Mary Jane Thomas the wife of Hank Williams Jr. reportedly died after undergoing plastic surgery in Jupiter, Fla. An autopsy rules that her cause of . On the evening of Dec. 30, 1952, the restless, rail-thin 29-year-old tossed and turned in bed at his home in Montgomery, Ala. He was also invited to perform on the Grand Ole Opry's first European tour, performing at military bases overseas at the end of 1949. Mira Sorvino mourns father, 'Goodfellas' actor Paul Sorvino: 'My heart is rent asunder', paid tribute to his mom in a statement to People, Reba McEntire will hit the road this fall with Terri Clark: 'Gals gotta stick together! Sam, 24, claimed in a February YouTube video that he was under a conservatorship filed by his father and half-sister, Holly, in August 2020 following Katie's death. The autopsy proved that traces of the drugs Versed and Phenergan were still in her body, although no exact cause of death could be determined, other than the expected finding of heart failure. As did other family members, like Hank Williams, Jr., who . A lonely and troubled man, Williams struggled with chronic pain and substance abuse issues that would hinder his success and ultimately lead to his untimely death at just 29-years-old. It was also something that was suggested by the initial police report. Her cause of death was not released. In March, Samuel Williams paid tribute to his mom in a statement to People. She wasdriving an SUV that was towing a boat when it crossed the median and rolled over. Legal Statement. Mary Jane Thomas and Hank Williams Jr. attend his 2021 Medallion Ceremony, celebrating the Induction of the Class of 2020 at Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, Tennessee. Marshall convinced Williams to make him his personal physician, for the price of $300 a week. He might have been scrawny and somewhat sickly, but Hank"had a lot of nerve," according to his cousin Taft Skipper inSing a Sad Song: The Life of Hank Williams. He would have custody until the child turned five, when they would then assume joint custody, per Lovesick Blues. Multiple news outlets confirmed that Thomas, 58 (others stated she was 61), was rushed to a local hospital from the . 3 min read. The daughters then filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against the doctor and Wynette's widower, Richey. Today you can still visit the spot where Hank's legendary journey ended. Hank Williams was undeniably a talented young musician. Mary Jane Thomas died on March 22 of a collapsed lung that was punctured during an elective surgery the day before, according to the Palm Beach County Medical Examiner's Office. The couple spent over 30 years . On June 11, 1949, Williams made his live Grand Ole Opry debut. I think he had a profound sadness in him, says Marc Abraham, writer and director of the new biopic. She was private, compared to her country star husband, and although they separated in 2007, they reconciled in 2011. Neither Hank Williams Jr. or Sam Williams have commented on the news of Mary Jane's autopsy. Mary Jane was a former model for Hawaiian Tropic suntan lotion. When new wife Billie Jean asked what was the matter, she claimed his reply was, I think I see God comin down the road.. has been telling people he was the doorman at the Andrew Johnson, and he says Hank was conscious and joking when he left. Carr had insisted that Williams couldnt have been dead in Knoxville, because they had spoken briefly in the car after leaving town. Born in 1949 to Williams Sr. and his first wife, Audrey Williams, Hank Jr. was raised by his mother after his father's death when he was 3-year-old. Billie Jean claimed that Williams couldnt stop tossing and turning and said I think I see God comin down the road. Less than 48 hours later, Hank Williams was dead. His mother flew him home to Montgomery so he could try to get well, according to Hank Williams, So Lonesome. On her third birthday, custody would go to Williams. Mary Jane Thomas and Hank Williams Jr. attend his 2021 Medallion Ceremony, celebrating the Induction of the Class of 2020 at Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, Tennessee. 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. 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His official cause of death was listed as heart failure, but there are many who say otherwise. But as Jack Neely, executive director of the Knoxville History Project, explains, local folklore tells a different story. Daly says that the National Enquirer knew about the death long before Nashville authorities were summoned. He survived a suicide attempt (OD'd on pills) and a mountain fall of over 500 feet on Mt. The famed country star's wife had suddenly become unresponsive and was "transported to a local hospital where she was pronounced dead.". Hank Williams Jr. has broken his silence regarding the tragic death of his wife, Mary Jane Thomas. Hank Williams Jr. and Mary Jane Thomas in 2002. Just before midnight, Carr set about getting Williams to a planned New Years Day show in Canton, Ohio. This is Hank Williams, Audrey Sheppard Williams and the . Most accounts have Williams looking and sounding groggy, and hotel porters allegedly had to carry him to the car. They agreed that Williams' mother, Lillie, would raise the baby, with Williams and Jett having visitation rights. NOVEMBER 21: Mary Jane Thomas and 2020 inductee Hank Williams Jr. seen during the 2021 Medallion Ceremony, celebrating the Induction . The WSFA radio station was also fed up with his behavior, and in August 1942, Williams was let go from his job at the WSFA for "habitual drunkenness," according to I Saw the Light. Hank was born with a spinal condition, known as spina bifida occulta, which was not well understood at the time. On Jan. 22, 2021, Aaron died in his sleep, according to the Atlanta Braves, his long-time team. According to Hank Williams, So Lonesome, Marshall was actually a high school dropout, who had simply paid $35 to obtain a degree from the Chicago School of Applied Sciences that claimed he was a "Doctor of Science and Psychology." Officials listed his cause of death as heart failure but noted that body contusions meant he had recently been in a fight. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. . In June 2020, the couple's 27-year-old daughter,Katherine Williams, died in a car crash inHenry County, Tennessee. Days after Sam made the claims,TMZconfirmed through court records that Hank filed a petition for an emergency conservatorship in August 2020 for Sam. Williams and Thomas also share a son, Samuel Williams. Check out what clicked this week in entertainment. An autopsy report said the cause of death was accidental. . Hank Williams Jr Daughter's Accident Resulted in Her Death. Daughters Hillary and Holly are Hank Jr's other children with his ex-wife Becky White, who he was married to from 1977 to 1983. I Saw The Light, the Hank Williams biopic, will be playing in theaters around the country on Friday (March 25). Williams was born with a mild undiagnosed case of spina bifida occulta, a disorder of the spinal column, which gave him . Mary Jane Thomas, the wife of Hank Williams Jr., died suddenly on Tuesday at the age of 58 following a "medical procedure." Country music legend Hank Williams Jr. is in mourning today after the sudden death of his wife Mary Jane Thomas "following a medical procedure" that was carried out in Florida. Officials listed his cause of death as heart failure but noted that body contusions meant he had recently been in a fight. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. When the singers death was announced to the waiting crowd at the Palace Theatre in Canton, they sang Williams I Saw the Light in unison.. Unfortunately, she died in 1955, just three years after her son's death, so little Jett went into foster care, becoming a ward of the state before she was eventually adopted. She had a smile and presence that lit up every room and she never met a stranger she didn't befriend. The musician wrote: "I am in a conservatorship," in five separate tweets each with one word of the message. But in the short amount of time he had, Williams gave the world a series of hits, from "Cold, Cold Heart" to "Hey Good Lookin"' to "I Saw the Light," that delighted fans and influenced music for decades to come. Katherine Williams-Dunning, daughter of country music icon Hank Williams, Jr., died Saturday night after losing control of her SUV. (AP Photo/FILE). In October of 1939, he dropped out so he could tour with the band full time, per Lovesick Blues. The singer, who suffered from a back problem, was given a sedative by his regular doctor who had allegedly purchased a fake medical diploma through the mail and was rumored to frequently overprescribe before setting off with a college student named Charles Carr acting as his driver. I want out of this, and I don't mind people knowing. In November 1942, he headed back to Alabama, working on and off for the rest of the war at the Alabama Dry Dock and Shipbuilding Company in Mobile. Carr called a doctor to Williams' room. He underwent a spinal fusion operation at Vanderbilt University Hospital, according to the Guardian, but the difficult recovery only left Williams even more dependent on painkillers like morphine. Wynette's daughters obtained a court order last year to have Wynette's body exhumed for an autopsy to determine the cause of death. Hiram King "Hank" Williams was an American singer-songwriter and musician regarded as one of the most significant country music artists of all time. Thomas was released from the facility at 7 p.m. on March 21 and was "sitting up in bed, speaking normally" the next day, the reports said, only to "suddenly" become unresponsive. Some biographers (including Colin Escott, whose book I Saw the Light provides the basis for the film) have suggested that Williams may have even died at the Andrew Johnson in Knoxville, and that Carr had unwittingly driven several hundred miles with a corpse. Despite his volatile first marriage, Hank Williams wasn't scared away from the institution entirely. The wife of country music legend Hank Williams Jr., Mary Jane Thomas, reportedly died from complications related to cosmetic surgery. Regardless, they began touring together. They shared daughter Katherine, who died in a car crash in 2020, and son Samuel, a musician. I reached over and touched him. Thomas, pictured with Williams in 1989, traveled from her home in Nashville, Tennessee, for liposuction and breast implant removal procedures. She received a $30,000 settlement, but gave up all rights to his estate and name. At a time when the music he made was still mostly regional in its appeal, he was well on the way to national celebrity when he died in 1953, and his posthumous fame would grow even greater. The couple were married in Louisiana by a Justice of the Peace on October 18, 1952, but Jones' divorce would not be officially finalized until October 28, 1952, according to Hank Williams, So Lonesome. He checked into the North Louisiana Sanitarium at the fall of 1951, but was unable to quit drinking for good. A 19-year-old high school dropout, Jones had recently separated from her husband when she met Williams. The death of Hank Williams, country music's first huge superstar, is still a bit of a mystery. Music was a big part of life in the lumber camps, and Williams received his first exposure to true Southern country music. The time of death Wynette was 55 was never established, and no autopsy was performed. Wynette's primary physician, famed Pittsburgh liver-transplant specialist Dr. Wallis Marsh, flew to Nashville that night and declared Wynette's death due to a blood clot to the lungs, although no autopsy was performed. His official cause of death was heart failure, though it is widely believed that he died due to a lethal mix of morphine and alcohol. Mary Jane, who appeared alongside Williams Jr. when he was recently inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, is survived by the singer, their son, and three grandchildren. It was something he apparently saw coming. Mary Jane Thomas the wife of Hank Williams Jr. reportedlydied after undergoing plastic surgery in Jupiter, Fla. An autopsy rules that her cause of death was accidental, and she died due to a collapsed lung that was punctured the day before. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. In the summer of 1952, Hank Williams had a brief affair with a dancer named Bobbie Jett. I'm still climbing out of it. (AP Photo/FILE) The new biopic "I Saw the Light," in theaters Friday, traces country . (Ron Galella). Her husband, Tyler Dunning, was in the vehicle and survived with critical injuries. Regarded as one of the most significant and influential American singers and songwriters of the 20th century, he recorded 55 singles (five released posthumously) that reached the top 10 of the Billboard Country & Western Best Sellers chart, including 12 that reached No. Hank Jr., has forged his own path in the country world and was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame induction last November. "I think he had a profound sadness in him," says Marc Abraham, writer . It was there Hank would be given the opportunity to explore what would become his life's two greatest passions: music and alcohol. He "knew a good 'patient' when he saw one and he hinted at a 'pleasant' way to handle the problems of exhaustion, depression, insomnia, and all the other assorted ills that tend to beset a harried man," according to Coronet magazine. Mary Jane Thomas, the wife of country singer Hank Williams Jr., died from a collapsed lung just a day after she had liposuction, officials said. At the time, a family source speculated that it may have been a blood clot after an undisclosed medical procedure. Thomas died March 22 at age 58. Mary Jane's cause of death. People reported the autopsy findingson Monday afternoon (July 25), four months after Mary Jane's death at age 58. Based on no more than this temporal link, anti-vaccine . Thomas, who lived in Nashville, traveled to Jupiter, Fla., for the procedure. ", 911 operator: "Well, we have been getting several calls and I'm not going to put this over the radio. His official cause of death was listed as heart failure, but there are many who say otherwise. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Rest in peace Mama, I will always be the son of Mary Jane.". On Saturday, it was reported that Williams-Dunning, the daughter of country singer Hank Williams Jr., died as a result of a car crash. 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Well, I need protection from them.. Lon made his living as a logger, so they didn't stay in Mount Olive for long. I actually wrote 13 pages for that scene but took them out because they felt superfluous, explains Abraham. And a few, such as country music legend Hank Williams, have expired from other causes while they happened to be in vehicles. Her mother told her, Daly writes, that she pretended to have been kidnapped from the Green Hills Mall and forced to drive out of town, and then claimed to have been beaten and dumped by the side of the road. Most accounts have Williams looking and sounding groggy, and hotel porters allegedly had to carry him to the car. She died at home, on a living-room couch, with her fifth husband, country music producer and songwriter George Richey, present. 2022-03-30. This was the scene in Montgomery's Municipal Auditorium Jan. 4, 1953 as thousands filed past the open casket of singer-composer Hank Williams who died Jan. 1 . There, Thomas became unresponsive while sitting upright in bed, according to the outlet. Mary Jane Thomas and Hank Williams Jr. in 2021. Jupiter's police department got "a medical call to the Jupiter Beach Resort & Spa" around 5pm the following day. Market data provided by Factset. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - NOVEMBER 21: Mary Jane Thomas and 2020 inductee Hank Williams Jr. seen during the 2021 Medallion Ceremony, celebrating the Induction of the Class of 2020 at Country Music . The family spent the early years of Hank's life moving around southern Alabama, following the work. A member of the country music icon's family revealed to TMZ that Mary Jane died on Tuesday, March 22, in Jupiter, Florida.. He and his cousin, J.C. McNeil, with whom he was almost inseparable, spent their time listening to gospel music on Sunday mornings and lively string band performances at the raucous parties held in the camps on Saturday nights. HANK Williams Jr's wife's cause of death has been revealed after her tragic passing at age 61. Wynette (born Virginia Wynette Pugh) moved herself and her daughters to Nashville from a life of poverty in rural Mississippi, where the former hair stylist became a country music superstar with such hits as "D-I-V-O-R-C-E" and "Stand by Your Man"(RealAudio excerpt). Due to a misspelling on his birth certificate, his official name was recorded as "Hiriam," according toLovesick Blues: The Life of Hank Williams. H. ank Williams is the most important of all country musicians, past and present. Like his first marriage, Williams did not want to wait to marry Jones. Carr stopped at the Andrew Johnson Hotel in Knoxville, Tennessee, where Williams began to feel ill, hiccuping and convulsing, according to Lovesick Blues. By clicking Accept All Cookies, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Katherine Williams-Dunning, the daughter of country music singer Hank Williams Jr. and his third wife, Mary Jane, died in a car accident in . She became an accomplished musician in her own right, performing under the name Jett Williams. She was cleared for the procedures by a physician at home, according to the Medical Examiner's report. While heart failure was reported as the official cause of death, officials observed that the man's body . Published on July 25, 2022 04:52 PM. The magazine reports she had the procedure done at Baftis Plastic Surgery. The couple's relationship was stressful from the start. She entered a legal battle to prove Williams was indeed her birth father. For his part, Hank was always picking up odd jobs, selling peanuts or shining shoes on the corner to make extra cash. . While her official cause of death remains unknown and does not appear to be suspicious, it has been reported that she presumably "suffered a complication, possibly a . He thinks Williams died --- the official cause was heart failure --- somewhere between Bristol, Tenn., and Oak Hill on the way to a New Year's Day 1953 show in Canton, Ohio. They were married from 1977-to 1983. The producers noticed his talent, and invited him to perform on air. In 1937, Williams moved with his mother and sister to Montgomery. Hank's mother, Lillian Skipper Williams, played the . Getty. <p>Her cause of death was ruled accidental.</p> Her . CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER, He also posted on Instagram shortly after her death, "I will always be the son of Mary Jane. Daly writes that after the veins in Wynette's arms collapsed, she resorted to shooting the drugs between her toes and ultimately had a permanent catheter inserted into her side, into which a needle could be inserted for shooting the drugs directly into her bloodstream. Their daughter sadly died in a car accident in 2020. Williams decided to leave the music business altogether. He married Becky White from 1977-83, and they had two children together, daughters Holly and Hilary Williams. Hank Williams Jr.s late wife, Mary Jane Thomas, died on March 22 due to a "collapsed lung that was punctured during elective surgery" performed the day before in Florida. Sam shared the post as he wrote: "It's my second one not free.". All are shocked about the longtime wife of country music legend Hank Williams Jr., Mary Jane Thomas' cause of death that was released after she reportedly passed away on Tuesday (March 24, 2022) at the age of 61. He made ends meet performing in small medicine shows, pitching cure-alls to crowds from a flatbed trailer. Unable to fly, and now unable to make it to Charleston on time, Williams hired a driver named Charles Carr to drive him to Canton, Ohio for the New Year's Day show. She was 58. They had a son, Hank Williams, Jr., in 1949. Hank Williams Jr.'s wife, Mary Jane Thomas, has unexpectedly died on Tuesday. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. When he was sober, Williams was a great performer, but as Williams' drinking problem worsened, Opry executives began to lose patience. has been telling people he was the doorman at the Andrew Johnson, and he says Hank was conscious and joking when he left. Carr had insisted that Williams couldnt have been dead in Knoxville, because they had spoken briefly in the car after leaving town. The cause of death for Mary Jane Thomas, the wife of country singer Hank Williams Jr., has been revealed. Country music:Reba McEntire will hit the road this fall with Terri Clark: 'Gals gotta stick together! All the responsibility for supporting the family now fell to Lillie. She played the bass and sang with the reformed Drifting Cowboys, per Biography. The parietal pleura is a membrane that's bound by connective tissue to the inner surface of the chest wall, and plays a major role in the formation and removal of pleural fluid, according to Science Direct. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Market data provided by Factset. Miss Spruce Creek High School, Miss Hawaiian Tropic, Miss Mary Jane Williams, my mama forever my everything. Payne, who also went by the nickname Tee-Tot, was a busker who performed blues on the streets of Georgiana and Greenville when Williams was a boy, per Britannica. At these parties, adults would hide booze outside, but the boys would easily find the stash, and take nips until they got "dunk as hoot owls on it," recalled McNeil. I actually wrote 13 pages for that scene but took them out because they felt superfluous, says biopic writer and director Marc Abraham. In light of the sad news, her brother and county music star, Williams, is now expressing his pain over the loss of his sister. He was as thoughtful and (at times) fiery as you'd expect. The 58-year-old former model was found unresponsive on March 22, just one day after undergoing the fat-removal procedure on her back, arms and stomach, People reports. The possibility was even suggested in the initial police report. But suspicions about this final journey arose immediately. All rights reserved. While the official cause of death has been debated for more than 60 years, there is a timeline of events leading up to his death that those around him agreed upon. To have a kid [Carr] turn around, feel his pulse and realize [Williams] was dead, it felt anticlimactic., Besides, Neely adds, No matter which account you pick, there are going to be people who say, Thats not how it happened. . She could take down a ten-point buck and fix dinner for her grandchildren at the same time! The concert was canceled and Carr and Williams instead stopped at the Andrew Johnson Hotel in Knoxville, Tennessee. Hank felt there was something bad around the corner.. My father fell in love with the Daytona Beach beauty the minute he set eyes on her in the early '80s. Receive daily updates with the best country music videos, news, and more! Mary Jane Thomas' cause of death has reportedly been confirmed. Hank Williams Jr.'s youngest son, Sam, said he was under a conservatorship put in place by the family following the death of his sister Katherine in 2020. NASHVILLE Country superstar Tammy Wynette, who died at home under tangled circumstances on April 6, 1998, had become hopelessly addicted to powerful painkillers, primarily Demerol, Dilaudid and Versed, according to a controversial new book by one of Wynette's daughters. He had no intention of staying with Jett, as by this point he was already infatuated with Billie Jean Jones. A representative for Bafitis Plastic Surgery did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment, nor did a spokesperson for Williams. Although he attempted at various points in his life to get sober, it never lasted long. Williams would return to Georgiana the following year with more sophisticated interests. The daughter of country music star Hank Williams Jr. has died in a car crash. Hank Williams death remains somewhat of a mystery to this day. Two months after daughter Katie's death, Hank Jr's son Samclaimed he was in a conservatorshipand begged to be "freed. Williams picked up a drinking habit as an early teen that he would never be able to beat. Hillbilly Elegist. Some have suggested that Williams may have even died at the Andrew Johnson Hotel in Knoxville, and that Carr had unknowinglydriven several hundred miles with a deceased Williams in the back seat. But one big thing is left out of the movie: the singers mysterious death. Years later he had the car restored and displayed it in his Nashville museum. The singer, who suffered from a back problem, was given a sedative by his regular doctor who had allegedly purchased a fake medical diploma through the mail and was rumored to frequently overprescribe before setting off with a college student named Charles Carr acting as his driver. Lillie gave birth to Hank on September 17, 1923, per Biography. Hank Williams was born in September 1923 in a small Alabama farming community about 70 miles south of Montgomery. Bop Shop: Songs From J-Hope And J. 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Holly has one child and Hank Jr has three grandchildren all together. He was born in Georgiana, Al., in 1923 as Hiram King Williams, and he died of a heart attack in 1953. Legal Statement. Now she gets to radiate from above with my sister Katherine Diana right by her side," he wrote, referencing his late sister. Thomas was "sitting up in bed, speaking normally" the next day when she "suddenly" became unresponsive. Some biographers (including Colin Escott, whose book I Saw the Light provides the basis for the film) have suggested that Williams may have even died at the Andrew Johnson in Knoxville, and that Carr had unwittingly driven several hundred miles with a corpse. Grace Lenehan Vaughn Published: April 7, 2022. Reps for Hank and Sam did not respond immediately to the Suns request for comment. I Saw the Light, Hank Williams . A representative for Bafitis Plastic Surgery did not immediately respond to The Posts request for comment. Hank Williams Death. Who knew that the Beach Beauty would turn out to be a world-class hunter and adventurer? Jones tried her hardest to keep Williams sober, attempting to enforce a limit of two cans of beer, saying, "If he got more, I'd force milk and two raw eggs down him, then I'd call my brothers to pack him off to the hospital.". Less than 48 hours later, Hank Williams was dead. Her spirit was gentle and giving. Mary Jane Thomas, Hank Williams Jr's wife of 31 years, unexpectedly passed away at the age of 61. There is no allegation that any of the medical staff involved in the surgery committed any wrongdoing. It was at one of these medicine shows in Banks, Alabama in the summer of 1943 that he met Audrey Sheppard, a beautiful blonde with a figure that could "melt the wax off a Dixie cup," per Lovesick Blues. While Lillie worked hard for the band, she wasn't all too popular with the members. Williams-Dunning was driving a 2007 Chevy Tahoe while towing a boat Saturday night . His mother became the band manager, booking gigs in dance halls and honky-tonks, and collecting admission money.