Born poor in a rural southern town, Hank Williams Sr. (George Hamilton) begins playing guitar at a young age and eventually joins a traveling medicine show. With the help of Audrey (Susan Oliver), his ambitious wife, Shorty Younger (Red Buttons), his manager, and Fred Rose (Arthur O'Connell), a music publisher, Williams gains an enthusiastic fan base and becomes a country music star. However, the pressures of success soon become too much for Williams to handle.