Hank Williams Jr. – Then and Now

Hank Williams Jr. had a mountain climbing accident in 1975 that almost killed him. After that, he's kept the now-famous beard and sunglasses close by for public appearances, but this press photo from 1971 proves he wasn't always the surly country picker we know today. Heck, he looks borderline cheerful.

There's a striking resemblance between the man on the left and Hank Williams Sr. In fact, we had to double check that it wasn't him and that someone hadn't made a mistake. It's been nearly 40 years since an unbearded Bocephus has emerged in public, and long forgotten is his physical resemblance to his father. We especially love the "H W" ring he's wearing on his picking hand and the bolo tie.