Hilary Williams

Hilary Williams never imagined she’d one day release a full-length album. She also never thought she’d live past the age of 27.

It was 2006, and the daughter of legendary artist Hank Williams Jr. was driving with her sister Holly along Highway 61 near Tunica Casino. Hilary looked down for a moment to change the song on her iPod. But that one moment, that brief second, changed everything.

The car hit a deep rut in the road and Hilary, startled, overcompensated and jerked the steering wheel. One of the car’s wheels came off, causing it to slide across the road and flip over in a nearby field four times. Holly’s arm was broken, crushed under the weight of the car, but Hilary’s condition was much worse. With both hips shattered, left collarbone broken and colon ruptured, she was forced to wait an excruciating 45 minutes for an ambulance to arrive.

“They said I shouldn’t have lived over 20 minutes,” Hilary says. “I remember a faceless angel coming to take my hand and going up to heaven. I saw my grandparents Hank and Audrey, and Johnny (Cash) and June. It was just the most heavenly music I’ve ever heard, it was so peaceful there. My grandparents gave me a hug and I turned around and came back.”

Three days later while undergoing surgery, Hilary got a blood clot and briefly died a second time. Once again, she came back.

“It wasn’t my time,” she says. “I had a lot of factors against me, so I’m definitely here for a purpose.” For Hilary, that purpose was realized during one of the darkest periods of her life, when she was forced to find her inner strength and translate her pain into art.

“When I was recovering at my mom’s house in my hospital bed, a good friend of mine, she was like, ‘You need to be writing.’ I didn’t feel like it, but I’m really glad that she pressed me to do that,” Hilary says.

From the confines of the bed, the song “Sign of Life” was penned, forming the basis for My Lucky Scars, an album of inspiration that was released on May 25.

“It was just really cathartic for me to be writing and get the song done. My voice teacher would come over, and she helped me build my voice back because I lost my voice for six months having all the breathing tubes,” she says.

Throughout her recovery, which included nearly 30 surgeries, Hilary continued to write, taking her time with the process to ensure everything was just right. Now, at the age of 39, she’s thrilled to share her voice with the world.

“I feel like I gave birth,” she says of the album. “I remember when it came out on iTunes, I was shaking and I was so excited. It’s just this baby I’ve been working on for so long and nurturing. It’s just such a great feeling. It’s so amazing.”

So far, My Lucky Scars has enjoyed great press from outlets such as Rolling Stone and Billboard. But possibly more important to Hilary is the positive support she’s received from her family.

“My dad’s always like, you’re the one with the voice in the family, he’s always been really encouraging,” she says.

Growing up in Nashville, Hilary was surrounded by music - from her father, grandfather Hank Williams, and mother Becky, who sang backup on the song “Mamas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to be Cowboys” by Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson.

“She would play the piano, dad would play the guitar, and we would all sing along and it was super fun,” she says.

Despite the divorce of her parents at the age of 8, Hilary’s childhood was relatively average... for the most part.

“Even having a famous dad, we didn’t have big parties at the house or anything. I remember June Carter Cash coming over a couple times, but we grew up pretty normal,” she says. “The only thing that wasn’t normal was going to shows with dad on a private jet and getting in limos and everything.”

It was always a given that Hilary would someday follow in the footsteps of her father and grandfather. Her mother told her how she’d “sing from her crib” all the time. “It’s just in me,” she says. “I don’t know, I’ve just always loved singing and it’s always pulled at my heart.”

Though it was questionable for some time whether Hilary would be able to pick up the Williams torch, she fought to ensure that one day, she’d be able to. And that fight is paying off. After a sold out show at the Country Music Hall of Fame, Hilary is in the process of booking a 2019 tour to promote My Lucky Scars.

“I’m so grateful that everyone is loving it because I put my heart and soul into it. There’s no fluff or anything on this album,” she says. “I just want to give people hope and inspiration that have gone through tough things in life also.”

Words by SAMANTHA BAMBINO | Photos by CATHERINE POWELL