TOM IS PLAYING HANK WILLIAMS IN THE NEW MOVIE "I SAW THE LIGHT."
HANK WILLIAMS WAS A BELOVED CHARACTER BUT HE HAD A DARK
SIDE.
>> YES, HE DID, YEAH.
>> Stephen: TELL ME ABOUT LUKE THE DRIFTER.
I NEVER KNEW ABOUT LUKE THE DRIFTER.
WHO WAS HE?
>> LUKE THE DRIFTER WAS AN EXTRAORDINARY DISCOVERY FOR ME.
IT WAS TOWARD THE END OF HIS LIFE, ONCE HE BECAME A STAR --
>> Stephen: HE WAS ONLY 29 WHEN HE DIED.
>> HE WAS 29 WHEN HE DIED, ONE OF THOSE STARS THAT BURNED VERY
BRIGHT AND NOT FOR LONG.
TOWARDS THE END OF HIS LIFE, HE RELEASED -- THEY ARE ESSENTIALLY
POEMS UNDER MGM RECORDS.
THEY DIDN'T MAKE ANY MONEY.
>> Stephen: HE DIDN'T TELL ANYBODY IT WAS HIM?
>> I THINK FANS KNEW IT WAS HIM.
BUT THEY ARE MEDITATIONS ON THE ART OF LIFE AND LONELINESS AND
SADNESS AND DEATH.
ONE'S CALLED THE FUNERAL, ONE'S CALLED BEYOND THE SUNSET.
>> Stephen: WHY DO YOU THINK HE WROTE SUCH DARK THINGS FOR
HIS AUDIENCE?
>> I DON'T KNOW.
I THINK HE WRESTLED WITH HIMSELF.
I THINK HE HAD SOME FORMIDABLE DEMONS, FOR WHICH I HAVE SO MUCH
COMPASSION.
HE BECAME A STAR VERY QUICKLY.
HE HAD NO REAL SUPPORT, NO ONE TO ANCHOR HIM, I THINK.
AND IT WAS HIS WAY OF EXPELLING THOSE FEELINGS, I THINK.
THERE WAS A HUGE TENSION BETWEEN HIS CHARISMA ON STAGE.
HE WAS CLEARLY ELECTRIFYING.
PEOPLE ATTEST TO THAT.
HE WAS ELVIS BEFORE ELVIS.
>> AND HIT AFTER HIT, YOU KNOW.
HEY GOOD LOOKING, YOUR CHEATING HEART --
>> YEAH, BUT INSIDE THERE WAS A VULNERABILITY.
>> Stephen: DID YOU SING BEFORE DOING THIS PART?
>> NEVER SANG.
>> Stephen: REALLY?
NEVER SANG.
WAS NEVER IN THE CHOIR, NEVER IN THE BAND.
>> Stephen: BECAUSE YOU KILL IT AS HANK WILLIAMS.
YOU SING BEAUTIFULLY.
THAT'S A VERY DISTINCT VOICE.
>> HE'S A TENOR, I'M A BARATONE.
THERE'S SOME DISTANCE BETWEEN US IN OUR AGE.
>> Stephen: I WISH WE COULD HAVE HAD YOU TO SING.
DO YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE?
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE) >> DO I FEEL LIKE, YOU KNOW, IF
YOU WANT TO SEE ME SING, YOU SHOULD GO AND SEE THE FILM.
(AUDIENCE REACTS) >> Stephen: OKAY.
WE'LL SEE.
OKAY.
HOLD ON.
I GREW UP WITH HANK WILLIAMS.
>> YOU DID?
>> Stephen: HOW ABOUT "I SAW THE LIGHT."
>> STEPHEN IS GOING TO SING FOR US.
♪ ♪ I WANDERED -- I WANDERED SO
AIMLESS ♪ ♪ LIFE FULL OF SIN ♪
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE) ♪
♪ I WOULDN'T LET MY DEAR SAVIOR IN ♪
(IN HARMONY) ♪ THEN JESUS CAME LIKE A
STRANGER IN THE NIGHT ♪ ♪ PRAISE THE LORD ♪
♪ I SAW THE LIGHT ♪ ♪ I SAW THE LIGHT ♪
♪ I SAW THE LIGHT ♪ ♪ NO MORE DARKNESS ♪
♪ NO MORE NIGHT ♪ ♪ NOW I'M SO HAPPY ♪
♪ NO SORROW IN SIGHT ♪ ♪ PRAISE THE LORD ♪
♪ I SAW THE LIGHT ♪ >> Stephen: EVERYBODY!
♪ I SAW THE LIGHT ♪ ♪ I SAW THE LIGHT ♪
♪ NO MORE DARKNESS ♪ ♪ NO MORE NIGHT ♪
♪ NOW I'M SO HAPPY ♪ ♪ NO SORROW IN SIGHT ♪
♪ PRAISE THE LORD ♪ ♪ I SAW THE LIGHT ♪
♪ PRAISE THE LORD ♪ ♪ I SAW...
THE LIGHT ♪ (CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
>> STEPHEN: "I SAW THE LIGHT" IS IN THEATERS NOW.
TOM HIDDLESTON EVERYBODY!
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK.
( BAND PLAYING ) (CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)