He was known for his work as a session pedal steel guitar player for various country music acts, most notably Vince Gill and Conway Twitty.
Along with Jenkins and other high school friends, Hughey performed in a local band called the Phillips County Ramblers.
[1] Hughey first played professionally as a member of Slim Rhodes and The Mother's Best Mountaineers, a Memphis, Tennessee-based band.
"[2] Marty Stuart, for whom Hughey played on the 1992 album This One's Gonna Hurt You, described him as "a top drawer statesman who helped define the whole 20th century sound of country music".
[2] For 45 years, Hughey was married to his wife, Jean, who often sat in the audience during The Time Jumpers' performances.