▁been ▁k idd ing ▁him ▁about ▁the ▁direction ▁his ▁life ▁was ▁taking ) ▁told ▁Pe er ▁" We ' re ▁nothing ▁but ▁a ▁bunch ▁of ▁hill b ill ies ▁from ▁North ▁Carolina ▁and ▁Virginia . ▁Call ▁us ▁anything ." ▁In ▁fact , ▁no ▁one ▁in ▁the ▁band ▁conform ed ▁to ▁the ▁s tere ot ype ▁of ▁a ▁back wood s ▁hill b illy . ▁The ▁Hop kins ▁brothers ▁father ▁was ▁a ▁legisl ator ▁and ▁civil ▁servant ; ▁R ector ▁owned ▁a ▁store ; ▁Ald erman ▁had ▁grown ▁up ▁in ▁an ▁isolated ▁cabin , ▁but ▁his ▁father ▁was ▁a ▁survey or , ▁civil ▁engineer , ▁and ▁justice ▁of ▁the ▁peace . ▁Still , ▁they ▁became ▁The ▁Hill ▁Bill ies , ▁and ▁although ▁they ▁soon ▁had ▁qual ms ▁about ▁the ▁name ▁( A ld erman ▁would ▁later ▁say , ▁" H ill b illy ▁was ▁not ▁only ▁a ▁fun ny ▁word ; ▁it ▁was ▁a ▁fighting ▁word ." ), ▁fellow ▁music ian ▁Ernest ▁St on eman ▁encourag ed ▁them ▁to ▁keep ▁it : ▁" Well , ▁boys , ▁you ▁have ▁come ▁up ▁with ▁a ▁good ▁one . ▁Nob ody ▁could ▁beat ▁it ." ▁ ▁With ▁Hop kins ' ▁doctor ▁brother ▁dead , ▁there ▁was ▁no ▁reason ▁to ▁stay ▁in ▁Gal ax , ▁and ▁the ▁band ▁based ▁itself ▁in ▁Washington , ▁D . C ., ▁where ▁they ▁soon ▁became ▁regular s ▁on ▁W RC ; ▁on ▁the ▁radio , ▁Hop kins ▁mother ▁sang ▁with ▁them ▁on ▁the ▁ball ads . ▁ ▁On ▁May ▁ 8 ,