Hank Williams Jr. dropped some surprising news amid the tragic loss of his wife earlier in the week. On Tuesday, Mary Jane Thomas passed away in Jupiter, Florida, due to an alleged blood clot during a medical procedure.
Williams’ son Sam spoke out about the passing in a statement to PEOPLE, but Thursday also saw the “Rowdy” musician approve an announcement for his new album, Rich White Honky Blues. The album is set for release in June, and the press release includes a statement from Williams on the album’s influences, including his affinity for the Blues.
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“The blues is where it all comes from,” Williams is quoted in the press release. “It’s the start of everything musical in my family; everything starts with Tee-Tot and flows from there. I’ve always flirted with this stripped back blues – all the way back to the ’80s. But I finally made an album that’s just that, and I like it.”
The Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach produced the album and helped Williams record the album in just three days. “The first time I ever saw Hank Jr. on TV, I was a kid raised on Robert Johnson and Hank Williams, Sr. records, and those things came through so clearly watching him. So, I tried to assemble the right parts to just sit in that piece of who he is,” Auerbach said.
It’s likely that the press release was already in the cards before the death of Thomas, but the timing is a bit of a surprise. Williams’ son’s words do the lifting too for how the family is feeling, with Sam Williams delivering some heartfelt words.
“She grew up competing in baton and cheerleading and was one of Hawaiian Tropic’s top models. My father fell in love with the Daytona Beach beauty the minute he set eyes on her in the early ’80s. They went on to live the most powerful love story of travel and hunting and raising a family,” Williams said. “She is survived by my father, her two parents Ramona and Bill, her brother Andy, her sister Angela, myself and her three grandchildren: Beau Weston, Tennyson Hiram and Audrey Jane. Rest in peace Mama, I will always be the son of Mary Jane.”
Sam Williams also called his mother “a beautiful soul” and that she had a “smile and presence that lit up every room and she never met a stranger she didn’t befriend.” Thomas was 58 at the time of her death and had been married to Hank Williams Jr. for over 30 years, hiccups and bumps in the marriage included.
