Rusty's career began as a teenager when a band leader in Oklahoma City heard Rusty singing and hired him to be the lead vocalist. At 20, Rusty joined the Callahan Brothers in Dallas, then went on tour with Al "Pistol Packin Mama" Dexter in 1948. That led to joining Tex Ritter in 1949 on a tour that featured Rusty singing in front of huge crowds at places like the famous Hippodrome Theater in Baltimore and the Capitol Theater in Washington D.C. In 1950, Bob Wills convinced Rusty to join him on tour as his lead vocalist for the Texas Playboys. During this time the song "Faded Love" was recorded with Rusty as the lead vocalist. They also recorded several songs Rusty had written including "I Didn't Realize" and "Dotting Each I With A Teardrop". That led to a contract with Intro Records and several recording sessions in Los Angeles that produced songs like "You Got The Right Number", "Baby Sittin Boogie", and "Call Operator 210". Rusty passed away in 1979 but his music and memory live on.