Long before he became the voice of Early Cuyler on Squidbillies, Unknown Hinson was playing hit (at least in his mind) country songs and brandishing an obliviously alpha male persona that is equal parts Johnny Cash and Bela Lugosi. Though there is little that differentiates Early from Unknown (aside from the tentacles and fangs), you’re not likely to see a Squidbilly on stage performing songs such as “I Cleaned Out A Room (In My Trailer For You).” Known for performing numerous shows a year, Hinson emerges from his trailer park coffin to begin a series of one-off performances tonight with a show at the EARL in Atlanta. Before he takes the stage, he talks to Wrestling with Pop Culture about his new stage show, Squidbillies and his mysterious background.

I’ve seen you perform several times over the past few years and your stage show has evolved with each show. You no longer have a manservant and your band lineup has changed from the first time I saw you. What kind of stage show theatrics do you have planned for these shows and what’s your band look like now?

Well, that’s a good question. This time around I’ll be doing only my songs. I don’t play no songs by nobody else. I just play my own mess. It’s all Unknown Hinson songs and it leans more towards the country-western side of me. Not so much rawk because country-western is my first love.

I don’t know about theatrics. I just get up ‘ere and sing and play my guitar and that’s about it. Who knows what might happen? Different thangs happen different times. Ain’t nothin’ I really plan to happen, you know. I just kind of go with it. I use a steel guitar player, a drummer and a bass player, and, of course, me. I don’t play no covers by nobody, I don’t play no rawk and mess like ‘at. My family had a country-western intervention. I used to play some rawk, but I figured out that my ass was gone burn in hell if I kept that up, so I give it up.

Now that you’ve been doing Squidbillies for a few years, do you ever find that people who may not even know who you are or what you look like recognize you by your voice?

Yessir, it happens all the time. It sure does. Squidbillies is a lot of fun. I’ve been doing it since 2005 and a new season is on the air right now on Cartoon Network‘s Adult Swim. Actually, we’re working on season six, to be released soon.

Yeah, people do recognize… It kind of works both ways. Some people who know me will check out Squidbillies and some people who see Squidbillies get curious about me and come to my shows. So one kindly helps the other, you know what I mean?

Yeah. You’ve had a recurring character on the show named Thunder Clap, who is voiced by professional wrestling legend Mick Foley. What has it been like working with him on those episodes?

Well, you know I don’t get to work with the other voice actors. We do it all in separate studios. I’m located out of North Carolina. Sometimes I will fly to Atlanta to do a session for the show, but it’s usually a special record or something like that. Or we might shoot a promotional video for the show and in that case I would fly to Atlanta. But most of the time they direct me from Atlanta while I’m in a studio here in the Charlotte area. Then they put it all together.

Wrestling is obviously a pretty integral part of the north Georgia setting of Squidbillies, as well as in Charlotte and throughout the South. What are your thoughts on professional wrestling and the Squidbillies episodes about it?

I love it. I think it’s great entertainment. I really do. A lot of people who like me seem to like it, and vice versa. It’s funny how it works like ‘at, but I’ve seen that.

Outside of Squidbillies, have you ever been involved in any kind of professional wrestling show in any way?

Naw sir, I never have. That don’t mean I wouldn’t like to someday, but I never have so far.

I understand a collection of music from Squidbillies will be available as a free download soon. And you’re also working on your own album of new material. When will all that be available?

Yep. There’s an album coming out consisting of the various artists that have contributed songs to the show. I think there going to be a couple of my songs on there that I wrote for the show, as well as several other artists. It should be a lot of fun.

I got my own new CD coming out in time for Christmas. It’s not a Christmas CD, but it’s a new CD for me and it’ll be released in time for Christmas. So far, I think it’s my best work, really. I think it’s right up there in the top two if not number one because it’s a lot of songs from the past year and it’s more reflective of me this time, not so much my take on other sitiations. It’s pretty much what’s coming from my heart and my brain.

For your show in Atlanta tonight, you have the Syrens of the South burlesque troupe opening for you. They’ve opened for you previously in Atlanta, but do they do shows with you outside of Atlanta?

Naw, mostly the only time we work together is when we’re in Atlanta together. They a nice bunch of ladies. I look forward to seeing them again. It’s a lot of fun, but that’s the only time we’ve worked together is when I play Atlanta.

How do you like having them open for you?

I thank it works. It goes right along with what I do. Plus, ain’t nothing wrong with having some purdy girls back in the dressing room, know what I mean?

Right. Do you have any favorites in the troupe?

Naw, I like ’em all. I sure do. They’re a bunch of nice ladies.

I interviewed you a few years ago and asked this question, and I’m sure you’ve answered numerous other times. But I think it bears repeating. How did you get the name Unknown Hinson?

Well, you know, my mama and daddy did not know one another when they conceived me. They was both drunk when they had the sexuals and they never even bothered to find out each other’s name. When my mama discovered that she was with child afterwards, and it was time for me to be born, the doctor was filling out my birth certificate and said, “Miss Hinson, what do you want to name the boy?” Hinson was her maiden name, she weren’t married. She said, “I want to name him after his daddy.” So, you know “Mother: Miss Hinson, Father: Unknown,” ’cause she dun’t know his name, ’cause they’s drunk. That’s how I got it.

I know you don’t have much to go on, but have you ever tried to track down your father?

No sir. The only thing she knowd ’bout him was he was not much count. He was a mean, kinda rowdy feller and they just had that one experience together and she didn’t never hear from him no more. So I don’t know if he’s even alive or nothin’. Mama dissappeared when I was ten year old and I run away from home and joined up with a carnival. The fella who run the carnival pretty much raised me till I was about 22 year old. Then I got set up and framed for his murder and they tried and convicted me and sent me to prison for 30 years. I went in ’63 and got out in ’93 and I’ve been playing my chart toppers and writin’ songs and touring as much as I can. Trying to make up for lost time, you know. But I ain’t bitter about spending that time in the joint because, hell, it give me time to write a lot of songs and practice my guitar and my sangin’. Plus I learned how to read and write in ‘ere.

Thangs worked out good. The only thing is I can’t cash no checks because you can’t cash no checks made out to Unknown. I ain’t never had no driver’s license, which is a big, major qualification to be in my band. You got to have a driver’s license and a pay-at-the-pump gas card ’cause I can’t get none. With my name, I can’t get pretty much nothin’. On paper, that is.

What ever happened to Gustav, the manservant that helped you out with such things?

Well, that’s a very unfortunate story. He was a very good friend of mine and he was unfortunately murdered at the first of this year, I’m sorry to say. And that’s really hard for me to say. But he’s no longer with us. He was a fine feller and he was a big help to me. He worked with me for about seven years.

Do you think you’ll ever hire a new manservant?

Naw. Couldn’t nobody ever replace him. Not at all. I never have even considered it. He was my chauffeur and my butler. My manservant, you know. He was a wonderful photographer as well as a fine person and an actor and entertainer. But his life was taken early this year and it was very bad. I sure do miss him and all his friends miss him terribly.

For more information, go to www.unknownhinson.com.