American rockabilly and bluegrass guitarist, banjo player, harmonicist, singer, and inductee to the Rockabilly Hall of Fame (May 24, 1935, Harlan County, KY - January 26, 2014, St. Petersburg, FL). He also ran Jewel Records (4) and Jewel Recording Studios. His nickname, Rusty, comes from the name inscribed on the second-hand guitar he played in Cincinnati, Ohio, where he had traveled to at 17 years old and played in bars with Willard Hale, with whom he later made some recordings on Starday Records. Rusty worked closely with Jimmie Skinner, both at his record store and onstage. Rusty played on a number of country and rockabilly records for several labels, including "Sugaree," which became a national hit.

He fronted Bobby Bare’s backing band for a while, and worked in Las Vegas, but in 1961 Rusty began Jewel Recording Studios in his garage, later moving to 1594 Kinney Avenue in Mt. Healthy, Cincinnati, until he retired and closed it in 2008.

RY etched in record runouts indicates he cut the lacquer.