Hillous Buel "Bew" Butrum (April 21, 1928 – April 27, 2002) was an American

country music Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, ...

guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected strin ...

player and a record and video producer best known as being a member of Hank Williams'

Drifting Cowboys The Drifting Cowboys were the backing group for American country legend and singer-songwriter Hank Williams. The band went through several lineups during Williams' career. The original lineup was formed in 1937, changing musicians from show to s ...

. Hillous Butrum was born in

Lafayette, Tennessee Lafayette is a city in Macon County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 4,474 at the 2010 census, and had 5,584 in 2020.U.S. Census ...

. Butrum found his way to Nashville and landed a job at WSM Radio. He eventually wound up a staff musician on the Grand Ole Opry, at age 16. From there, he played bass for Hank Williams' band "The Drifting Cowboys." He would play with the Drifting Cowboys from 1949 until 1950. After the passing of Williams, Butrum joined Hank Snow's band, the Rainbow Ranch Boys, and later played on many

Marty Robbins Martin David Robinson (September 26, 1925 – December 8, 1982), known professionally as Marty Robbins, was an American singer, songwriter, actor, multi-instrumentalist, and NASCAR racing driver. Robbins was one of the most popular and succ ...

recording sessions. He'd eventually start a music publishing company with Robbins. He established "Butrum Enterprises Publishing Company" and owned Look Records. He produced many early country music

documentaries A documentary film or documentary is a non-fictional motion-picture intended to "document reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction, education or maintaining a historical record". Bill Nichols has characterized the documentary in term ...

including "'' Music City USA''". Butrum would tour again, from 1977 to 1984, with the reformed Drifting Cowboys. Later in life, Butrum became active in the "Reunion of Professional Entertainers," and distributed vintage country music videos through Nashville retail stores and his website. Hillous Butrum died in his Nashville home about two weeks after the death of his wife Phyllis (Frost) Butrum. His funeral was held in

Goodlettsville, Tennessee Goodlettsville is a city in Davidson and Sumner counties, Tennessee. Goodlettsville was incorporated as a city in 1958 with a population of just over 3,000 residents; at the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 15,921 and in 2020 the ...

and was attended by notable music industry figures including

Hal Bynum Harold L. Bynum (September 29, 1934 – June 2, 2022) was an American songwriter associated with the Outlaw country movement in the 1970s. Bynum wrote more than 200 songs for popular country artists, including Kenny Rogers (" Lucille"), Patty L ...

Merle Kilgore Wyatt Merle Kilgore (August 9, 1934 – February 6, 2005) was an American singer, songwriter, and manager. Born in Chickasha, Oklahoma, he was raised in Shreveport, Louisiana. At the time of his death, he was the personal manager of Hank Wi ...

, Bobby Tomberlin, Robbie Wittkowski, Tim Jones, and

Don Helms Donald "Don" Hugh Helms (February 28, 1927 – August 11, 2008) was a steel guitarist best known as the steel guitar player of Hank Williams's Drifting Cowboys group. He was a member of the Steel Guitar Hall of Fame (1984). Biography Helms was ...

. He was interred in the Underwood Cemetery in his hometown of Lafayette. The day before Butrum's death, he agreed to an exclusive interview with ''Country Music Source'' magazine detailing his long and inspiring music career. The interview was scheduled for April 29, 2002. In lieu of the interview, ''Country Music Source'' printed a memoriam for Butrum.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Butrum, Hillous 1928 births 2002 deaths American country guitarists American male guitarists American country singer-songwriters Record producers from Tennessee People from Lafayette, Tennessee 20th-century American guitarists Singer-songwriters from Tennessee Guitarists from Tennessee 20th-century American singers Country musicians from Tennessee 20th-century American male musicians American male singer-songwriters Drifting Cowboys members