A large collection of previously-unreleased Hank Williams recordings will begin reaching the listening public this fall. Time Life will release the first set of recordings from Williams' 1951 Mother's Best radio show over the next three years. In totality, the collection encompasses 143 never-before-released songs, including between-song patter with Williams, his band members and his wife Audrey. The radio broadcasts were recorded on acetates, which were thrown away and retrieved from a dumpster and ultimately ended up with the Williams estate, which partnered with Time Life for these historic albums. Once all the discs are issued, Williams' song catalog will effectively be doubled.
The initial CD release this fall is set to include some 15 songs.