Jim Reeves

Jim Reeves

Singer-songwriter
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Trivia

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  • Gravesite is located on US 79 about 3 miles east of the US 59 junction in Carthage, Texas.
  • According to Chet Atkins, there was one musical instrument Jim didn't like, and didn't want on any of his recordings - the accordion. It appeared on only one song he ever recorded - "The Merry Christmas Polka" from his 1963 Christmas album. Chet convinced Jim the song wouldn't be a polka without it.
  • Jim was only about five miles from the Nashville airport on July 31, 1964 when he ran into a severe thunderstorm. He had made contact with the Airport Tower Operator, who was trying to steer him around the storm. His last transmission to the tower was at 4:58 PM, when his plane disappeared off the radar screen. The wreckage wasn't found until two days later, August 2.
  • In a survey taken by the BBC of the Top 100 songs of the 20th Century in the United Kingdom (which included all types of music- rock, pop, country, etc.) Jim's version of "I Love You Because" was ranked #11.
  • Recorded 444 songs in his career- which were released on a multi-volume CD set by the Bear Family in Europe in the late 1990's.
  • According to his secretary, Joyce Jackson, Jim smoked Parliament cigarettes up until 1958, when he quit because he was afraid they would ruin his voice.
  • Jim was returning from Batesville, Arkansas when his plane crashed. He had flown there July 30 to check out some real estate that was for sale- the card from the real estate agent was one of the items found in his billfold. His manager and piano player, Dean Manuel (who didn't like to fly) accompanied him because he had relatives who lived near Batesville, whom he and Jim visited with the night before the ill-fated return flight, July 31.
  • Many accounts incorrectly give Jim's date of birth as August 20, 1924 (including his plaque at the Country Music Hall of Fame and the liner notes on one of his albums). Both his birth certificate and his gravesite give his date of birth as August 20, 1923.
  • His biggest posthumous hit, "Distant Drums" (which was #1 in the U.K. for 6 weeks in 1966), was actually recorded as a "demo" at Starday Studios in 1961.
  • The last song Jim ever recorded at RCA's Studio B was Don Gibson's "Can't Stop Loving You", on July 2, 1964.
  • According to Billboard Magazine, Jim had 51 Top 10 hits - 19 after his death.
  • Was originally hired by the Louisiana Hayride in 1952 as an announcer, not a singer.
  • Made the eventually unfortunate decision to learn to fly himself after a commercial airliner he was on encountered turbulent weather on a return flight from South Africa in 1962. He wanted to be "in control" of the situation. He was taught to fly by the same instructor who taught Randy Hughes (Patsy Cline's manager and pilot) to fly, and received his pilot's license in March 1963 shortly after Patsy Cline's plane crashed.
  • Wore a toupee, which he and his wife Mary Reeves kept a closely guarded secret.
  • His fan-base in Norway is so huge his widow, Mary Reeves, has received countless gold, platinum and even diamond (!) records from Norway up till this day. There was even a special album made for Norwegian fans: "Jim Reeves - Norwegian hits" in 1999. In the early 1960s Reeves was the first US artist to sell to gold in Norway, and after his death he dominated the Norwegian charts through the entire 1960s. To top it all, one of the last live recording made of Reeves was from his concert in Njårdhallen, Oslo, Norway, three months before his death.
  • Recorded and played with legendary Nashville session guitarist Hank Garland.
  • With his soft baritone voice, "Gentleman" Jim Reeves was one of the biggest and most consistent hit-makers in country music history. His many hits on RCA Victor, now considered country music classics, include "He'll Have to Go", "Four Walls", "Am I Losing You", "Blue Side of Lonesome", "Welcome to My World", "Bimbo", "Distant Drums" and "Mexican Joe".
  • Was a member of the Grand Ole Opry from 1955 until his death.
  • A prolific recording artist, many of his posthumously released songs became hits many years after his death, such as 1970's "Angels Don't Lie".
  • Elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame, 1967.
  • Spouse, Mary Reeves (2 September 1947 - 31 July 1964) (his death)
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