Hillbilly Jim
Encyclopedia
Jim Morris best known to fans as Hillbilly Jim, is an American
professional wrestler
and disc jockey
. He was one of the World Wrestling Federation's
most popular wrestlers of the mid-to-late 1980s.
in the Memphis
area under the name Harley Davidson, a biker
gimmick. While there, Morris formed a popular tag team
with Roger Smith, who went by the ring name "Dirty Rhodes" because of his resemblance to Dusty Rhodes
.
In late-1984, Morris first appeared in the WWF as a wrestling fan who routinely sat in the front row of live events and who eventually decided to try his hand at wrestling himself. A series of vignettes were aired on WWF's TV programming in the early weeks of 1985, showing Hulk Hogan
training Jim and providing him with his first set of wrestling boots. This introduced the character of Hillbilly Jim; a simple-minded, shaggy-beard
ed Appalachia
n hillbilly
clad in bib overalls, and hailing from MudLick, Kentucky
.
Hillbilly Jim appeared in a few tag team matches with friend Hulk Hogan, and had his first high-profile singles match at The War to Settle the Score
event on February 18, 1985 in which he defeated Rene Goulet
. Unfortunately, Morris was sidelined by an injury a few days later. At a show in San Diego
, he appeared in Hogan's corner in a match between Hogan and Brutus Beefcake
. While chasing Beefcake's manager Johnny V
around ringside, Morris slipped on a wet spot and (legitimately) broke his leg. To help fill in the seven months during his recovery, similarly-dressed "family" members Uncle Elmer
, Cousin Luke
, and Cousin Junior
were introduced for Morris to accompany to ringside as a manager.
When his in-ring career resumed, Morris often either tag teamed with his family, or fellow big man André the Giant
. He was traditionally matched up against the WWF's monster heels
of the era, such as Big John Studd
and King Kong Bundy
. He also had a short feud
with Mr. Fuji
, and wrestled him in a series of tuxedo matches in late-1986.
Hillbilly Jim was generally kept as a "fun" character, rarely getting involved in any serious storylines. His only WrestleMania appearance outside of battle royals
was a novelty match in WrestleMania III
involving King Kong Bundy and midget wrestlers. His theme music was a folksy barn dance tune called "Don't Go Messin' With a Country Boy", which Morris danced along to with his partners (or the ring announcer) while the audience clapped along.
In addition to wrestling, Hillbilly Jim is also credited as creating the puppet named "Mine" for fellow WWF Superstar George "The Animal" Steele
.
Hillbilly Jim continued to appear regularly in WWF matches until the summer of 1990. His last high profile match with the WWF was during the April 28, 1990 (taped April 23, 1990) edition of Saturday Night's Main Event, in which he lost to Earthquake
in a squash match that lasted just under 2 minutes. He returned in December 1995 as a guest referee and a month later became manager of Henry O.
and Phineas I. Godwinn
, "cousins" who were pig farmers, After the Godwinns turned heel in the spring of 1997, Hillbilly Jim was no longer needed as their manager, Morris later worked as a road agent and participated in the "Gimmick Battle Royal" in 2001 at WrestleMania X-Seven
.
He was the official WWE legend host of the highly successful WrestleMania Fan Axxess tour for WrestleMania XX
, WrestleMania 21
, WrestleMania 22
, and WrestleMania 23
in major malls across the US. As part of the WrestleMania 20 Fan Axxess Tour, Jim performed at the "House of Blues" in Los Angeles
, Chicago
, and New Orleans
sponsored by Gibson Guitars.
From 1990 to 2001 Morris traveled worldwide representing WWE for Coliseum Video sales and later with Sony Videos.
In 2005, Sirius Satellite Radio
added "Hillbilly Jim's Moonshine Matinee" as a weekly program on its Outlaw Country channel 63. Every Saturday, Morris plays a wide variety of classic country music
and Southern rock
. Between records, he tells stories of his days with the WWF.
, such as Atlanta Super Sports Show, Video Software Dealer's Association, Focus on Video, and many others. Moreover, he has had numerous personal appearances in national retail stores, such as Blockbuster Video, Wal-Mart
, Kmart
, Toys "R" Us, and Kroger
.
He has done a national commercial for Chevy
trucks and another local TV and radio commercials in Kentucky
. He appeared in WWE cartoon series Hulk Hogan's Rock 'n' Wrestling, which was produced by DIC Enterprises
.
He is featured in the game WWE Smackdown! Here Comes the Pain
and is billed as a legend.
He performed the song "Don't Go Messing With A Country Boy" for the The Wrestling Album
, which was certified gold. Its follow-up album, Piledriver - The Wrestling Album 2
, also included a duet by Hillbilly Jim and a female singer credited as Gertrude, entitled "Waking Up Alone".
On August 31, 2009, Hillbilly Jim appeared on ESPN's fantasy football podcast "Fantasy Focus" with Nate Ravitz and fill-in host Keith Lipscomb. Matthew Berry, one of the show's regular co-hosts, was absent due to a fantasy football draft in Las Vegas.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional wrestler
Professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
and disc jockey
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
. He was one of the World Wrestling Federation's
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
most popular wrestlers of the mid-to-late 1980s.
Career
Before appearing in the WWF (now WWE) as Hillbilly Jim, Morris wrestled with the Continental Wrestling AssociationContinental Wrestling Association
The Continental Wrestling Association was a wrestling promotion managed by Jerry Jarrett. The CWA was the name of the "governing body" for the Championship Wrestling, Inc. promotion which was usually referred to as Mid-Southern Wrestling...
in the Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
area under the name Harley Davidson, a biker
Motorcycle
A motorcycle is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions.Motorcycles are one of the most...
gimmick. While there, Morris formed a popular tag team
Tag team
Tag team professional wrestling is a variation in which matches are contested between teams of multiple wrestlers. A tag team may comprise two wrestlers who normally wrestle in singles competition, but more commonly are made of established teams who wrestle regularly as a unit and have a team name...
with Roger Smith, who went by the ring name "Dirty Rhodes" because of his resemblance to Dusty Rhodes
Dusty Rhodes (wrestler)
Virgil Riley Runnels, Jr. , better known as "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes, is a semi-retired American professional wrestler currently working for WWE...
.
In late-1984, Morris first appeared in the WWF as a wrestling fan who routinely sat in the front row of live events and who eventually decided to try his hand at wrestling himself. A series of vignettes were aired on WWF's TV programming in the early weeks of 1985, showing Hulk Hogan
Hulk Hogan
Terrance Gene "Terry" Bollea , better known by his ring name Hulk Hogan, is an American Semi-retired professional wrestler, actor, television personality, and musician currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling ....
training Jim and providing him with his first set of wrestling boots. This introduced the character of Hillbilly Jim; a simple-minded, shaggy-beard
Beard
A beard is the collection of hair that grows on the chin, cheeks and neck of human beings. Usually, only pubescent or adult males are able to grow beards. However, women with hirsutism may develop a beard...
ed Appalachia
Appalachia
Appalachia is a term used to describe a cultural region in the eastern United States that stretches from the Southern Tier of New York state to northern Alabama, Mississippi, and Georgia. While the Appalachian Mountains stretch from Belle Isle in Canada to Cheaha Mountain in the U.S...
n hillbilly
Hillbilly
Hillbilly is a term referring to certain people who dwell in rural, mountainous areas of the United States, primarily Appalachia but also the Ozarks. Owing to its strongly stereotypical connotations, the term is frequently considered derogatory, and so is usually offensive to those Americans of...
clad in bib overalls, and hailing from MudLick, Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
.
Hillbilly Jim appeared in a few tag team matches with friend Hulk Hogan, and had his first high-profile singles match at The War to Settle the Score
The War to Settle the Score
The War to Settle the Score was a professional wrestling event produced by the World Wrestling Federation and broadcast live on MTV. It took place at Madison Square Garden in New York, New York on February 18, 1985. The main event featured Hulk Hogan defending the WWF Championship against Roddy...
event on February 18, 1985 in which he defeated Rene Goulet
Robert Bedard
Robert Bédard is a retired professional wrestler better known as the #1 Frenchman Rene Goulet. He began his career in Quebec City, QC in 1957 with his first match being against Gerard Dugas....
. Unfortunately, Morris was sidelined by an injury a few days later. At a show in San Diego
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
, he appeared in Hogan's corner in a match between Hogan and Brutus Beefcake
Edward Leslie
Edward Harrison "Ed" Leslie is an American professional wrestler, best known for his work in the World Wrestling Federation under the ring name Brutus The Barber Beefcake. He later worked for World Championship Wrestling under a variety of names, mainly as "The Disciple" of real-life best friend...
. While chasing Beefcake's manager Johnny V
John L. Sullivan (wrestler)
John L. Sullivan is a retired professional wrestler better known as Johnny Valiant. He competed in the World Wide Wrestling Federation , which became the World Wrestling Federation during his time with the promotion. He won the World Tag Team Championship two times...
around ringside, Morris slipped on a wet spot and (legitimately) broke his leg. To help fill in the seven months during his recovery, similarly-dressed "family" members Uncle Elmer
Stan Frazier
Stanley C. Fraizer was a professional wrestler from Pascagoula, Mississippi, better known as Uncle Elmer and Plowboy Frazier ....
, Cousin Luke
Gene Petit
Gene Petit is a retired American professional wrestler best known for his portrayal of Cousin Luke in the World Wrestling Federation. He also competed under several other gimmicks and competed for several promotions in the United States as well as Australia, Japan, and Nigeria.-Early career:Petit...
, and Cousin Junior
Lanny Kean
Lanny Neal Kean, Jr. was an American professional wrestler. He competed under several ring names, including Moondog Cujo and Cousin Junior. He died of a heart attack on January 13, 2009.-Career:...
were introduced for Morris to accompany to ringside as a manager.
When his in-ring career resumed, Morris often either tag teamed with his family, or fellow big man André the Giant
André the Giant
André René Roussimoff , best known as André the Giant, was a French professional wrestler and actor. His best remembered acting role was that of Fezzik, the giant in the film The Princess Bride...
. He was traditionally matched up against the WWF's monster heels
Heel (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a heel is a villain character. In non-wrestling jargon, heels are the "bad guys" in professional wrestling; the term heel coming from the term take to you heels, which means to run away which heel champions tend to do to avoid losing their titles.storylines...
of the era, such as Big John Studd
Big John Studd
John William Minton was an American professional wrestler and actor who was born and raised in Butler, Pennsylvania, better known by his ring name, Big John Studd.-Career:...
and King Kong Bundy
King Kong Bundy
Christopher Alan "Chris" Pallies is an American professional wrestler, stand-up comedian and actor, better known by his ring name, King Kong Bundy.-Personal:...
. He also had a short feud
Feud (professional wrestling)
A professional wrestling feud is a staged rivalry between multiple wrestlers or alliances of wrestlers. They are integrated into ongoing storylines, particularly in events which are televised...
with Mr. Fuji
Harry Fujiwara
Harry Fujiwara is an American former professional wrestler and manager, best known by his ring name Mr. Fuji. He was infamous for often throwing salt in the eyes of face wrestlers...
, and wrestled him in a series of tuxedo matches in late-1986.
Hillbilly Jim was generally kept as a "fun" character, rarely getting involved in any serious storylines. His only WrestleMania appearance outside of battle royals
Battle royal (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a battle royal is a multi-competitor match type in which wrestlers are eliminated until one is left and declared winner...
was a novelty match in WrestleMania III
WrestleMania III
WrestleMania III was the third annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation . The event was held on March 29, 1987 at the Pontiac Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan....
involving King Kong Bundy and midget wrestlers. His theme music was a folksy barn dance tune called "Don't Go Messin' With a Country Boy", which Morris danced along to with his partners (or the ring announcer) while the audience clapped along.
In addition to wrestling, Hillbilly Jim is also credited as creating the puppet named "Mine" for fellow WWF Superstar George "The Animal" Steele
George Steele
William James Myers , better known by his ring name George "The Animal" Steele is a former American professional wrestler and actor...
.
Hillbilly Jim continued to appear regularly in WWF matches until the summer of 1990. His last high profile match with the WWF was during the April 28, 1990 (taped April 23, 1990) edition of Saturday Night's Main Event, in which he lost to Earthquake
John Tenta
John Anthony Tenta was a Canadian professional wrestler known for his work in the World Wrestling Federation as Earthquake and later Golga, and in World Championship Wrestling as Avalanche and The Shark.-Early life:John Tenta was born in Surrey, British Columbia...
in a squash match that lasted just under 2 minutes. He returned in December 1995 as a guest referee and a month later became manager of Henry O.
Mark Canterbury
Mark Canterbury is an American professional wrestler, best known for his stint in the World Wrestling Federation under the ring name Henry O. Godwinn.-Career:...
and Phineas I. Godwinn
Dennis Knight
Dennis Knight is a retired American professional wrestler best known for his appearances with World Wrestling Entertainment as Phineas I. Godwinn and Mideon.-Career:...
, "cousins" who were pig farmers, After the Godwinns turned heel in the spring of 1997, Hillbilly Jim was no longer needed as their manager, Morris later worked as a road agent and participated in the "Gimmick Battle Royal" in 2001 at WrestleMania X-Seven
WrestleMania X-Seven
WrestleMania X-Seven was the seventeenth annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It took place on April 1, 2001 at the Reliant Astrodome in Houston, Texas. The event was the first WrestleMania held in the state of Texas...
.
He was the official WWE legend host of the highly successful WrestleMania Fan Axxess tour for WrestleMania XX
WrestleMania XX
WrestleMania XX was the twentieth WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on March 14, 2004 at Madison Square Garden in New York....
, WrestleMania 21
WrestleMania 21
WrestleMania 21 was the twenty-first annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on April 3, 2005 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. It started off with an interpormotional battle royal, for which Booker T...
, WrestleMania 22
WrestleMania 22
Notes: .The predominant feud on the SmackDown! brand was between Kurt Angle, Rey Mysterio, and Randy Orton over the World Heavyweight Championship. Mysterio won the 2006 Royal Rumble match, last eliminating Orton, to earn a World Championship match at WrestleMania. At No Way Out, Orton defeated...
, and WrestleMania 23
WrestleMania 23
WrestleMania 23 was the twenty-third annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on April 1, 2007 at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan...
in major malls across the US. As part of the WrestleMania 20 Fan Axxess Tour, Jim performed at the "House of Blues" in Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, and New Orleans
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
sponsored by Gibson Guitars.
From 1990 to 2001 Morris traveled worldwide representing WWE for Coliseum Video sales and later with Sony Videos.
In 2005, Sirius Satellite Radio
Sirius Satellite Radio
Sirius Satellite Radio is a satellite radio service operating in North America, owned by Sirius XM Radio.Headquartered in New York City, with smaller studios in Los Angeles and Memphis, Sirius was officially launched on July 1, 2002 and currently provides 69 streams of music and 65 streams of...
added "Hillbilly Jim's Moonshine Matinee" as a weekly program on its Outlaw Country channel 63. Every Saturday, Morris plays a wide variety of classic country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
and Southern rock
Southern rock
Southern rock is a subgenre of rock music, and genre of Americana. It developed in the Southern United States from rock and roll, country music, and blues, and is focused generally on electric guitar and vocals...
. Between records, he tells stories of his days with the WWF.
Other media
Morris has appeared in a number of trade showsTrade fair
A trade fair is an exhibition organized so that companies in a specific industry can showcase and demonstrate their latest products, service, study activities of rivals and examine recent market trends and opportunities...
, such as Atlanta Super Sports Show, Video Software Dealer's Association, Focus on Video, and many others. Moreover, he has had numerous personal appearances in national retail stores, such as Blockbuster Video, Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. , branded as Walmart since 2008 and Wal-Mart before then, is an American public multinational corporation that runs chains of large discount department stores and warehouse stores. The company is the world's 18th largest public corporation, according to the Forbes Global 2000...
, Kmart
Kmart
Kmart, sometimes styled as "K-Mart," is a chain of discount department stores. The chain acquired Sears in 2005, forming a new corporation under the name Sears Holdings Corporation. The company was founded in 1962 and is the third largest discount store chain in the world, behind Wal-Mart and...
, Toys "R" Us, and Kroger
Kroger
The Kroger Co. is an American supermarket chain founded by Bernard Kroger in 1883 in Cincinnati, Ohio. It reported US$ 76.7 billion in sales during fiscal year 2009. It is the country's largest grocery store chain and its second-largest grocery retailer by volume and second-place general retailer...
.
He has done a national commercial for Chevy
Chevrolet
Chevrolet , also known as Chevy , is a brand of vehicle produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 3, 1911, General Motors acquired Chevrolet in 1918...
trucks and another local TV and radio commercials in Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
. He appeared in WWE cartoon series Hulk Hogan's Rock 'n' Wrestling, which was produced by DIC Enterprises
DiC Entertainment
DIC Entertainment was an international film and television production company. In addition to animated television shows such as Ulysses 31 , Inspector Gadget , The Littles , The Real Ghostbusters , Captain Planet and the Planeteers , and the first two seasons of the English adaptation of...
.
He is featured in the game WWE Smackdown! Here Comes the Pain
WWE SmackDown! Here Comes The Pain
WWE SmackDown! Here Comes the Pain is a video game released on the PlayStation 2 console by THQ on October 27, 2003. It is a sequel to WWE SmackDown! Shut Your Mouth and is part of the WWE SmackDown! WWE SmackDown! Here Comes the Pain (Known as Exciting Pro Wrestling 5 in Japan) is a video game...
and is billed as a legend.
He performed the song "Don't Go Messing With A Country Boy" for the The Wrestling Album
The Wrestling Album
The Wrestling Album is a music album released by the World Wrestling Federation in 1985. It was the first album released by the WWF. It features mostly theme music of wrestlers on the roster at the time.- Production :...
, which was certified gold. Its follow-up album, Piledriver - The Wrestling Album 2
Piledriver - The Wrestling Album 2
Piledriver: The Wrestling Album 2 was an album released by the World Wrestling Federation in 1987. It featured actual vocal performances from several of the wrestlers themselves....
, also included a duet by Hillbilly Jim and a female singer credited as Gertrude, entitled "Waking Up Alone".
On August 31, 2009, Hillbilly Jim appeared on ESPN's fantasy football podcast "Fantasy Focus" with Nate Ravitz and fill-in host Keith Lipscomb. Matthew Berry, one of the show's regular co-hosts, was absent due to a fantasy football draft in Las Vegas.
Filmography
- Hee HawHee HawHee Haw is an American television variety show featuring country music and humor with fictional rural Kornfield Kounty as a backdrop. It aired on CBS-TV from 1969–1971 before a 20-year run in local syndication. The show was inspired by Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In, the major difference being...
- Live with Regis and Kathy Lee
- Farm AidFarm AidFarm Aid started as a benefit concert on September 22, 1985, in Champaign, Illinois, held to raise money for family farmers in the United States...
- Jerry Lewis TelethonJerry Lewis MDA TelethonThe MDA Labor Day Telethon is an annual telethon in the United States to raise money for the Muscular Dystrophy Association . The first MDA telethon was during the Thanksgiving Day weekend of 1952 and titled Party for MDA. It has been held annually since 1966...
- Special OlympicsSpecial OlympicsSpecial Olympics is the world's largest sports organization for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, providing year-round training and competitions to more than 3.1 million athletes in 175 countries....
- Juvenile DiabetesDiabetes mellitus type 1Diabetes mellitus type 1 is a form of diabetes mellitus that results from autoimmune destruction of insulin-producing beta cells of the pancreas. The subsequent lack of insulin leads to increased blood and urine glucose...
Telethon - Variety ClubVariety, the Children's CharityVariety, the Children's Charity is an organisation founded in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on October 10, 1927, when a group of eleven men involved in show business set up a social club which they named the "Variety Club". On Christmas Eve 1928, a small baby was left on the steps the Sheridan Square...
Children's Telethon
In wrestling
- Finishing moves
- Bearhug
- Running leg drop
- Signature moves
- Big boot
Championships and accomplishments
- Pro Wrestling IllustratedPro Wrestling IllustratedPro Wrestling Illustrated is a professional wrestling magazine. PWI is currently based in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania and published by Kappa Publishing Group.-History:The first issue of Pro Wrestling Illustrated was released in 1979...
- PWI ranked him # 298 of the 500 best singles wrestlers during the "PWI Years" in 2003.