LISTEN: Hank Williams Jr’s Never-Told Stories of Cash, Paisley

Evan Paul hosts Taste of Country Nights, On Demand, a weekly country music interview podcast that focuses on the music. Follow wherever podcasts are found, like Apple Podcasts and Spotify and leave a rating and review. ​​​​​​​​​​​This show is part of the Townsquare Media On Demand network.

You always remember where you were and what you were feeling during certain events in your life. Finding out that Hank Williams Jr. was coming for a sit-down interview will be one of those things that I remember for the rest of my life. Hank Williams Jr rarely does any interviews, so to have him come to the studio in person was something special.

When I first heard and saw that Hank was in the building, I could also smell his cigar. I peeked into an adjacent studio and I saw him in there with a giant cigar in his mouth, having a great time. As soon as i saw him smoking a cigar inside, I told myself that I need to ask Hank for one to smoke with him while I interviewed him. Well, telling yourself something and doing that thing are a lot different.

I tried to act like I knew what I was doing and that it was not the biggest deal of my life that I was sitting here smoking a cigar from Hank Williams Jr., with Hank Williams Jr. The interview was very scary for me, as I didn’t really have any others to compare it to and I didn’t know how Hank would react and enjoy my questions. We talked a lot about his new Rich White Honky Blues album (June 17), but he seemed to enjoy telling stories about country and blues legends even more, so I went with it.

When it was all done, he left me with stories about hangs with Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash, Brad Paisley, B.B. King and more. Listen to me sit down for one of the biggest interviews of my career on this episode of Taste of Country Nights, On Demand Episode 40 — Hank Williams Jr.