A few years later, in 1952, Hiram Hank Williams was asked to leave the Opry -- with the intention that he would sober up and make a return to the stage that he loved so much. Before he could make that return, he passed on, in the back seat of a car on the way to an Ohio show. Even now, Hank Williams has yet to be reinstated to the Opry.

Hank Williams has been one of the most influential artists to ever record; changing the face of music, and the way that we view country music. Since his passing in 1953, he has posthumously achieved numerous rewards and achievements. In 1961, he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, and a few years later, he was added to the Country Music Hall of Fame Walkway of Stars.

In 1973, he was the recipient of the Pioneer Award by the Academy of Country Music. He received a Grammy for 'Your Cheatin' Heart' in 1983, and was then inducted into the Rock N' Roll Hall of Fame in 1987. That same year he was given the Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Life Magazine even ranked Hank Williams #1 on the 'Most Important People in Country Music' list. Within his short years with us on earth, he had 11 #1 singles, including 'Lovesick Blues,' 'Kaw-Liga,' as well as 25 other Top 10 Singles.

We, the undersigned, feel that it is past due for Hank Williams' reinstatement to the Grand Ole Opry. Hank Williams was one of the most influential people to ever record or write music, and his untimely death made it impossible for his to 'redeem' himself in the Opry's eyes, but after 50 years we feel that his legacy has more than made up for any objections that the Opry may have had about his personal life. His lyrics and music helped create everything traditional country music became.

Sincerely,
The fans of Hank Williams, Sr.

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Her convicted murderer, Brian McCarthy, plead guilty on Thursday, August 13, 1987 and was convicted to 23 years to life for her murder. He was denied parole at his first hearing in 2009. New York State law allows for subsequent parole hearings every 24 months. Every two years, my brother, mother, sister and I meet with the Victim Impact Unit of NYS Corrections Dept to make formal statements to ask for his parole to continue to be denied. Every 24 months we recount the horrific details for her murder and the lack of remorse and repeated offenses that her killer has shown while in prison. Every 24 months, we remind them that in one of his parole hearings, he didn’t even know Katy’s name when asked about his victim. We remind them of the beautiful life that he took and how we miss her every day.

Every 24 months we present our ongoing online petition to the board as a way to remind them that she is not forgotten, and we demand justice for the life he took. Justice demands that he be made to spend every day of his life in prison for taking the life of an innocent victim.