Hank Williams (Hiram King Williams, Mount Olive West, Alabama, September 17, 1923 – Oak Hill, West Virginia, January 1, 1953), was an American singer-songwriter and musician regarded as one of the most important country music artists of all time. In the short period from 1947 until his death, at 29, on the first day of 1953, Williams recorded 35 singles (five of which were released posthumously) that would place in the Top 10 of the Billboard Country & Western Best Sellers chart, including eleven that ranked number one.