September 23 at the Castle Studio in Nashville. The session, which became Williams' last, also produced the A-side "Kaw-Liga", as well as the songs "I Could Never Be Ashamed of You" and "Take These Chains from My Heart". It was produced by Williams' publisher Fred Rose, who made minor arrangements of the lyrics of "Your Cheatin' Heart". Williams described the song to his friend, Braxton Schuffert, as he was about to play it, as "the best heart song (he) ever wrote". Williams is backed on the session by Tommy Jackson (fiddle), Don Helms (steel guitar), Chet Atkins (lead guitar), Jack Shook (rhythm guitar), and Floyd "Lightnin'" Chance (bass). While traveling to a scheduled New Year's show in Canton, Ohio, the driver found Williams dead on the back seat of the car during a stop in Oak Hill, West Virginia. "Your Cheatin' Heart" was released at the end of January 1953. Propelled by Williams' death, the song and the A-side "Kaw-Liga" became a hit, selling over a million records. Billboard initially described the songs as "superlative tunes and performances", emphasizing the sales potential. Within a short time from its release, the song reached number one on Billboard's Top C&W Records, where it remained for six weeks. Legacy Released in the wake of his death, the song became synonymous with the myth of Hank Williams as a haunted, lonely figure who expressed pain with an authenticity that became the standard for country music. The name of the song was used as the title of Hank Williams' 1964 biopic. "Your Cheatin' Heart", as well as other songs by Williams were performed on the movie, with George Hamilton dubbing the soundtrack album recorded by Williams' son, Hank Williams Jr. Country music historian Colin Escott wrote that "the song – for all intents and purposes – defines country music." In the 2003 documentary series Lost Highway, country music historian Ronnie Pugh comments, "It's Hank's anthem, it's his musical last will and testament. It's searing, it's powerful, it's gripping. If you want to say this is his last and best work, I wouldn't argue with that." AllMusic described the track as the "signature song" of Hank Williams, and an "unofficial anthem" of country music. Rolling Stone called it "one of the greatest country standards of all time", ranking it at number 217 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. The song ranked