Jim Reeves facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jim Reeves
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Jim Reeves
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | James Travis Reeves |
| Also known as | Gentleman Jim |
| Born | August 20, 1923 Galloway, Texas, U.S. |
| Died | July 31, 1964 (aged 40) Davidson County, Tennessee, U.S. |
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| Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter, musician, actor |
| Years active | 1948–1964 |
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James Travis Reeves (born August 20, 1923 – died July 31, 1964) was a famous American country and pop music singer and songwriter. He was known for his smooth, deep voice and was often called "Gentleman Jim." His songs were popular from the 1950s to the 1980s, even after he died in a plane crash. He helped create the "Nashville sound" in country music. Jim Reeves is a member of both the Country Music and Texas Country Music Halls of Fame.
Contents
Biography
Early Life and Dreams
Jim Reeves was born in a small town called Galloway, Texas. He was the youngest of eight children. As a kid, everyone called him Travis.
He loved sports and even got a scholarship to the University of Texas for athletics. He tried studying speech and drama but left after only six weeks. Jim then played baseball in semi-professional leagues. In 1944, he joined a "farm" team for the St. Louis Cardinals as a pitcher. He played minor league baseball for three years. Sadly, a leg injury ended his baseball career.
Starting in Music
After baseball, Jim Reeves started working as a radio announcer. He would sing live between songs on the radio. In the late 1940s, he signed with a few small record companies in Texas, but he didn't have much success yet.
Jim was inspired by early country and western swing artists like Jimmie Rodgers. He also liked popular singers such as Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra. In the late 1940s, he joined a band and recorded some songs.
Later, Jim got a job as an announcer at KWKH-AM in Shreveport, Louisiana. This station was home to a popular radio show called Louisiana Hayride. One day, another singer was late, and Jim was asked to fill in. This was a big moment for him!
First Big Hits in the 1950s
Jim Reeves started having real success in country music. His first big hit was "Mexican Joe" in 1953. Other popular songs followed, like "I Love You," which he sang with Ginny Wright.
The Louisiana Hayride show was very important for many talented singers in the 1950s. Jim Reeves, Elvis Presley, and Jerry Lee Lewis all got their start there. In 1955, Jim Reeves joined the famous Grand Ole Opry in Nashville. He also appeared on a TV show called Ozark Jubilee. Fans loved him so much that he was asked to host the show for a few months in 1958.
At first, Jim sang in a loud, traditional country style. But he wanted to sing differently. He said he wanted to "sing like I want to sing!" So, he started singing more softly, using the lower part of his voice. He would sing very close to the microphone.
His producer, Chet Atkins, supported this new style. In 1957, Jim recorded "Four Walls" using this new, gentle way of singing. It became a number one country hit and also did well on the pop music charts. This song changed his career, making him known for serious country-pop ballads. "Four Walls" and "He'll Have to Go" (from 1959) became his signature style.
Jim Reeves was key in creating the "Nashville sound". This new style of country music used violins and softer background music. It helped country music appeal to more people, making Jim even more popular.
Because of his smooth, rich voice, he was called a "crooner." His songs like "Adios Amigo" and "Welcome to My World" showed how he could sing different kinds of music. Many of his Christmas songs, such as "C-H-R-I-S-T-M-A-S" and "Blue Christmas", are still loved today. He also helped make many gospel songs popular.
Global Fame in the Early 1960s
Jim Reeves' biggest hit was "He'll Have to Go" in late 1959. It was number one on the country charts for 14 weeks and sold millions of copies. People called his voice "velvet" because it was so smooth and deep. In 1963, he released his Twelve Songs of Christmas album, which included popular songs like "C.H.R.I.S.T.M.A.S."
Jim Reeves became very popular around the world in the 1960s, sometimes even more popular than in the United States. This helped country music become known globally.
South Africa
In the early 1960s, Jim Reeves was more popular in South Africa than Elvis Presley! He even recorded several albums in the Afrikaans language. In 1963, he toured South Africa and starred in a film called Kimberley Jim. He sang part of one song in Afrikaans in the movie. He enjoyed making the film and thought about doing more acting.
Britain and Ireland
Jim Reeves toured Britain and Ireland in 1963. He performed in many places in Ireland. His song "Welcome to My World" became number one in Ireland while he was there. He had three number one songs in Ireland between 1963 and 1964. He was one of the most popular artists in Ireland, right after the Beatles and Elvis Presley. He even recorded two Irish songs, "Danny Boy" and "Maureen."
Norway
Jim Reeves performed in Oslo, Norway, in April 1964. The concert was even shown on Norwegian TV. His song "He'll Have to Go" was a number one hit in Norway for 29 weeks. His song "I Love You Because" was an even bigger hit, staying on the charts for 39 weeks. His albums spent a total of 696 weeks on the Norwegian top-20 chart, making him one of Norway's most popular music artists ever.
Last Recordings
Jim Reeves' last official recording session for RCA Victor was on July 2, 1964. He recorded songs like "Make the World Go Away" and "Missing You". At the end of the session, he decided to record one more song: "I Can't Stop Loving You". This was his very last song recorded for RCA.
A few days before he died, Jim recorded one more song at his home studio called "I'm a Hit Again." He only used an acoustic guitar for this recording.
Personal Life
Jim Reeves married Mary White on September 3, 1947. They did not have any children.
His Death
On July 31, 1964, Jim Reeves and his business partner, Dean Manuel, were flying from Arkansas to Nashville. Jim was flying the small plane. They were caught in a bad thunderstorm over Brentwood, Tennessee.
Investigators later found that the plane got caught in the storm. Jim became disoriented, meaning he lost his sense of direction. Sadly, the plane crashed.
After an intense search, the bodies of Jim Reeves and Dean Manuel were found in the plane's wreckage on August 2, 1964. Radio stations across the United States announced Jim's death. Thousands of people came to his funeral to say goodbye. He was buried near his hometown in Carthage, Texas.
Legacy
Jim Reeves was honored after his death. In 1967, he was chosen for the Country Music Hall of Fame. They said his "velvet style" brought millions of new fans to country music around the world. In 1998, he was also inducted into the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame in Carthage, Texas, where there is a memorial to him.
The Academy of Country Music gives out the Jim Reeves International Award each year. This award goes to an artist who has done a lot to help country music become popular worldwide.
Music After His Death
Jim Reeves' music continued to sell very well even after he passed away. His songs stayed on the Billboard charts for two more decades. The last Jim Reeves song on the chart was "The Image Of Me" in 1984.
His wife, Mary, played a big part in keeping his music alive. She took songs that had not been released yet and added new music to them, creating "new" albums. She also ran the Jim Reeves Museum in Nashville for many years.
In 1966, Jim Reeves' song "Distant Drums" became number one in the UK for five weeks. It even beat songs by the Beatles! This song was originally just a demo, but it became very popular because of the Vietnam War. The BBC named it Song of the Year in the UK in 1966.
In 1980, Jim Reeves had two more top-10 hits. These were duets with another famous country star, Patsy Cline, who had also passed away. Even though they never recorded together when they were alive, producers combined their voices with new music to create these duets.
Many of Jim Reeves' greatest hits albums still sell well today. Since 2003, a company called VoiceMasters has released over 80 songs by Reeves that were never heard before. This includes "I'm a Hit Again," the last song he recorded at home before his death.
Tributes to Jim Reeves
Many songs and tributes were created to honor Jim Reeves after he died. In 1965, a song called "A Tribute to Jim Reeves" became a hit in the UK and Ireland.
Even today, Jim Reeves remains a popular artist in Ireland. Many Irish singers have recorded albums to honor him. A play was even written about his concert in Donegal, Ireland, in 1963.
The famous British comedian Vic Reeves chose his stage name from Jim Reeves and another singer he admired. Jim Reeves' nephew, John Rex Reeves, sometimes sings Jim's songs on TV shows, keeping his uncle's music alive.
Discography
See also
In Spanish: Jim Reeves para niños
