In December 1944, Hank married the feisty Audrey Sheppard. Their tumultuous marriage provided material for many of Williams' songs, defining modern country music's “can't-live-with-'em-can't-live-without-'em
” vision of male-female relationships.
Williams moved to Nashville, Tennessee, in 1946 in pursuit of a recording contract. Audrey arranged a meeting with Fred Rose of the newly formed Acuff-Rose Publishing. Rose was taken with the young singer, getting Williams signed to MGM, and becoming...