Jett Williams facts for kids

Jett Williams (born Antha Belle Jett on January 6, 1953) is an American singer and songwriter. She is known for her music and for being the daughter of famous country music star Hank Williams.

Early Life and Family

Jett Williams was born Antha Belle Jett in Montgomery, Alabama. Her father was the legendary country music singer Hank Williams. Her mother was Bobbie Jett. Jett was born on January 6, 1953, just five days after her father passed away. This means she was born after her father's death.

After her birth, Jett was adopted by her paternal grandmother, Lillie Williams Stone. Her grandmother gave her a new name, Catherine Yvonne Stone. Sadly, her grandmother passed away in 1955. Jett then became a ward of the state of Alabama. She was adopted again by new parents and was renamed Cathy Louise Deupree.

Proving Her Identity

Cathy Louise Deupree knew she was adopted. However, she did not learn who her biological parents were until the early 1980s. It was a big surprise to find out her father was Hank Williams. Even though Hank Williams had signed a special agreement about his unborn daughter before she was born, Jett had to work very hard to prove she was his child. She wanted to be officially recognized as his daughter.

In September 1984, she met a lawyer named Keith Adkinson. He helped her find important documents. Within days, he found a copy of the custody agreement Hank Williams had made. Within a few months, he had strong proof that Jett had been treated unfairly. A lawsuit was started based on this discovery. On September 28, 1986, Jett and Keith Adkinson got married. Keith passed away on June 19, 2013. In 2016, Jett married Kelly Zumwalt.

In 1985, a court in Alabama decided that she was indeed Hank Williams' daughter. On October 26, 1987, the Alabama Supreme Court agreed. They ruled that Jett should receive her share of Hank Williams' estate. This was because she had been a victim of unfair actions and mistakes in the legal system. Hank Williams Jr., Jett's half-brother, tried to challenge this decision in a federal court. However, the ruling remained in place when the United States Supreme Court chose not to hear the case in 1990.

Books and Recognition

In 1990, Jett Williams shared her life story in a book. It was called Ain't Nothin' as Sweet as My Baby. This book told about her journey to discover her family and her fight for recognition.

In 2000, the state of Tennessee honored Jett Williams. The Tennessee legislature passed a resolution, HJR 621. This resolution declared May 18, 2000, as "Jett Williams Appreciation Day" in Macon County. This was a special way to recognize her contributions.

Music Rights and Career

In January 2006, the Tennessee Court of Appeals made an important decision. They agreed with an earlier court ruling. This ruling stated that Hank Williams' children, Randall Hank Williams (Hank Williams Jr.) and Jett Williams, had the only rights to sell his old recordings. These recordings were made for a Nashville radio station in the early 1950s.

The court rejected claims from other companies. These companies wanted to release recordings Williams made for a show called Mother's Best Flour Show. This program was originally broadcast on WSM radio. The recordings included live versions of Hank Williams' popular songs and covers of other artists' songs. In October 2008, some of these "Mother's Best" recordings were released by Time-Life. The collection was titled Hank Williams: The Unreleased Recordings.

Jett Williams has released several albums with her own songs. She has also toured with a group that plays her father's songs. This group is a version of the Drifting Cowboys, who used to play with Hank Williams.

Discography

• That Reminds Me of Hank (1993)
• You Are on My Lonely Mind (1999)
• Honk! (2007)
• Mount Olive (2017)