Comments on: In Memory of Don Helms (1927 – 2008) http://www.the9513.com/in-memory-of-don-helms-1927-2008/ The latest country music news and reviews. Sun, 22 Nov 2009 03:15:41 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: ClayS http://www.the9513.com/in-memory-of-don-helms-1927-2008/#comment-90463 ClayS Tue, 19 Aug 2008 00:08:54 +0000 http://www.the9513.com/in-memory-of-don-helms-1927-2008/#comment-90463 Don's steel guitar opening to 'Your Cheatin' Heart': perhaps the eleven most significant notes ever recorded in Country Music. Don’s steel guitar opening to ‘Your Cheatin’ Heart’: perhaps the eleven most significant notes ever recorded in Country Music.

]]> By: m.c. http://www.the9513.com/in-memory-of-don-helms-1927-2008/#comment-90438 m.c. Mon, 18 Aug 2008 21:55:17 +0000 http://www.the9513.com/in-memory-of-don-helms-1927-2008/#comment-90438 Paul and 9513--Let me add my voice to those thanking you for the nice Helms tribute. I think his instrument was the most important to Hank's sound, especially in the way it kicked off several of the tunes. Don started playing with Hank in '44, when Don was 18, but he didn't start recording with him until January 1950. If you compare songs before and after that, I think you can hear how the songs got just a little better, even if Hank recorded some classics without him. I was at Don's funeral, and I heard a couple of great quotes. One was from someone who once asked Don how long he'd been on the road. Don's response: "Ever since there was a road to be on." There's just one slight correction: Don didn't play on "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry." That's Jerry Byrd, also a great steel player. It was cut in the last Hank session of 1949, when he was still using session players brought in by Fred Rose. Hank used the Drifting Cowboys from 1950 to the last session in Sept. 1952. Paul and 9513–Let me add my voice to those thanking you for the nice Helms tribute. I think his instrument was the most important to Hank’s sound, especially in the way it kicked off several of the tunes. Don started playing with Hank in ‘44, when Don was 18, but he didn’t start recording with him until January 1950. If you compare songs before and after that, I think you can hear how the songs got just a little better, even if Hank recorded some classics without him.

I was at Don’s funeral, and I heard a couple of great quotes. One was from someone who once asked Don how long he’d been on the road. Don’s response: “Ever since there was a road to be on.”

There’s just one slight correction: Don didn’t play on “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry.” That’s Jerry Byrd, also a great steel player. It was cut in the last Hank session of 1949, when he was still using session players brought in by Fred Rose. Hank used the Drifting Cowboys from 1950 to the last session in Sept. 1952.

]]> By: Howard Lofton http://www.the9513.com/in-memory-of-don-helms-1927-2008/#comment-89905 Howard Lofton Fri, 15 Aug 2008 16:17:49 +0000 http://www.the9513.com/in-memory-of-don-helms-1927-2008/#comment-89905 Ref. Don Helms and his steel ! We were very lucky when we recorded The Story of Hiram ,Don got off the plane from a job with Jett and did not have the time to wait for his things ,so he left them at the AP and went to his house and picked up his original steel for the recording session . He wanted to know if it was Okay to use his old steel . We THANKED HIM many times . The Story is about the Life and Death of Hank and with us being from Georgiana ,Alabama and the fact that Robbin lived in Hank's boyhood home when he penned it is almost priceless . Listen to the Story and decide for yourself . The song sounds as if Hank could have wrote it and with Don and his original steel it is an original . Don was a great man that truly liked to play for people and he would take the time to sit and talk with you if he had the chance . He will be missed by so many folks ! But I bet you that Heaven is sounding alot like DIXIE when those friends of his all sit down and sing a few songs . What a Grand Place for such GREAT . Thank You DON again Howard Lofton LoMac Records Hank's hometown Georgiana ,Alabama Ref. Don Helms and his steel !
We were very lucky when we recorded The Story of Hiram ,Don got off the plane from a job with Jett and did not have the time to wait for his things ,so he left them at the AP and went to his house and picked up his original steel for the recording session . He wanted to know if it was Okay to use his old steel . We THANKED HIM many times . The Story is about the Life and Death of Hank and with us being from Georgiana ,Alabama and the fact that Robbin lived in Hank’s boyhood home when he penned it is almost priceless . Listen to the Story and decide for yourself . The song sounds as if Hank could have wrote it and with Don and his original steel it is an original .
Don was a great man that truly liked to play for people and he would take the time to sit and talk with you if he had the chance .
He will be missed by so many folks ! But I bet you that Heaven is sounding alot like DIXIE when those friends of his all sit down and sing a few songs . What a Grand Place for such GREAT . Thank You DON again Howard Lofton LoMac Records Hank’s hometown Georgiana ,Alabama

]]> By: tom http://www.the9513.com/in-memory-of-don-helms-1927-2008/#comment-89599 tom Thu, 14 Aug 2008 08:46:49 +0000 http://www.the9513.com/in-memory-of-don-helms-1927-2008/#comment-89599 Dear Mr. Dennis, We have taken the liberty of posting your excellent tribute to Don Helms on our Alabama Talk Line Forum @ URL: http://pub3.bravenet.com/forum/243824250/fetch/747507/ Sincere Regards, Tom Lipscombe Web Administrator Dear Mr. Dennis,

We have taken the liberty of posting your excellent tribute to Don Helms on our Alabama Talk Line Forum @ URL:
http://pub3.bravenet.com/forum/243824250/fetch/747507/

Sincere Regards,
Tom Lipscombe
Web Administrator

]]> By: OldSarg http://www.the9513.com/in-memory-of-don-helms-1927-2008/#comment-89556 OldSarg Thu, 14 Aug 2008 02:09:37 +0000 http://www.the9513.com/in-memory-of-don-helms-1927-2008/#comment-89556 It was nice to see this wonderful tribute to Don. My brother always dreamed of playing music with him. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5Q9zYuFQms It was nice to see this wonderful tribute to Don. My brother always dreamed of playing music with him. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5Q9zYuFQms

]]> By: Stormy http://www.the9513.com/in-memory-of-don-helms-1927-2008/#comment-89530 Stormy Wed, 13 Aug 2008 23:42:00 +0000 http://www.the9513.com/in-memory-of-don-helms-1927-2008/#comment-89530 Very nice tribute. Very nice tribute.

]]> By: leeann http://www.the9513.com/in-memory-of-don-helms-1927-2008/#comment-89514 leeann Wed, 13 Aug 2008 22:24:20 +0000 http://www.the9513.com/in-memory-of-don-helms-1927-2008/#comment-89514 Paul, I love Hank's songs and voice, but it's the steel guitar that really cements my love for Hank Williams music. Thanks for the great tribute to Don Helms as the artist and the person. Paul,

I love Hank’s songs and voice, but it’s the steel guitar that really cements my love for Hank Williams music. Thanks for the great tribute to Don Helms as the artist and the person.

]]> By: Rick http://www.the9513.com/in-memory-of-don-helms-1927-2008/#comment-89512 Rick Wed, 13 Aug 2008 22:14:34 +0000 http://www.the9513.com/in-memory-of-don-helms-1927-2008/#comment-89512 Paul, thanks for writing that nice tribute to Don. As an important contributor to the sound of some of the greatest country songs of all times his legacy will live on in perpetuity as it should be. Traditional country music fans may argue which stringed instrument most denotes or delineates a "country sound", whether it be a fiddle or banjo or mandolin or the steel guitar, but for me its a steel guitar played the way Don played it. A side note: At the time Aussie Catherine Britt was first signed by Joe Galante to RCA when she was 17, she was obsessed with Hank Williams Sr. and his musical legacy. During the recording of her first RCA album "Too Far Gone" she asked if Don Helms could be brought in to contribute as a session player on a song and her wish was granted. Here's a comment made on an Aussie fan site: "Hank Williams' original steel player, Don Helms, guests on one track playing the same pedal steel that was heard on all of Hank's hits!". I wonder how many of today's younger country artists sought out Don's services as a session musician...... Johnny Gimble is another of these great musician legends that won't be around forever, so I urge folks to see him perform while they still can... Paul, thanks for writing that nice tribute to Don. As an important contributor to the sound of some of the greatest country songs of all times his legacy will live on in perpetuity as it should be. Traditional country music fans may argue which stringed instrument most denotes or delineates a “country sound”, whether it be a fiddle or banjo or mandolin or the steel guitar, but for me its a steel guitar played the way Don played it.

A side note: At the time Aussie Catherine Britt was first signed by Joe Galante to RCA when she was 17, she was obsessed with Hank Williams Sr. and his musical legacy. During the recording of her first RCA album “Too Far Gone” she asked if Don Helms could be brought in to contribute as a session player on a song and her wish was granted. Here’s a comment made on an Aussie fan site: “Hank Williams’ original steel player, Don Helms, guests on one track playing the same pedal steel that was heard on all of Hank’s hits!”. I wonder how many of today’s younger country artists sought out Don’s services as a session musician……

Johnny Gimble is another of these great musician legends that won’t be around forever, so I urge folks to see him perform while they still can…

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