The second edition of the Hank Williams tribute (La Noche de Hank Williams) was held last September 16 in Montevideo, Uruguay, paying tribute to the legendary singer-songwriter, and celebrating a new edition of the International Country Music Day. Uruguayan artist John Fisher opened the night with his acoustic renditions of such Williams' classics as "I don´t care (if tomorrow never comes)", "(Last night) I heard you crying in your sleep", "I´m so lonesome I could cry", "Lonesome whistle", "There´ll be no teardrops tonight", "I´d still want you", "Lovesick blues", "Hey good lookin´", "I´m a long gone daddy", "There´s a tear in my beer."

Invited to perform on this night, Argentinian duo Hard Travelin´ covered more of Hank's compositions, which included "Alone and forsaken", "Nobody´s lonesome for me", "I´ll never get out of this world alive", "Swing wide your gate of love", "My main trial is yet to come", "Wedding bells", "Howlin´ at the moon", "I just don´t like this kind of living", "I can´t help it (if I´m still in love with you)", "You´re gonna change (or I´m gonna leave)", "Be careful of stones that you throw", "I want to live and love", "Take this chains from my heart", "Moanin´ the blues."

The five-piece band Honky Tonk Blues, also from Uruguay, was in charge of the second part of the tribute. Honky Tonk Blues is a band which specializes on the music of the unforgettable Williams and therefore, they offered their personal renditions of "I can´t get you off of my mind", "Long gone lonesome blues", "Cold cold heart", "You win again", "Honky tonkin´", "Move it on over", "Mind your own business", "Why don´t you love me", "Settin´the woods on fire". Singer Andrea Pochellú was their special guest to perform on such classics as "Honky tonk blues" and "Your cheatin´ heart". The show closed with Fisher, Hard Travelin, Pochellu and Honky Tonk Blues performing "Jambalaya" . The event took place at the prestigious Shannon Irish Pub in Montevideo, Uruguay, where the two-night Tribute to Elvis Presley by Uruguayan band Bel Air was held in August. All these shows have been sponsored by the Country Music Association of Uruguay (Asociacion de Musica Country de Uruguay, AMCU) and Zona Country Prod.

Raúl Tejeiro

President of AMCU, Association of Counrty Music of Uruguay