Jett Williams and Adoption

Biography

Williams is the birth child of Hank Williams, the country and western singing star. She was born in Montgomery, Alabama, (named Antha Belle Jett) five days after he died and adopted by her grandmother, who renamed her Catherine Yvonne Stone. When she was two years old, and less than two months after the adoption was finalized, her grandmother died, and since her father's family did not want her she went through several foster homes before being adopted again, renamed Cathy Louise Deupree. All this time she did not know who her birth family was.

When she was 21 her mother told her of rumors that she was Hank's daughter, but it took until 1984 for her to uncover the documentation, which also proved that the rest of her birth family had deliberately hidden her origins in order to defraud her of her inheritance.

She successfully sued those responsible in the Alabama and US federal courts. Jett, who has now changed her name to Jett Williams, follows in father Hank's footsteps as a country and western singer, even using some of his backing musicians and songs.

She has also been involved in charities for riding for the disabled and the US government's Take Pride in America program.

References

Williams, Jett, and Thomas, Pamela. Ain't Nothin' as Sweet as My Baby: The Story of Hank Williams' Lost Daughter. (San Diego: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1990) "Jett Williams: Living the Legend: Past." [Includes portrait]. Available at: www.jettwilliams.com/past.htm