You Tube Gold: Holly Williams

When Hank Williams died young at 29, a lot of country music fans probably thought that was it for the Williams brand.

However, his son, Hank Jr. was initially put up as his musical heir before rebelling and going off in a distinctly different yet very familiar direction, perhaps best expressed by his song “Family Tradition.” He also provided the intro for Monday Night Football for years.

Hank Jr. has at least two talented children including sons Hank III, who looks so like his famous grandfather that when Minnie Pearl met him she exclaimed, “Lord, Honey, you’re a ghost!”

Like his father and grandfather, Hank III is a natural rebel and has offended a lot of the country music establishment.

His half-sister, Holly Williams, has more than her share of the family gift.

She is not a huge star either but has written two songs that leap out of country music and become something more than music. The first is Drinkin’, a story of a marital breakup. The second is called Waiting on June, and it’s precisely the opposite: it’s the true story of her less famous grandparents and it’s about as perfect a song as you could really hope for in any genre. It’s as fine a song as has been written this century. The gift is three generations on now and shows no signs of fading.