Williams delves into the blues

Williams plays country blues on the album, prodcued by Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys. Auerbach recorded the set live, with a dozen songs reprising classics from Robert Johnson, Lightnin' Hopkins, R.L. Burnside, Muddy Waters, Big Joe Turner and a few from Bocephus himself.

"The blues is where it all comes from," said Williams. "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."

Williams' wife, Mary Jane Thomas, died at 58 in Florida following complications from surgery.

Auerbach assembled a band of electric slide guitarist Kenny Brown, bassist Eric Deaton, who first toured with Fat Possum's Juke Joint Caravan, backing up T-Model Ford and Paul "Wine" Jones, plus drummer Kinney Kimbrough, son of North Mississippi bluesman Junior Kimbrough.

he idea of doing the album resulted from phone calls between Williams and Auerbach. He started receiving text messages the week leading up to the dates: pictures of Hank Williams, Jr. stationery, each with the title of a song he wanted to sing.

"First thing he said to me when he walked in was, 'I don't really feel like fucking with this shit!'," Auerbach said. "And he walked into another room."

Auerbach had the band start playing. Williams returned.

"If you wanted to play this kind of music, you couldn't have better players," Auerbach explains. "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."

"I hope you got all of that. I bet you did. I'm going to listen – and smoke," Williams said.

The track lis is:
Rich White Honky Blues Track List
.44 Special Blues
Georgia Women
My Starter Won't Start
Take Out Some Insurance
Rich White Honky Blues
Short Haired Woman
Fireman Ring the Bell
Rock Me Baby
I Like It When It's Stormy
Call Me Thunderhead
TV Mama
Jesus Will You Come By Here

Williams' most recetn album, "It's About Time," came out in 2016.