Ain't Misbehavin'

Jazz trumpeter Louis Armstrong always said “Ain’t Misbehavin’” was the song that made him famous. It was introduced in an all-African-American revue called Connie’s Hot Chocolates at Connie’s Inn in Harlem in 1929. Satchmo joined the company shortly after the show opened, and he played “Ain’t Misbehavin’” during intermissions. Thomas “Fats” Waller, who wrote the song together with Andy Razaf and Harry Brooks, claimed years later that it was written while they served time for alimony evasion. Whether it's true or not, his story certainly paints the lyrics in a different light. There are several good recordings of this song, but the most interesting may be the one that earned Hank Williams, Jr. a Grammy nomination for Best Male Country Vocal Performance in 1985. How did a 20’s jazz standard become an 80’s country song?