- "Don't go messin' with a country boy
A country boy, a country boy
Don't go messin' with a country boy
Don't mess with a country boy"
James Morris (born July 5, 1952) is a retired American Professional Wrestler and manager originally from Bowling Green, KYnote best known for his work for WWE in the 1980s as Hillbilly Jim. He started his career in Memphis as Harley Davidson, a biker gimmick. He was introduced to WWE in late-1984 as a "fan" in the crowd, leading to vignettes of him on the farm and being "trained" by Hulk Hogan. This led to the introductions of his "family," starting with Uncle Elmer (Memphis veteran Stan Frazier) and Cousin Junior (Lanny Kean, who later went back to Memphis to become, among other names, Moondog Cujo), who was replaced by Cousin Luke (Gene Petit). He made his PPV debut in the battle royal that was part of the Chicago stage of WrestleMania II. After his "relatives" left WWE, Jim's push was reduced and he eventually was taken off of TV to become an ambassador for the company. He was brought back in 1996 as the manager for the hillbilly Tag Team the Godwinns until they turned heel. He has made a few appearances since then, most notably in the Gimmick Battle Royal at WrestleMania X-7, which The Iron Sheik won by eliminating Jim. He currently has his own radio show, Hillbilly Jim's Moonshine Matinee, on Sirius Satellite Radio
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During the height of his 1980s fame, Hillbilly Jim made multiple mainstream appearances, including Hee Haw and Live With Regis and Kathy Lee, as well as many telethons and charity events.
He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2018.
"Don't go messin' with a country trope":
- Arch-Enemy: "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, The Dream Team (Greg "The Hammer" Valentine and Brutus Beefcake), Mr. Fuji, King Kong Bundy
- Ascended Fanboy: His initial gimmick in WWE.
- Badass Biker: As Harley Davidson
- Bash Brothers: (as Harley Davidson) with Dirty Rhodes (Roger Smith); (as Hillbilly Jim): with Uncle Elmer, Cousin Junior, Cousin Luke, Tito Santana, André the Giant.
- Carpet of Virility: Type 1.
- Cool Shades: As Harley Davidson, and in real life.
- Country Music: On his radio show.
- A Day in the Limelight: He was in the Team MegaPowersnote vs. Team Twin Towersnote main event at Survivor Series 88.
- Demoted to Extra: After the Hillbilly family gimmick ran its course.
- Early-Installment Weirdness: "Big Jim" in the WWF for the first few weeks of his gimmick, and seemingly being intrigued by Roddy Piper's offer to manage him. It wasn't long before he became a Hillbilly.
- Face: Absolutely in WWE.
- Farm Boy/Sweet Home Alabama: Billed from Mudlick, KY.
- Finishing Move: Bear Hug; Big Boot, leg drop.
- Fun Personified: He was very entertaining, though never pushed as a serious threat to any of the champions of the time.
- Gimmick Matches: He had a series of Tuxedo Matches with Mr. Fuji.
- Half-Witted Hillbilly: Despite being a goofy, humorous, kid-friendly character in this mold, Hillbilly Jim nevertheless could be quite canny when necessary.
- Hidden Depths: He was surprsingly good at singing power ballads.
- Kid-Appeal Character: He was a face during Hulkamania.
- Noodle Implements: A possible interpretation of these lyrics from "Don't Go Messin' with a Country Boy":"If you go messin' with a country boy
a country boy a country boy
If you go messing with a country boy
This is what will happen to you
You'd be biting off a hump bit and chew
bit and chew bit and chew
You'd be biting off a hump bit and chew
thats wha will happen to you" - Older Than They Look: Was already in his 30's when he debuted in WWE.
- Put to work in the video department: After he stopped actively competing and before he was brought back to manage the Godwinns.
- Something Something Leonard Bernstein: Here is the potentially hard to decipher first verse from "Don't Go Messin' With a Country Boy":"when I was a little boy baby, I cut my teeth on a big ol' tree
Mama filled my bottle from a moonshine still
my first meal was the bass he killed
bass he killed the bass he killed
my first meal was the bass he killed" - Talkative Loon: Could go off on random tangents during promos.
- Unrelated Wrestling Family: Cousins Luke and Junior and Uncle Elmer.
