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  • Music

The Health and Happiness Show is a radio program featuring the legendary country musician Hank Williams. The show revolves around Williams' soulful songwriting and heartfelt performances, which remain timeless and relevant even after 70 years. Consisting of eight episodes, listeners experience Williams' powerful and piercing voice through a mix of his early hits such as "Lovesick Blues" and "Mind Your Own Business." Although the audio quality of the recordings is as good as his studio-produced releases, the program follows a formulaic structure, with each 15-minute episode including an opening song, duets with his first wife Audrey, and some fiddle numbers from the Drifting Cowboys band member Jerry Rivers.

The Health and Happiness Show was recorded in October 1949 at WSM in Nashville, and it turns 70 years old in October 2019. Interestingly, the show was sponsored by Hadacol, a purported cure-all elixir created by Louisiana state senator Dudley LeBlanc that claimed to remedy a wide range of ailments. The product was heavily promoted using various tactics, such as humorous newspaper ads and a song titled "Hadacol Bounce" by New Orleans' Professor Longhair. Despite its dated format and the less-than-stellar singing by Audrey Williams, the radio show preserved the essence of Hank Williams' exceptional talent and serves as a valuable piece of music history.

Sources: offbeat.com