Hank Williams—the lonesome Alabama country boy who rose to fame and riches with an $8 guitar and a melancholy voice—had a premonition of his own death several months ago. Need a break?

On this day (January 1) in 1953, Hank Williams died on his way to a concert in Canton, Ohio at the age of 29. Williams’ recording career was short but impactful. More than seventy years after ...