow waltz song, sometimes there's crowd-surfing. Most of the time there's a mosh pit.
Most people do their shows and get the hell out, and don't even care about the fans.
I always do my show and say hello. And a lot of people are standing around waiting to shake my hand and say thanks for, A, letting me talk to you, and letting me feel a part of what you do.
I live wild and free and reckless, but that's the price you have to pay for rock.
I just hope I'll live to 60, and then I'll turn to the Lord and say, 'I'm ready for you now. I got all the time in the world to start making it up to you now.'
I never did figure on being a college man.
Minneapolis, in general, has been there with me since the beginning. They made me feel important before I really even had a foundation. I think a lot of it has to do with it's such an intense music city in its own right.
Politics and music should only mix to a point. Me, I think my job as a musician is to make people try to forget about all that.