The other day I watched a very interesting program on the life and legacy of Hank Williams. As you may know, Hank Williams was one of the most influential country music stars of all time, with hits including Your Cheatin’ Heart, Hey Good Lookin’, and I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry—songs that have been covered by musicians across a wide range of genres.
What you may not know, and what I found fascinating, is that when Williams died at the young age of 29 without an estate plan, a chain of events was put into motion that would forever change the life of his unborn daughter and keep his multimillion-dollar estate stuck in the courts for years.
While Williams achieved great success in his lifetime—both professionally and financially—his personal life was turbulent and riddled with addiction. In 1952, he divorced his first wife and moved in with his mother as his drug problems escalated. During this time, he had a brief relationship with a woman named Bobbie Jett, which resulted in her becoming pregnant. Nevertheless, Williams continued to tour and only months later married his second wife, Billie Jean Eshlimar.
On January 1, 1953, Williams was scheduled to perform at a New Year’s Day concert in Canton, Ohio, but he was unable to fly because of inclement weather. Instead, he hired a college student to drive him there. Hours later, when the car pulled into a gas station in Oak Hill, West Virginia, Williams was found dead in the back seat— the result of a mixture of alcohol and drugs.
Only five days later, Bobbie Jett gave birth to a little girl—Hank Williams’ daughter. Despite his substance abuse issues, Williams apparently had no intention of being a deadbeat dad to this child, later to be named Jett Williams. In fact, months earlier, he had signed a pre-birth custody agreement that gave him full custody of his daughter. After his death, the child went to live with Williams’ mother, who legally adopted her in 1954. However, when she died in 1955, the young girl was made a ward of the state of Alabama and was subsequently adopted by new parents who renamed her.
The child grew up knowing she was adopted, but not knowing who her biological parents were. After hearing numerous rumors suggesting she might be related to Williams, the girl—now a young woman—went to great lengths to discover her origins, often facing defeat as the records were under seal. It wasn’t until the early 1980s that she finally learned the truth: that Williams had executed the pre-birth custody agreement and was, in fact, her father.
Even with this proof, she was forced to go to extreme lengths to be legally recognized as Williams’ daughter. In 1984, she hired an investigative attorney (who she later married) who successfully accessed her sealed records. But even then, her battle wasn’t over. She faced resistance from Williams’ other children and was denied compensation from his estate.
Because Williams died without a will, Jett Williams had to take her case to court once again. In 1985, the Alabama State Court ruled that she was the daughter of Hank Williams, and in 1987, the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that she was entitled to her half-share of the estate. Williams’ other child, Hank Williams Jr., appealed the decision in federal court, but the ruling stood when the United States Supreme Court declined to hear the case in 1990.
After six years and many thousands of dollars in legal fees, Jett was finally treated as a natural child and rightful heir of Hank Williams. Like father, like daughter—Jett now performs as a country musician.
While this case is certainly unique due to the celebrity and fortunes involved, it highlights a simple truth I often share with clients: If you have children—no matter how young you are—you need to have a basic estate plan that includes a valid will.
Even if you don’t have a million-dollar fortune like Williams, a will allows you to designate a guardian for your child and provide for their future if you are no longer there to do so yourself. Failing to plan ahead can only add to the devastation of a family tragedy.
If you don’t already have a will, contact a Massachusetts estate planning attorney today to get started protecting your family.
