Kin, Don Helms, was the steel guitar player for Hank Williams. He was one of Hank's original Drifting Cowboys shown here in this video. Don was the last surviving member of the group, but he is gone now, too. RIP Don. Barbara Lee had the chance to meet and talk with Bernice Turner in Memphis, the dear lady who replaced Don Helms, for a time, when Don enlisted in the US Army. Amazingly, Bernice was good friends with Elvis, and had purchased most of his original furniture from the 1950's. Bernice told Barbara Lee she was selling off Elvis' furniture and did she want anything. For some reason Barbara Lee declined, probably because of space constraints. God rest your soul, Bernice. In the photo below, Don Helms is at right.

A Winchester cousin, Jesse Winchester, from Memphis, may be the black sheep of the family lines. He is also of the Lee family from Virginia. Sad to say, for whatever his reasons were, Jesse dodged the draft during the Vietnam War and headed to Canada. Descending from a long line of brave, patriotic, military men, he stands alone in the family line owing to his "different" views. Jesse did, however, have a gentle voice and was a gentle soul. He has been proclaimed as one of the great songwriters in music history.