Don Helms’ signature steel guitar can be heard on over 100 Hank Williams recordings. Throughout his career that spanned over 60 years, Helms played on such classic recordings as “Cash On The Barrelhead” (Louvin Brothers), “Walkin’ After Midnight” (Patsy Cline), and “Long Black Veil” (Lefty Frizzell). He also played with Johnny Cash, Vince Gill and Hank Williams Jr., among many more. Don Helms died from complications of heart surgery and diabetes.
When Jim Reeves graduated from college, he played semi-pro baseball until he was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in 1944. An ankle injury put the brakes on his baseball career while still in the farm system. Reeves soon turned his sights on music and by the late ’40s was making records and was part of Moon Mulican’s band. Reeves later made his solo radio debut on the highly influential program, Louisiana Hayride, reportedly as a last-minute replacement for Hank Williams. He eventually signed with RCA Records where, with the help of producer, Chet Atkins he released a string of hits including “Four Walls” and “He’ll Have To Go.” His smooth voice and style came to exemplify the “Nashville Sound.” Jim Reeves died when the small plane he was piloting crashed in bad weather over Tennessee. He was 40 years old.
Mia Zapata was the powerful lead singer of the highly influential Seattle punk band, the Gits. As a child growing up in Louisville, Zapata was exposed to music by some of the greatest voices in America, Hank Williams, Ray Charles, Bessie Smith and Billie Holiday. While at a Ohio college during the mid ’80s, Zapata co-founded the Gits. In 1989, the band moved to Seattle to be closer to what was quickly becoming a scene of like-minded bands like Nirvana and Mudhoney. The band quickly built a local following partly due the release of a handful of solid singles and their critically acclaimed debut album, Frenching The Bully. Things appeared to be on the verge of taking off for the band when tragedy struck. In the early morning hours of July 7, 1993, Zapata left a friend’s apartment to presumably walk or catch a cab home. She never made it. Police reports indicate that she was beaten, raped and strangled at approximately 2:15 am, her body left in a “Christ like” pose in the middle of the street. Her murder would go unsolved for ten years until a DNA match linked a Florida man to the crime. He was convicted of Mia Zapata’s murder on March 25, 2004
Elmer Alley’s career spanned radio, television, cable television and the record industry, but he is probably best known as one of the creators of Nashville’s Fan Fair and Opryland. As a recording engineer, Alley worked on records by, among others, Hank Williams and Burl Ives. He passed away on June 9, 2008 at the age of 87.
Woodrow “Red” Sovine
July 17, 1917 – April 4, 1980
Red Sovine was an American country singer who was best known for his trucker songs of the ’60s. Thanks to their strong narratives, these tunes resonated not only with truck drivers of the day, but with rockabilly bands and fans, both then and now. Born in Charleston, WV, Sovine eventually settled in Shreveport, LA where he began to get noticed thanks to his appearances on KWKH’s “Louisana Hayride” program. His “Hayride” co-star, Hank Williams helped him land a recording contract with MGM Records. The early ’50s found Sovine working with Webb Pierce, with whom he duetted on his first #1 hit record, a cover of George Jones’ “Why Baby Why.” He continued to perform and record well into the ’70s, but in a twist of irony, Red Sovine, the king of truck driving songs, died of injuries after crashing his van while having a heart attack.
Don Helms’ signature steel guitar can be heard on over 100 Hank Williams recordings. Throughout his career that spanned over 60 years, Helms played on such classic recordings as “Cash On The Barrelhead” (Louvin Brothers), “Walkin’ After Midnight” (Patsy Cline), and “Long Black Veil” (Lefty Frizzell). He also played with Johnny Cash, Vince Gill and Hank Williams Jr., among many more. Don Helms died from complications of heart surgery and diabetes.
Elmer Alley’s career spanned radio, television, cable television and the record industry, but he is probably best known as one of the creators of Nashville’s Fan Fair and Opryland. As a recording engineer, Alley worked on records by, among others, 
Red Sovine was an American country singer who was best known for his trucker songs of the ’60s. Thanks to their strong narratives, these tunes resonated not only with truck drivers of the day, but with rockabilly bands and fans, both then and now. Born in Charleston, WV, Sovine eventually settled in Shreveport, LA where he began to get noticed thanks to his appearances on KWKH’s “Louisana Hayride” program. His “Hayride” co-star, 
