In Hank Williams’ short life — he died at 29 — he had a string of hits he penned and recorded in the early 1950s, including “I’m So Lonesome, I Could Cry,” “Cold, Cold Heart,” and “Hey, Good Lookin’,” per This Day In Music. Beyond that, he synthesized various genres to create the template for country music. He also inspired the work of other musicians, some of whom, like Tony Bennett, covered his songs while he was still alive. Others, from Ray Charles to Beck, took inspiration from the Hillbilly Shakespeare as Williams was known, per Billboard and PBS.
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This was one of the reasons the Pulitzer Prize Board chose to honor Williams. “The citation, above all, recognizes the lasting impact of Williams as a creative force that influenced a wide range of other musicians and performers,” Sig Gissler, who was the administrator of the Pulitzer Prize in 2010, said in a press release.
