Jett Williams facts for kids

Jett Williams was born Antha Belle Jett on January 6, 1953. She is an American singer and songwriter. Jett is famous for being the daughter of the legendary country music star, Hank Williams. She has worked hard to share her father's musical legacy.

Early Life and Family

Jett Williams was born in Montgomery, Alabama. She was born just five days after her father, Hank Williams, passed away. This means she is a posthumous child. Her mother was Bobbie Jett.

After her birth, Jett was adopted by her paternal grandmother. Her grandmother, Lillie Williams Stone, named her Catherine Yvonne Stone. When her grandmother passed away in 1955, Jett was adopted again. Her new parents named her Cathy Louise Deupree.

Proving Her Identity

Jett 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 the famous Hank Williams.

Hank Williams had signed a special agreement before Jett was born. This agreement said he wanted to take care of his unborn daughter. But Jett still had to work very hard to prove she was his child. She wanted to be officially recognized as his daughter.

In 1984, Jett met a lawyer named Keith Adkinson. He helped her find important documents. These documents showed that she had been treated unfairly. They proved she was indeed Hank Williams' daughter. Jett and Keith later got married in 1986.

Court Decisions

In 1985, a court in Alabama officially ruled that Jett was Hank Williams' daughter. This was a huge step for her.

Two years later, in 1987, the Alabama Supreme Court made another important decision. They said Jett deserved a share of her father's estate. This was because she had been a victim of fraud. Hank Williams Jr., Jett's half-brother, tried to challenge this decision. But in 1990, the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear the case. This meant the ruling stood, and Jett's rights were confirmed.

Her Book and Special Day

In 1990, Jett Williams wrote a book about her life. It is called Ain't Nothin' as Sweet as My Baby. This book shares her journey and experiences.

In 2000, the state of Tennessee honored Jett. The legislature passed a resolution. It named May 18, 2000, as "Jett Williams Appreciation Day." This special day was celebrated in Macon County.

Rights to Her Father's Music

In 2006, another important court case happened. The Tennessee Court of Appeals decided that Jett Williams and her half-brother, Hank Williams Jr., had the only rights to sell their father's old recordings. These recordings were made for a radio show in the early 1950s.

Other companies, like Polygram Records, wanted to release these recordings. But the court said no. They ruled that Jett and Hank Jr. had the "sole rights." This means they were the only ones who could decide what happened to those recordings. In 2008, some of these "Mother's Best" recordings were released.

Jett Williams has also released her own music albums. She has even toured with a band that played her father's songs.

Discography

Jett Williams has released several albums. Here are some of them:

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