Hank Williams Jr.'s Kids: All About Hank Williams III, Holly, Hilary, Samuel and Katherine

Hank Williams Jr.'s sons and daughters have followed in his musical footsteps

Hank Williams Jr.’s children — Hank Williams III, Hilary, Holly, Katherine and Samuel — are carrying on their family’s country music legacy.

The “A Country Boy Can Survive” singer-songwriter welcomed his first child, son Hank Williams III, with his ex-wife Gwen Yeargain. After they divorced, Hank married Becky White and welcomed daughters Hilary and Holly. Following their relationship, Hank found love again with Mary Jane Thomas, who was the mother of Hank’s late daughter, Katherine, and son Samuel.

Despite growing up with a celebrity for a father, Hank’s kids have said that they had a fairly normal childhood.

“My dad did not want to talk about music when he was off the road. He would always say, ‘I’m not Bocephus. I’m daddy,' " Holly told WATE 6, referencing her father's nickname. "He wanted to hunt and fish and cook, but he didn’t want to talk about music.”

In 2020, tragedy struck the Williams family when Katherine died in a car accident at age 27. While promoting his debut album, Glasshouse Children, Samuel told PEOPLE he was going “to keep going” in his late sister’s honor.

"That would be really important to her, so that's really important to me, too,” he shared.

Here's everything to know about Hank Williams Jr.’s children: Hank Williams III, Hilary, Holly, Katherine and Samuel.

Hank Williams III, 51

Hank and Gwen welcomed their son, Hank Williams III, on Dec. 12, 1972.

Speaking with Glide in 2012, Hank III noted he had “a really normal childhood.” He grew up in Nashville with his mother, but they moved to Atlanta when she remarried.

“I went to public schools, I played sports ... it was a pretty average childhood,” he explained. "Most people think I was spending a lot of my time with Hank Jr. on the road and stuff like that, but I would only see him about a week or two out of the year. So I wasn’t really raised around it.”

Also known as Hank 3, he began carving a name out for himself in the punk rock space. He put out his first album, Risin’ Outlaw, in 1999. Five years later, he released Straight to Hell. He followed it up with the 2012 country album Long Gone Daddy, inspired by his grandfather and namesake. Hank III has released a total of 13 studio albums, his most recent being Ramblin’ Man in 2014.

In an interview with Noise11, Hank III referred to his family’s legacy as both “a blessing and a curse.”

“If you’re involved with somebody that has a famous father or famous grandfather, there’s expectations people have of you and in the end you’re being yourself," he said. "You gotta satisfy yourself and some of those people get let down."

Following Ramblin’ Man, Hank III retreated from the spotlight and has lived a relatively private life. He has a son named Coleman Williams from a previous relationship, who is also a musician.

Hilary Williams, 45

Hank and Becky welcomed their daughter Hilary Williams on Feb. 26, 1979.

While appearing on The Big Plan podcast in 2024, Hilary shared that, growing up, she and her siblings weren’t aware of their father’s fame. “I had no idea he was this massive country singer," she recalled. "I was just like, well, these are dad’s friends, you know? I didn’t know they were icons.”

A singer-songwriter herself, Hilary’s career in the music industry was largely shaped by a near-death experience. In 2006, she and Holly were involved in a serious car incident that left Hilary with severe injuries and needing 30 different surgeries.

“They said I shouldn’t have lived over 20 minutes because I lost six pints of blood,” Hilary told PEOPLE in 2018. She channeled that experience into her debut album, My Lucky Scars. The alternative country-rock record gets its name from “the scars on my body,” she said. “I am very lucky and grateful to be alive.”

While the artist took time off to heal and recover (she had to learn how to walk again), she noted music has always been deep in her bones.

“Because of my dad and grandfather, ever since I can remember I have always been very into music,” she shared. “My dad used to play the guitar and banjo around the house, which piqued my interest of music and as soon as I could talk ... I realized pretty early on that music was for me and what I wanted to do with my life.”

Hilary made her Grand Ole Opry debut in June 2018 and spoke about the “very surreal moment” in an interview with Parade.

“Walking into the circle was something I have dreamed of since I was a little girl and started to sing,' she said. "I’ve seen videos of my grandpa on that stage and have been in the audience watching my dad and my sister, I couldn’t wait for my moment as well. I will never forget the audience that night."

In September 2024, Hilary celebrated her dad's new song with Post Malone, "Finer Things," by posting on Instagram about attending Hank's concerts. "Had such a great time this summer at my Dad’s show in Clarkston, MI with my friends," she wrote in the caption.

Holly Williams, 43

Hank and Becky welcomed their second child, daughter Holly Audrey Williams, on March 12, 1981. Her middle name was inspired after Hanks’ mother, Audrey Mae Williams.

Despite having a famous musician for a dad, Holly told The Boot she had “a pretty normal childhood.” Still, she knew from an early age she was destined to be a singer-songwriter just like her father and grandfather.

In her early 20s, Holly released her debut album, The Ones We Never Knew, and subsequent albums Here with Me and The Highway in 2009 and 2013, respectively. She’s collaborated with major artists, including Dierks Bentley, Jewel and Keith Urban and made her Grand Ole Opry debut in 2013.

However, a life-changing car incident in 2006 led Holly to switch career paths. She launched a women’s clothing boutique in Nashville called H. Audrey — a fusion of her and her grandmother’s first names. In 2013, she restored an old gas station and opened White Mercantile, named after her maternal grandparents, Warren and June White, according to her website. The upscale general store sells clothing, books, home products and more.

“Coming from a family of so many creative talents is a reminder for me to always stay true to my artistic vision — whether that comes in the form of a new album, a retail venture, an old house renovation, or a fresh take on really good roasted chicken,” she wrote on her website.

In honor of Hank's 74th birthday, Holly penned a heartfelt tribute on Instagram, reminiscing on their good and hard times together and the many lessons he’s taught her along the way.

“He keeps himself healthy with constant nature-loves hunting & fishing more than anyone I’ve ever seen, and taught us, and now his grandchildren, such respect for these practices and the animals involved,” she captioned a carousel of family photos.

She continued, “He was the star of the show at grandparent’s day, and loves every t ball game he can get to! We walked the darkest days of our lives together, when my sister died in a car crash 3 years ago. I’ve seen him at the very bottom, at the very top, and he remains the strongest man in the world, to me.”

Holly and drummer Chris Coleman tied the knot in September 2009. They share four children: daughters Stella June, Lillie Mae and Georgia Grace, and son Arlo Gale.

Katherine Williams-Dunning

Hank and Mary welcomed their daughter Katherine Williams-Dunning on Oct. 21, 1992. She died in a car crash at age 27 on June 13, 2020.

Katherine and her husband, Tyer Dunning, were driving an SUV with a boat hitched to the back when it crossed the highway median and rolled over, a Tennessee Highway Patrol spokesperson told PEOPLE at the time. Tyler survived the crash but was airlifted to a nearby hospital for further evaluation.

Hilary commemorated her sister’s memory on her Instagram Stories, writing, "My beautiful little sister Katie. I'll always love and miss you. ?? I'll see you again one day beyond the blue."

Katherine and Tyler married on Oct. 15, 2015, and their journey down the aisle was documented by TLC’s Say Yes to the Dress. They welcomed two children: son Beau Weston and daughter Audrey Jane.

Katherine was also a business owner: She operated a clothing company called Weston Jane that sold items designed and made by mothers.

Samuel Williams, 27

Hank and Mary welcomed their son Samuel Williams in 1997.

In a 2019 interview with Cowboys & Indians, Samuel said he was “very academic as a kid, but I kind of stayed away from music for a very long time.” He briefly attended Belmont University but decided to walk away from school to focus on his budding music career.

Samuel released his first album, Glasshouse Children, in 2021, followed by his EP titled The Thaw in January 2024. The song “The Lost Grandchild’s Plea” is a tribute to his late grandparents, Hank and Audrey Williams, whom he never met. He also covered his dad’s 1981 hit “Weatherman.”

As he’s come into his own as a musician, Samuel said he’s learned a lot from studying his dad’s impressive career.

"He tried to be his dad and make his dad's music and just sing his songs for a long time and he did good at it, but there came a time and place where he had to do what he was put here to do, and that was change the entire genre of country music. That was to take country music from Nashville and take it worldwide,” he told Cowboys & Indians. “He's an icon internationally and that's something I've learned from him, just to be myself because that's what you're supposed to do."

In 2022, Samuel came out as gay in a music video for his single, “Tilted Crown.”

"I felt like I was promoting invisibility, like I wasn't being visible and wasn't being myself. I just thought it was the perfect opportunity to just show who I was,” he said during an appearance on Apple Music’s Proud Radio with Hunter Kelly.

He continued, "I identify as gay, and I've never said that to anybody else. I mean, people at my label know and people in my personal life know, but this is the first time that I've ever been, besides a show or two, that I've ever been this public about it."

These days, Samuel is busy releasing his studio album Scarlet Lonesome and taking care of his son, Tenny, whom he often shares about on his Instagram.

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