Don Helms and Hal Rugg

Jason Powers · Post by **Jason Powers** » 30 Mar 2000 9:58 am

I have been watching the old Wilburn Brothers
shows on Willie Nelson's website and enjoying them a lot. Here is my question to the forum. What did Don Helms do after he left their TV show? I know the three of them had a booking agency together (Wil-Helm Talent) By the way, I think Helms and Rugg are both super pickers. Jason

Steve Allison · Post by **Steve Allison** » 31 Mar 2000 9:16 am

Bob, If I'm not mistaken, I believe you're correct. When Jr. let him go, he and Jerry Rivers, picked up Bob McNett, Hillous Buttrum, and went to work for Buddy Lee Attractions. Later they got Jimmy Heap Jr. and old Bill Merritt and went back out on the road on there own untill Jett surfaced. ( man, she really is one of Jrs. favorites ain't she? ) Since then we've lost Bob and Jerry and I don't know what old Hillous is doing, do you?

Smiley Roberts · Post by **Smiley Roberts** » 1 Apr 2000 1:46 am

Steve,
Bill Merritt,who was a very dear friend of mine,passed away several years ago.Hillous,I believe,is in the video prod. business.So that leaves Don Helms,the last performing "Drifting Cowboy",now working w/ Jett Williams. BTW,Jimmy Heap Jr.,after leaving the "Cowboys",became a "Texas Troubador".He was the last drummer that "E.T." had.

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Garryharris · Post by **Garryharris** » 1 Apr 2000 8:50 am

I took my wife and daugher to the Nashville air port destination being Germany. Jerry Rivers and his wife were waiting for the same flight and I spoke to him briefly. On my way home I went by Don Helms home and he was in the yard cutting grass and I stopped and briefly spoke to him. That flight to Germany arrived in time to be there when the Berlin wall tumbled down. If memory serves me right I remember reading where Shell Silverstein gave Don a new Caddy for getting his song "Sue" recorded by some guy called Cash.