According to Louise Williams, her husband Curley finished his supper that night in 1951, left their house and went down to the Anniston, Alabama radio station where he worked. He was gone for about half an hour and then came back home, telling her that he had just written a hit song! Mrs. Williams said, “He sat down and sang the song for me and I thought it was very good. He had titled the song ‘Half As Much’.”

But the next day, all the guys in his band, The Georgia Peach Pickers, laughed at him when he sang the song for them. But he still thought it was a good song so he made a tape recording of it and mailed it to Acuff Rose Music in Nashville, Tennessee. The head of Acuff Rose was Mr. Fred Rose. Mr. Rose would usually write Curley a letter after receiving his songs but this time he called Curley on the telephone and said, “I just wanted you to know that this song is a hit.”

She added, “Curley recorded  ‘Half As Much’ for Columbia Records but just about the time the record started to take off, Columbia Records pressing plant went on strike for seven weeks ands when the plant went back into operation, Christmas songs were popular so that just killed Curley’s record.  But Rosemary Clooney released the song and it was a big hit in the pop music field. Then later Hank Williams recorded it and it was a big country hit as well.”

Hank’s recording of “Half As Much” entered the country music charts May 3rd,1952 and peaked at number two were it stayed for two weeks.  It was on the charts for 16 weeks.  The song was Hank Williams’ 29th chart single.

Doug Davis
Country Music Classics