Contrary to some reports, Gwen Yeargain was not Hank Williams Jr.’s first wife; she was his second spouse, following the dissolution of his marriage to his high school love, Sharon Martin Gardener, in the late 1960s.
Before her marriage to Williams Jr. in April 1971, Yeargain had a career as a model in Dallas, Texas, which she had left behind. A year into their marriage, the couple welcomed their only child, Hank Williams III. By May 1975, she had sought a divorce citing maltreatment, and the separation was legally completed two years later.
Post-divorce, Yeargain chose a life away from the limelight, while her former husband, Williams Jr., continued with his music career and entered into subsequent marriages with Becky White, Mary Jane Thomas, and Brandi.
A Look At The Background Of Gwen Yeargain’s Life
Gwen Yeargain, 76, was born in 1948 in Jane, Missouri. She grew up as the daughter of Tommie A. Yeargain Sr. and Treva Mae Yeargain, with her two siblings, Gayle Bequette and Tom Yeargain Jr. Her younger sister, Tammy Gaye Yeargain, born in October 1961, died two months later.
Gwen’s upbringing was rooted in the same small town where she was born.
Tommie A. Yeargain Sr., her father, held the position of Eastern County Commissioner from 1983 to 1985. Following this, he dedicated five years at the ASCS Office in Anderson, Missouri, from 1987 until 1992. His career also included many years as a livestock trader, and he managed the family farm and ranch where he was raised. His life came to a close on August 27, 2010, when he passed away at the age of 88.
Details regarding her mother are scarce, but it is known that she passed away before her father. Her death occurred on January 25, 1986, when she was 62 years old.
She Was Once A Model
As mentioned, Gwen Yeargain, originally from Jane, Missouri, relocated to Dallas, Texas, with aspirations in the modeling industry. The specifics of her professional journey remain undocumented, making it challenging to trace her career story. However, it is established that by the time she tied the knot with Hank Williams Jr. in the early 1970s, she had gained recognition as a former model, a fact highlighted by prominent tabloids of that era.
Gwen Yeargain Was Married To Hank Williams Jr. For 6 Years And Had A Son Together
Gwen Yearagin married Hank Williams Jr. on April 7, 1971, at the First Presbyterian Church in Nashville, Tennessee, the hometown of the country singer. The wedding took place on a Wednesday evening and was attended by about 150 relatives and friends of the couple. It was followed by a reception at the Statler-Hilton Inn.
Thereafter, they traveled to London for their wedding trip, where the singer sang at their international Festival of Country Music.
At the time of the wedding, she was about 23 years old, while Williams Jr. was 22.
A year and 8 months later, Yeargain gave birth to their only child, Hank Williams III, on December 12, 1972. He, too, followed in his father’s footsteps and has released 11 studio albums, such as Risin’ Outlaw (1999), Damn Right, Rebel Proud (2008), and Hillybilly Joker (2011).
Unfortunately, her marriage to the country musician ended in 1977, just six years later. It is sad because, at that time when their marriage was declining, his career began to flourish.
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She Divorced Him On The Grounds Of Maltreatment
As captured, After six years of marriage, the former Dallas model ended her marriage with Hank Williams Jr. She filed for divorce on May 22, 1975, which was also the year he narrowly survived a climbing accident on Ajax Peak.
At 27, Gwen Yeargain sought legal separation in the Circuit Court, citing “cruel and inhuman treatment.” She was 29 when the divorce was completed two years later. The details of the divorce settlement are not public, so it’s unclear if alimony was involved.
What Happened To Her After The Divorce?
Following the dissolution of their marriage, Gwen Yeargain chose a life away from the limelight, and her current whereabouts or relationship status remain unknown.
Meanwhile, her former husband continued to make strides in his musical journey, eventually marrying three additional times, which brought his total marriages to five, with three ending in divorce.
His first marriage was to his high school love, Sharon Martin Gardener, which ended in the late 1960s, preceding his six-year union with Yeargain.
In the same year, he parted ways with Yeargain; he married Becky White, but this relationship also concluded in divorce after six years.
His next marriage was to Mary Jane Thomas, a model, in 1990. This marriage was his longest, lasting for 32 years until Thomas’s demise on March 22, 2022, due to complications from elective surgery.
The country singer didn’t stay single for long; he announced his fifth marriage to Brandi a year later. The ceremony took place at Enon Baptist Church in Banks, Alabama, on September 9, 2023, with close friends and family in attendance.
Their engagement occurred earlier in 2023, on Mother’s Day, marking the culmination of a friendship that began in 2003.
