ROOTS of Country Music

The Professional Work of the Drifting Cowboys

Hank Williams (9/17/1923 – 1/1/1953) Hank was a singer-songwriter and musician regarded as among the greatest country music (honky-tonk) stars of all time.

The original Drifting Cowboys band (during Hank’s heyday 1947 – 1952) was made up of Jerry Rivers (fiddle), Don Helms (steel guitar), Hillous Butrum (bass guitar) and Bob McNett (guitar), whose work will be forever associated with their "front-man," the legendary Hank Williams.

Bob McNett (10/16/25 - 6/21/95): Bob was born in Roaring Branch, Pennsylvania (PA) and died of Prostate Cancer in Montgomery, PA. NcNett met Hank in Shreveport, Louisiana. Bob had originally come to the area as a member of Patsy Montana's band. After Patsy disbanded her group, Bob joined the Drifting cowboys (1948) and worked with Hank on the Hayride and went with Hank to the Grand Ole Opry. McNett left the Cowboys in 1950. In 1977 he joined a reformed Drifting Cowboys band.

Don Helms (2/28/27 - 8/11/08): Don was born (2/28/27) in New Brockton, Alabama. Don became a member of the Drifting Cowboys in 1944, but left in 1945 when he was drafted. Helms rejoined the band in 1948, but only remained a few months. In 1949 he joined the band, where he remained until1952. Don also worked with Ray Price's Cherokee Cowboys (1952 – 1956), the Wilburn Brothers (1957 – 1967), Hank Williams Jr. (1968 -1972) and Earnest Tubb (1974). He was voted to The Steel Guitar Hall of Fame in 1984.

Hillous Butrum (4/21/28 - 4/27/02): Butrum was born in Lafayette, Tennessee. He started as a Grand Ole Opry staff musician at the age of sixteen. Butrum joined The Cowboys in 1949 and remained with the band until1950. In 1950, he joined Hank Snow's Rainbow Ranch Boys. Around 1956 Hillous joined Marty Robbins' band. In 1977 Butrum reunited with a reformed Drifting Cowboys band, which included the original members. Hillous died on April 27, 2002.

Jerry Rivers: Jerry Rivers played fiddle with the “original” Drifting Cowboys. Rivers was born on 8/25/1928 in Miami, Florida, but raised in Nashville. Jerry took up the fiddle as a teenager and was, by the mid-40s, playing it semi- professionally.

In 1948, he toured with the Short Brothers and then returned to Nashville where he worked with Big Jeff Bess. While with Bess, Rivers was approached by Williams to join his band. Rivers cut his first discs with Williams in January 1950.

Below is a partial list of musicians who played in the Drifting Cowboys band. These are musicians who worked with Hank Williams or played in the Drifting Cowboys band after his death.

• Allen M. Dunkin (Guitar/Bass/Mandolin/Fiddle, 1941): b.1/14/20

• Bernice Hilburn Turner (Guitar, 1945 - 1946): b. 1/13/27
• “Bob” Rupert Robert McNett (Lead Guitar, 1948 - 1950): 10/16/25 - 6/21/95
• Braxton Schuffert (Guitar, 1938): b. 2/22/16
• Carolyn "Little Caroline" Parker (Singer, late-1930s):
• Cedric Rainwater Howard Watts (Bass/Comedy, 1950 - 1951): 2/19/13 -1/21/70
• Charles "Charlie" Hill (Dobro, Steel Guitar, 1943):
• Clent Holmes (Guitar, 1948 -  1949): b. 7/17/17
• Clyde "Boots" Harris (Steel Guitar, 1941 - 1942):10/20/23 - 10/22/03
• Cois "Pee Wee" Elmo Moultrie (Accordian, 1939 - 1940): b. 5/24/22
• Clyde "Chris" Criswell (Guitar, 1945 -1946): 2/20/29 - 9/23/71
• Daniel Jack "Beanpole" Boling (Rhythm Guitar, late 1930s): 7/19/23 - 5/24/92
• Don Helms (Steel Guitar, 1944-45, 1947-48, 1949-52): 2/28/27 - 8/11/08
• Doyle Turner (Steel Guitar, 1945 - 1946): Born: 2/1/22 - 8/3/91
• Ernest Carl "Wimpy" Jones (Steel, Guitar): 4/4/22 - 3/30/71
• Eulon "E.B." Fulmer (Piano, 1946):10/6/09 -12/25/1993
• Felton Pruett (Steel Guitar, 1948 - 1949):
• Freddy Beach (Fiddle, 1938): 1/16/16 - 5/31/94
• Hillous Buel "Bew" Butrum (Bass, 1949): 4/21/28 Lafayette -: 4/27/02
• James "Jimmy" Ervin Porter (Steel Guitar, 1941 - 1944): 3/11/28 - 12/21/07
• Jerry Rivers (Fiddle, 1949 - 1952): 9/25/28 - 10/4/96
• Jimmy Webster (Steel Guitar, 1946):
• Jimmy Wilkinson (Bass, 1939 - 1941): 2/2/24 - 2/28/92
• "Little" Joe "Penny" Pennington (Lead Guitar, 1947 – 1948 ): b. 1/15/28
• Millard "M.C." Jarrett (Steel Guitar, 1939): 3/13/25 - 12/22/91
• Richard Paul Dennis, Jr (Rhythm Guitar/Bass/Singer, 1940s): 11/11/25 - 6/28/02
• Robert D. "Sonny" Norred (Steel Guitar, 1947 - 1948): 1/16/19 - 10/25/2009
• Rufus "Puddin" Taylor (Bass, 1940 - 1941): 9/1/24 - 5/22/99
• Samuel K. "Sammy" Pruett (Guitar, 1944 &1947): 11/27/26 - 3/17/88
• Smith "Hezzy" Adair (Bass/Guitar, 1937/1938): 4/29/15 - 9/15/70
• "Uncle" William Herbert "Lum" York (Bass, 1944, 1945-1949): 11/16/18 - 8/15/04
• Weldon Edwin "Big Bill" Lister (Guitar/Vocals/Song-Writer, 1951): b. 1/5/23
• William Elon Smith (Bass/Rythm Guitar, mod-1940s): 8/31/23 - 5/5/76
• Winston "Red" Todd (Rhythm Guitar, mid-1940s): 11/14/23 - 11/18/88 

Pictured Above. Back row (L-R) Hillous Butrum, Hank Williams, Don Helms

Pictured Above Front Row (L-R) Jerry Rivers, Bob McNett