Biography
Since the closing years of the 1930s Hank Williams had already been performing under the name the Drifting Cowboys. In 1943 he enlisted the existing Alabama Rhythm Boys to serve as that backing unit. Only after his 1949 debut at the Grand Ole Opry did he decide a stable ensemble was essential, at which point he recruited Jerry Rivers (b. 25 August 1928, Miami, Florida, USA, d. 4 October 1996, Hermitage, Tennessee, USA; fiddle), Bob McNett (b. 16 October 1925, Roaring Branch, Pennsylvania, USA; guitar), Hillous Butrum (b. 21 April 1928, Lafayette, Tennessee, USA, d. 27 April 2002, Nashville, Tennessee; bass) and Don Helms (b. 28 February 1927, New Brockton, Alabama, USA; steel guitar). Drums were omitted entirely because the instrument remained unwelcome in country settings. Two personnel changes occurred in 1951 when McNett and Butrum gave way to Sammy Pruett, an Alabama Rhythm Boys alumnus who had previously played alongside Helms, and to Howard Watts. Williams featured the Drifting Cowboys on his recordings, occasionally expanding the lineup with Chet Atkins. The group’s restrained, straightforward accompaniments suited his minimally chorded material without any need for added ornamentation. Following Williams’ death the ensemble dissolved. Helms subsequently joined the Wilburn Brothers and established the Wil-Helm Agency; both he and Rivers later performed with Hank Williams Jnr. in the Cheatin’ Hearts. Rivers authored the biography Hank Williams - From Life To Legend (Denver, 1967/updated in 1980). The original members reunited in 1976 for a series of radio broadcasts hosted by compere Grant Turner and comedian the Duke of Paducah. They enjoyed modest chart success with ‘Rag Mop’ and issued the tribute single ‘If The Good Lord’s Willing’. Hank Williams Jnr. and Don Helms later cut the duet ‘The Ballad Of Hank Williams’, fashioned after ‘The Battle Of New Orleans’, which underscored Williams’ unpredictable temperament. The Drifting Cowboys made their initial visit to the UK in 1979 and returned in 1991 to appear at Wembley’s country music festival alongside Williams’ illegitimate daughter, Jett Williams.
Albums