Donald Hugh Helms[1] (February 28, 1927 – August 11, 2008) was an American musician who was the steel guitar player of Hank Williams's Drifting Cowboys group.
[4] Bill Lloyd, the curator of stringed instruments at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, said of Helms: "After the great tunes and Hank's mournful voice, the next thing you think about in those songs is the steel guitar.
[4] Helms played a double-neck 1948 Gibson Console Grande steel guitar, which lacked the foot pedals found on a more modern pedal steel guitar, which did not come into prominence in country music until after Hank Williams's death in 1953.
After Williams's death, Helms went on to play on many classic country hits, including Patsy Cline's "Walkin' After Midnight," Stonewall Jackson's "Waterloo," the Louvin Brothers' "Cash on the Barrelhead," Lefty Frizzell's "Long Black Veil" and Loretta Lynn's "Blue Kentucky Girl.
"[4] Donald Hugh Helms was born in New Brockton, Alabama, and performed with many country music artists throughout the years including playing steel guitar on Lefty Frizzell's recording of "Long Black Veil".