JW Promotions, which presented the recent Dungannon country festival, is behind the tour and promoter James McGarrity says: “Brent Mason is the true legend of guitar music. His performances are phenomenal.”

Brent’s inventive style and masterful playing has made him one of the most in-demand session guitarists in the world.

He won Country Music Association awards and Academy of Country Music Awards from 1993 to 2005.

His dominance in the music industry is shown with his multiple-winning of the annual Music City Allstars Award for being the musician with the most songs being played in the radio top ten hits for the entire year.

Growing up in a musical family, Mason is a self-taught musician – playing the guitar at the age of five. While growing up he listened to a variety of guitars. His influences included Jerry Reed, Merle Haggard, George Benson, Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder and James Taylor.

Mason’s playing can be heard on the big screen in such movies as Look Who’s Talking, The Grifters, Honeymoon in Vegas, Home Alone 2, Pure Country, Eight Seconds, and the recent Horse Whisperer.

Support act for the shows is Co Down singer Matt McGinn and Brent’s shows are: Tuesday, September 23 – Burnavon Theatre, Cookstown; Wednesday, September 24 – Ardhowen Theatre, Enniskillen; Thursday, September 25 – Marketplace Theatre, Armagh.



n The death in Nashville of celebrated steel guitarist Don Helms has sadly removed from the scene the last surviving member of the Drifting Cowboys, the late Hank Williams’ classic band.

Helms, who was 81, provided backing for 104 of the legandary Hank’s recordings, including Cold Cold Heart, Your Cheatin’ Heart, Jambalaya, Take these Chains From My Heart and Lovesick Blues.

He also played on discs for other country greats – Ray Price, Lefty Frizzell, Brenda Lee, Patsy Cline, Johnny Cash, Chet Atkins, Ferlin Husky and Stonewall Jackson.

Don appeared with the other three orginal members of Drifting Cowboys (bassist Hillous Buttrum; fiddler Jerry Rivers and lead guitarist Bob McNett) at a memorable Belfast concert in the mid-1980s. He was also a prolific songwriter, with credits for Sweet Little Blue Eyes and Fool Number One.

After Hank’s untimely death on January 1, 1953, Don kept the Drifting Cowboys intact, backing Williams’ pal Ray Price, but also going on the road in their own right for upwards of 40 years, serenading audiences with the musical mentor’s wonderful collection of songs. They even teamed up with Hank’s daughter Jett as Jett Williams and the Drifting Cowboys.

He was a close associate of singing duo the Wilburn Brothers (Teddy and Doyle) and also wrote a parody, The Ballad of Hank Williams. He was entertaining up until this summer – and completed a Canadian tour in July.