Jim Reeves
The son of an impoverished Texas farming family, Jim Reeves was
actually a very successful country music recording artist before he
actually came to the attention of the world at large. It wasn't until
he signed a recording contract with RCA Victor in 1955 (at the age of
32) that the now familiar Reeves sound began to emerge.
That sound virtually reshaped the course of modern country music
and contributed as much to the overall acceptance of country music in
the 60s as did Jimmie Rodgers some thirty years earlier.
In 1952, Reeves (at the time a radio DJ and station announcer)
began recording for the Texas-based record company, Macy's Queen of
Hits. The records were sold through the company's chain-stores and
were strictly regional successes, but they gave Reeves the
encouragement he needed to pursue a singing career.
His first RCA hit, Four Walls, in 1957, set the mould for
his debut British hit He'll Have To Go. Reeve's warm, soft
voice boosted the single to Number 36 in March 1960, and Number 12 a
month later upon re-entry. During 1961, the velvet-voiced singer
enjoyed two further British hits, Whispering Hope in March, and
You're The Only Good Thing during November. With Adios Amigo
and I'm Gonna Change Everything notching up further hits
during 1962, the best was yet to come.
Welcome To My World, a beautiful smooth ballad, soared to
Number 6 in the British chart during 1963. Also during that year,
Reeves starred in Kimberley Jim, a movie shot in South Africa -
a country he loved (he had previously toured there with Floyd
Cramer and commanded a strong following).
Another classic was issued the following year - I Love You
Because. The song raced to Number 5 in the UK charts, hotly
followed by I Won't Forget You, which reached Number 3.
Tragically, Jim Reeves was killed on July 31 1964 when his private
plane crashed in Nashville, Tennessee.
Since his death he has become more popular even than he was in his
lifetime. During 1965 he had six posthumous British hits, including It
Hurts So Much, Not Until The Next Time and Is It Really Over?,
while the next year, he reached the top of the British chart in
October with Distant Drums.
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