Episode Details

In this episode of pplpod, we explore the life of "Big Bill" Lister (Weldon E. Lister), the honky-tonk singer nicknamed "Radio's Tallest Singing Cowboy" for standing over 6-foot-7.

Tune in to hear the incredible story of Lister’s relationship with country legend Hank Williams, Sr., for whom he served as an opening act in 1951. We detail how Lister was given a demo recording of "There's a Tear in My Beer" by Williams, only for Lister's wife to discover the long-lost tape in their attic nearly 40 years later.

We discuss how this discovery led to the massive 1989 hit featuring a "virtual" duet between Hank Williams, Jr. and his late father, which won a Grammy and multiple CMA awards. Finally, we cover Lister's departure from music in the 1960s to become a master firearms engraver, and his eventual return to the recording studio in the 1980s.