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Hank III takes country-punk across the US

Hillbilly hellraiser Hank III is getting ready to hit the road next month to promote his upcoming album.

Hank will start a headlining trek July 10th in Little Rock, AR, with support from Big Red Goad and Power of Country. The bands will travel around the South, West and Midwest--hitting many of Hank's regular club stops as well as some new cities--before wrapping Aug. 12 in Indianapolis, IN.

Hank III and Assjack will then jump on the Reverend Horton Heat tour in late October and play primarily in the Eastern US through late November. Dates are listed below.

Hank III, the grandson of Hank Williams and son of Hank Williams Jr., is known for mixing hillbilly country with punk rock in his marathon performances. He usually plays back-to-back sets--first as the countryfied Hank III and the Damn Band and then as punk-metal rockers Hank III and Assjack.

His forthcoming, yet-to-be-titled album, said to be more on the country side, is expected to surface this fall on Curb Records. It will follow last year's double-CD, "Straight to Hell," which is a collection of hillbilly tunes, including the Hank Williams cover "I Could Never Be Ashamed of You," which marks the first time Hank III has recorded one of his grandfather's songs. A few songs from "Straight to Hell" are streaming at the Hank III's MySpace page.

Recently, the youngest Hank has been speaking out in support of an online petition to reinstate his legendary grandfather to the Grand Ole' Opry. Hank Sr. made his debut at the Opry in 1949 but was asked to leave a few years later, "with the intention that he would sober up and make a return to the stage that he loved so much," according to a posting at Hank III's website. "Before he could make that return, he passed on, in the back seat of a car on the way to an Ohio show."

More information and a link to sign the petition is available at the website.