Jim Reeves
photo by RCA Victor
If Jim Reeves were alive he’d celebrate his 100th birthday on Aug. 20 and next year will mark the 60th anniversary of the death of one of Country Music’s greatest legends.
“Gentleman Jim”, as he was known to his fans, was killed in a plane crash July 31, 1964 flying over Brentwood, Tennessee. (Right before his 41st birthday) Reeves was piloting a single engine Beechcraft Debonair. He was on his way home from Arkansas with his manager-pianist Dean Manuel when they encountered a thunderstorm.
A nearly two-day search for the plane included a host of DJ’s and hundreds of Country Singers - Minnie Pearl, Ernest Tubb, Marty Robbins and Eddie Arnold among them.
James Travis Reeves was born in Panola County, Texas, a county with no town. Song writer Cindy Walker wrote many of Reeves' hits and she said, “Reeves was born to be a singer.”
Reeves' father died when he 10 months old leaving his mother to support eight children. In the recording “Yours Sincerely”, Reeves said he really enjoyed the music of Jimmie Rodgers and at the age of seven got his first guitar from a neighbor that had only three strings. When Reeves was nine he hosted his first radio program.
Reeves' childhood wasn’t easy and he’d sometimes spend the night at city hall so he wouldn’t be late for school the next morning.
Reeves' first love was music, but he also had a passion for sports and received an athletic scholarship to the University of Texas. Reeves pitched for the St. Louis Cardinals farm system for three years, but a sciatic nerve injury ended his short baseball career.
Reeves wanted to serve in World War II, but was turned down because of enlarged muscles around his heart.
Reeves met Mary White in 1946 and they were married. Mary would play an important role in his career until the end. The couple would often share fishing, golf and hunting when Jim had free time. Health issues prevented the couple from having children. Mary remarried after Jim’s death. Mary Reeves Davis died in 1999.
Reeves started in radio where he worked for several years and later owned a station. He said, “One day someone came into the studio asking if anyone would do a live show and I volunteered.” He added, “They (management) liked my announcing but not particularly my singing.”
Reeves said he got a big break when Hank Williams didn’t show up for the Louisiana Hayride on KWKH and he took his place singing “Mexican Joe.” An Abbott record executive heard Reeves that night and gave him a contract. The first song recorded was “Mexican Joe” that rose to number one on the Country charts in 1953.
Reeves joined the Grand Ole Opry in 1955, the same year he signed with RCA records (RCA also signed Elvis Presley in 1955). Reeves' final appearance on the Opry would be a few weeks before his death.
“Hello Chattanooga” by David Carroll doesn’t list any live performances by Reeves in the Scenic City. The book notes that Reeves' band and back up group “The Blue Boys” sang several times in the late 60’s at Lake Winnepesaukah.
The late Gene Goforth, who brought hundreds of singers and entertainers to Chattanooga, said he was working on getting Reeves to sing at Lake Winnepesaukah. “I nearly had a date set at the park when I received the news that he had been killed. Reeves' concerts would have had cars lined up on Lakeview Drive out to Highway 27 waiting to see and hear "the singer with the velvet voice.”
A lot of Chattanoogans learned that Reeves’ plane was missing when newsman Mike King read the bulletin over WFLI Radio. After the announcement, the on air DJ went directly to Reeves' signature song, “He’ll have to go.” The station played other Reeves hits for the next few hours. Those songs included Mexican Joe, Bimbo, Am I losing you, Four Walls, and Billy Bayou. Manager Johnny Eagle said, “WFLI was a top 40 station but mixed in a lot of Country songs. Jim Reeves' music was very popular among our listeners.”
Nearly two days after the plane was reported missing singer Arnold emerged from the wooded area near Franklin Road breaking the tragic news to several dozen reporters.
Eddy Arnold said, “Aug. 2nd is a morning I’ll never forget, I have just come from the scene, the plane was torn to pieces, the bodies are un-recognizable. I saw one hand that had a ring on it. We found it (the plane) roughly in an area where we had been looking for two nights and a day. It’s sad but true, I’ve just come from there.”
Newsman King again read another bulletin to WFLI listeners that Civil Defense workers had found the bodies of Reeves and his business partner.
The late Joe Edwards with the Associated Press wrote several stories about Jim Reeves. Edwards said, “Reeves' popularity lasted much longer than his life.”
Ray Hobbs was on the air at WDXB when the bulletin came across the Associated Press that Reeves' plane had been found and there were no survivors. Hobbs had interviewed Reeves several times back stage at the Grand Ole Opry (Ryman Auditorium) and he said the news of Reeves' death left him speechless. Hobbs said he and an engineer would take a reel to reel recorder to the Opry and talk with singers in a back room. Hobbs said being a radio person, Reeves never turned down an interview request.
Hobbs said, “There was nothing I could say on the air to ease the pain listeners experienced when hearing the news.” It was only a year earlier that Hobbs had announced the deaths of Country singers Patsy Cline, Hawshaw Hawkins and Cowboy Copas who perished in a plane crash. Hobbs was friends with the singers through his radio programs on both WDOD and WDXB.
Chattanooga radio stations played a lot Reeves records. The late Charlie “Peanut” Faircloth dedicated several of his morning broadcasts on WAPO to Reeves memories. Faircloth (a musician himself) said he’d worked concerts with the singer and cherished their friendship.
When WDOD Radio started programming Country Music in 1964 Reeves was one of the top requested artists. Morning announcer the late Gaylord McPherson said he talked with the singer's widow Mary Reeves about her husband and his popularity. Mrs. Reeves told McPherson, “RCA would be releasing unreleased recordings of Jim in years to come.” That proved to be true.
Popular Chattanooga morning radio host Luther Masingill put Reeves in the same category as Bing Crosby, Perry Como and Vic Damone. Luther’s favorite Reeves LP was “Moonlight and Roses.” Luther said one of his most requested holiday songs was Old Christmas Card by Jim Reeves, “I played it for several decades after its release in November, 1963.”
Chuck “Jolly Cholly” Krause hosted WDEF’s Roadshow in the afternoon and told his listeners of meeting Reeves and said it was hard to believe the singer was dead at the young age of 40. Krause's favorite Reeves tunes were, “This is it,” “Is it really over,” “I won’t forget you” and “Distant Drums,” all released by RCA after the plane crash. Krause would play the Reeves version of “Why do I love you” – (Melody of Love) released in 1969 and dedicate it to his wife Lorraine.
The Nashville Tennessean called Reeves “Country Music’s biggest international superstar.” Reeves made several trips to foreign countries.
Reeves' most popular song was “He’ll have to go” written by Joe and Audrey Allison. Reeves heard an earlier recording of the tune by singer Billy Brown and persuaded RCA to put it on the B side of his single release, “In a mansion stands my love.”
Songwriter Allison was visiting the American Forces Network, Europe in 1973 where I was stationed in the Army and we talked about his song. Allison said, “One day a DJ flipped the 45 RPM over and played the song, it caught on and radio stations across the country began playing the B side.” Allison said the song featured Floyd Cramer on the piano, Hank Garland on guitar and background vocals by the Anita Kerr Singers, some of the best musicians in the business.
Allison was a former announcer at the network and hosted the daily program, “Country Corner”.
While stationed at AFNE, I learned that Paul Kruyer in network operations was good friends with Reeves. Kruyer said, “Reeves brought a new kind of music to the troops overseas. The singer made several trips to Europe and the United Kingdom. He came to Germany for a tour in early 1964 and AFN recorded a rehearsal for broadcast on Weekend World a few days later.”
Kruyer said several who attended the concert said Reeves stayed a long time after the show was over and signed autographs. “He enjoyed talking to the troops.”
Kruyer said the singer showed up in his Frankfurt office before heading back to the states and said he was very impressed with the network recording of his rehearsal, “He even offered me a Job.”
Kruyer said Reeves told him all about filming the movie Kimberly Jim in South Africa.
Kruyer remembered, “Reeves talked about flying his new plane and then he said goodbye - it was tragic to learn a short time later the singer was killed in a plane crash near Nashville.”
After Reeves' death, RCA continued to release his music for nearly 20 years. Some DJ’s said Reeves became more popular after the fatal accident.
RCA had released several duets with Reeves and country artist Dottie West before his death. Ms. West said in a radio interview, “Chet Atkins at RCA wanted to do an entire album with the two but that never happened because Reeves was killed.”
Reeves was good friends with Tennessee Governor Frank Clement who asked him to record his favorite Gospel song, “Take my hand Precious Lord.” The song was included in Reeves' Gospel LP “We thank thee.” Reeves convinced RCA’s Chet Atkins to release the song as a single in 1962, two years before Reeves death. It was one of the most played Gospel Songs on radio.
Recording engineers produced duets electronically with Jim Reeves and Patsy Cline which brought a revival of the late Country Music singers. One of those songs was “Have you ever been Lonely,” that topped Billboard’s country chart in 1982 at number 5 and remained on the chart for 17 weeks.
In 1967 Jim Reeves was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
There’s no way to know exactly how many Reeves recordings have been sold around the world, but one website estimated his record sales have topped 100 million - albums, cassettes and compact discs. His last RCA studio recording was, “I can’t stop loving you.”
The late Country comedian Jerry Clower said, “Smooth and mellow, there’s never been a more beautiful voice than Jim Reeves.”
Country Singer Bill Anderson lived near the crash site. Anderson wrote, “While the presses roared and people rushed to read the headlines, the singers and songwriters who built this marvelous city of music (Nashville) paused and wept again.”
Reeves was very proud of his country roots but equally proud he helped lay the foundation for the Nashville Sound introducing strings and other instruments to country music. One of his best friends was Boots Randolph, the famous country sax player.
Bear Family records in Europe has released several box sets of Reeves' recordings including the complete Abbott sessions. This collection also includes some of Reeves’ demo recordings. Most of Reeves’ music is available from several different websites.
Writer Michael Streissguth, who compiled many music publications, wrote, “Like a Moth to a Flame, the Jim Reeves Story.” Streissguth said, “Reeves' voice marked an important turning point in the history of Country Music. It is his remarkable singing voice that will remain at the core of his legacy.”
Author Larry Jordan spent 13 years chronically Reeves’ life and wrote the book, “Jim Reeves, His untold story.”
Jordan said, “Reeves strove for excellence in everything he did; He was very serious about his music and always thought he could have sung better.”
Songwriter Walker told the late Ralph Emery of WSM radio, “Reeves was destined to remain a favorite with generations of music listeners to come.”
A few days after the plane crash, Reeves' body was taken to Carthage, Texas and buried. Thousands visit the grave site each year marked by a life-sized sculpture.
This writer is not a historian but has collected tapes, interviews, notes and other memorabilia from nearly 55 years in broadcasting. Gentleman Jim Reeves is definitely my favorite singer.
On Jim Reeves' 100th birthday, we won’t forget the singer who brought about positive change for Country Music and created the cosmopolitan sound with his beautiful un-mistakable voice.