Jim Reeves !

[DUFFYS]

Jim Reeves

Born on August 20th 1923 in Galloway, Texas, James Travis Reeves had a difficult childhood. The youngest of nine children his father died when he was just ten months old leaving his mother to raise her large family.

A strong interest in music was noticed in Jim when he was only five, by the time he was nine he had managed to get his hands on a broken down guitar. A family friend taught him to play and he made his first professional appearance on radio when he was just twelve years old.

Music was not Jim's only talent; he was a gifted athlete who won a scholarship to the University of Texas. He didn't complete his education as he chose to volunteer for Military service in 1942, but he failed the medical because of a heart condition.

The next few years were spent playing baseball and working for a radio station as a singing disc jockey, he also played and sang in local clubs and bars. In 1949 he recorded two songs for the Macy's label. A move to Shreveport in 1952 was the break Jim had been waiting for. He was host of the famous Louisiana Hayride, one day he sang on the show as another performer didn't arrive and he was heard and signed by Abbott Records.

In 1953 he had to hit records "Mexican Joe" and "Bimbo", which were both high-pitched novelty songs. Another move in 1955 this time to Nashville found Jim at the Grand Ole Opry and recording for RCA. It was about this time Jim changed his singing style from hillbilly, country to the warm crooning style that he became famous for. By 1957 the hits were coming thick and fast and his records began to cross over to the pop charts. He was successful in both America and the UK charts over the next few years but the fairy tale came to a tragic end on July 31st 1964 when Jim Reeves died in a plane crash near Nashville.