Forget football. The question Hank Williams Jr. should be asking himself right about now is whether he's ready for a police probe.
A 19-year-old waitress is accusing the country crooner, whose theme song has graced the opening of Monday Night Football since 1989, of physically assaulting and harassing her in a Memphis hotel bar.
Authorities are investigating the incident, which allegedly occurred shortly after midnight on Saturday at the Peabody Hotel, where Williams had been staying. The singer was in town to tend to two of his daughters who were being treated at a nearby hospital after being seriously injured when their SUV rolled over on Thursday.
According to the police report, Williams' alleged victim, Holly Hornbeak, claimed the singer cursed at her while she worked in the hotel's lobby bar, then put her in a chokehold in an attempt to kiss her.
Williams himself had no comment, but his publicist, Kirk Webster, vehemently denied the charges.
"I am shocked at such allegations," the rep said in a statement. "Hank Jr. has had to defend himself once already in Memphis last Friday from erroneous allegations, and now this."
Webster was referring to a report by a Memphis radio station that the country star insisted only white hospital workers care for his daughters, 27-year-old Hilary Williams and 25-year-old Holly Williams. The entertainer held an impromptu press conference Thursday to dismiss the rumor, which was apparently generated by an anonymous call to a talk radio show.
Added Webster: "Hank and family is still staying at the hotel, if any issues were problematic one would think that the hotel would ask him to check out or leave the premises. Neither has happened."
News of the investigation was first reported in the local Commercial Appeal newspaper. Investigators said Wednesday that no warrants had been issued and no charges filed.
The Peabody's general manager, Doug Brown, confirmed that police were looking into Hornbeak's allegations, but he denied her assertion that hotel management tried to dissuade her from reporting it.
As for Williams' daughters, Holly sustained broken wrists, a broken leg and cuts and bruises but was released from Memphis' Regional Medical Center Friday; Hilary remains in intensive care after undergoing emergency surgery Thursday. Keeping the family tradition alive, both siblings are musicians like their father, and his father before them.
Hank Williams Sr. is the music legend responsible for launching the honky-tonk style of country thanks to such jukebox standards as "Move It On Over," "Lovesick Blues," "Hey, Good Lookin'" and "Your Cheatin' Heart." He died early in 1953 when Hank Jr. was only three.
Hank Williams Jr. followed in his father's footsteps and, apart from writing the Monday Night Football theme, has scored some chart-toppers of his own with "Family Tradition" and "All My Rowdy Friends Are Coming Over Tonight." His son, Hank III, is also a country singer, and just released his latest album, Straight to Hell.