![]() The only sign of Williams’ last day on earth is a small marker in front of the library. And yet, this place is immortalized in country music legend and lore. It’s a quiet community, a dot on the map to somewhere, anywhere. This small mountain town in the depths of Appalachia is where the country superstar was brought to the hospital and pronounced dead on New Year’s Day 1953. The final spot on “Hank Williams’ Last Ride” was Oak Hill. But, not before a little side quest, all in the name of music journalism and also out of pure curiosity, down Route 612 towards Oak Hill, West Virginia. Merge onto I-64 towards I-77, en route to Southwestern Virginia, soon East Tennessee, and lastly Western North Carolina. Open the curtains to freezing rain on nearby Interstate 64. Bleary-eyed and in need of water, definitely some of that breakfast buffet in the hotel lobby. The 5.5-hour drive ahead of me back to Waynesville from Charleston. ![]() Next thing I know, the rollercoaster of life and happenstance slams to a halt, where it’s now Monday morning, a little after 9 a.m. The rock band in the corner of the bar had just put… as they welcomed an array of musical acts for a two-hour broadcast. Celebrating its 40th year of existence in 2023, I wandered into the fold of host (and country star) Kathy Mattea & Co. Good ole “Wild Wonderful West Virginia.” I found myself up there covering the storied NPR radio program, “Mountain Stage,” for Rolling Stone. Oh, and a reminder to pay the toll fees for Interstate 64 after not knowing there were toll roads in these parts, no cash in the wallet, either. Receipts from dive bars, sports lounges, restaurants, and gas stations. ![]() ![]() Some crumpled, others still fresh, all of which are mementos of a wild, whirlwind weekend in state capital of West-by-God-Virginia. Typing away at the desk, there’s a slew of receipts near my laptop. There are good tunes being cranked in the trusty Tacoma, the heater working just fine amid the depths of a cold, wet January in Southern Appalachia. There’s about a five hour or so drive ahead of me back to Haywood County, probably more so due to the winter weather rearing its head. ![]()
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