WI: Hank Williams Sr. lives longer...

Let's say Hank doesn't hurt his back again in 1951, and so doesn't end up with as severe a drug habit. Maybe, in keeping with the Luke the Drifter persona, he even ends up drying out a la Johnny Cash. Where do things go after that?
 
Let's say Hank doesn't hurt his back again in 1951, and so doesn't end up with as severe a drug habit. Maybe, in keeping with the Luke the Drifter persona, he even ends up drying out a la Johnny Cash. Where do things go after that?

Ol'Hank would have an awful lot of drying out to do. Given the state of addiction treatment in the 1950s, I kind of think that Hank Williams was beyond help. Being a drug addict and an alcoholic is a really bad combination, perticularly when you are dealling with chronic pain. He had health problems stemming back to his childhood, so the POD would have to be prior to 1951.
 
Say he goes to an Oral Roberts crusade meeting in the mid 1950s and his back gets healed. That butterflies the drugs and alcohol or he also gets free of that at the same time as his back getting healed. He gets born again and starts leading worship for Oral Roberts. Richard (Oral's son) and Hank Jr become friends and the familial friendship keeps the sons from some of their darker points.
 
The problem with Hank living longer is that he was suffering from a spinal deformaty that was paralyzing him from the waist down. its possible to clean him up, but that aint changing. I could see him lingering on, before passing into obscurity, although he could easily be rediscovered in the 1960s.

Of course, I do plan on dealing with a longer living Hank in ky Prodigal Sons TL (shameless plug :D)
 
Say he goes to an Oral Roberts crusade meeting in the mid 1950s and his back gets healed. That butterflies the drugs and alcohol or he also gets free of that at the same time as his back getting healed. He gets born again and starts leading worship for Oral Roberts. Richard (Oral's son) and Hank Jr become friends and the familial friendship keeps the sons from some of their darker points.

Oh boy! I both love and hate this idea. :)

Billy Graham seems more in line with the Luke persona...
 
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