Don Helms, the pioneering steel guitarist best known for his work with Hank Williams and the Drifting Cowboys, died on 11 August 2008 in Nashville, Tennessee, from complications of diabetes and heart surgery. He was the last surviving member of Williams' original backing band and had performed with more than 50 members of the Country Music Hall of Fame over his career, cementing his place as one of country music's most influential session musicians.

Helms joined the Drifting Cowboys after a bandmate recruited him on Hank Williams' behalf, playing steel guitar on nearly every Williams concert, recording and television appearance from the late 1940s until the singer's death in 1953. Beyond his work with Williams, Helms became a sought-after session player, contributing the recognisable intro to Patsy Cline's "Walkin' After Midnight" and appearing on recordings by Loretta Lynn, Lefty Frizzell and Johnny Cash, as well as later collaborating with Hank Williams Jr and Williams' daughter, Jett.