Billy Byrd was an influential American guitarist known for his work in country and western swing music. He was best known as a band member of Ernest Tubb's Texas Troubadours from 1949 to 1959, where he helped shape the signature honky-tonk sound of the era. Byrd had a distinctive finger-picking style, and his innovative use of the double-neck guitar on songs like "Drivin' Nails in My Coffin" and "Slippin' Around" was highly influential in the country music scene. His contributions to the genre have solidified his place in music history.