WELCOME TO THE HOMEPAGE OF THE JIM REEVES FAN CLUB
THIS WEB SITE WAS ENDORSED BY JIM'S LEAD GUITAR PLAYER THE LATE LEO JACKSON
Our objective is to promote the music of Jim Reeves and keep the memory of him alive. Also, we supply the members with a quarterly fan club magazine of 12 pages, full of interesting articles, album reviews, photos, etc.
The fan club was founded as THE NEW DUTCH JIM REEVES FAN CLUB by Arie den Dulk and Bert Bossink in 1975. For the first two years we catered only to Dutch speaking fans, but since the closure of the British Jim Reeves Fan Club in 1977, we have two editions of the club magazine, one in Dutch, the other in English. Some years ago we changed to our present name as for more than 25 years it has been the only Jim Reeves fan club.
Our approximately 250 members live all over the world, but 80% are Europeans. We have members in the USA, Canada, South Africa, Australasia, India and Japan.
On this website we'll put various information such as discographies, newspaper cuttings and photographs from my own and other collections. Any material from visitors to this site is welcome.
If you wish to join the fan club or would like to know more about it, or have any questions, please write to: The Jim Reeves Fan Club. Or you may send mail to our postal address, which is:
Jim Reeves
Fan Club
Postbus 66
2280 AB Ryswyk
The Netherlands
telephone
number 0031613844105
THE
'DID YOU KNOW?' SECTION HAS BEEN UPDATED ON
4 JUNE 2013
Please click here to visit the section
19 JUNE 2013
SLIM WHITMAN DIES AT AGE 90
Slim Whitman died of heart failure overnight on Wednesday 19 June 2013 at the Orange Park Medical Centre in Jacksonville, Florida, at age 90.
It was breaking news on many European newspaper websites and television news programs at just before 18.00 hours CET.
Slim Whitman, was born as Ottis Dewey Whitman, Jr. on January 20, 1924 in
Tampa, Florida and was living in Middleburg, Florida.
He released his first single in 1948 and joined the Louisiana Hayride He had a
few big hits such as "Love Song of the Waterfall" and "Indian Love Call".
Jim was at a recording session in the studio of KWKH and after finishing "Penny
Candy" wanted to do another song but they had to leave the studio as Slim
Whitman had arrived and wanted to record a few songs. Slim Whitman was at that
time a bigger star than Jim Reeves. Leo remembers it well, as it was his first
recording session with Jim. On a few
occasions they both performed, but not on the same time, the stages of the
Louisiana Hayride.
Tommy Overstreet remembered
that when he was 16 years old, he appeared weekly on a local TV show in Abilene,
Texas called "The Slim Willet Show". Each week Slim had him sing a Slim Whitman
song. He was an idol of Tommy, and later he got to know him. David Houston and
him loved his singing and copied him as best they could.
Slim Whitman was very popular in the British Isles and I remember attending a
sold-out show he did in Croydon, near London, in the early 90's.
Please click here to read more about it
18 JUNE 2013
A WORLD EXCLUSIVE - A HOUSE WHERE JIM AND MARY ONCE LIVED IS FOR SALE
The house at 609 North Marshall Street, in Henderson, Texas, once the home of Jim and Mary Reeves, is for sale.
When Jim's baseball career finished due to a leg injury, he became a disc jockey at radio station KGRI in Henderson. It is not certain how long they lived there, but there is documentation proving they lived at that address in 1950 until they moved to Longview where Jim worked at KLTI for a few months in early 1951.
It is curious that the only mention of this address is in the Jim Reeves biography by Mike Streissguth.
You can read details and view pictures of the house here.
11 JUNE 2013
A "DID YOU KNOW?" POSTING MENTIONED ON STEVIE MOORE'S WEBSITE
It is regarded as a great honour that a recent posting on the "Did you know?"
section of this website by senior Jim Reeves historian and founder of the former OFFICIAL JIM
REEVES FAN CLUB OF GREAT BRITAIN, got a mention on the website of R. Stevie
Moore, who in an e-mail to David Bussey, gave the piece his full blessing
& seal of approval. His words showed his regret: "Oh man, if only a camera had
captured me and Jim together that day. Just once. Sadly, only a memory. And a
great timeless record."
R. Stevie Moore is well known to Jim Reeves fans for his part on the "But you love me daddy" recording. Go to: www.rsteviemoore.com/news.html#aNEWS
4 JUNE 2013
DID YOU KNOW THAT THURSDAY, 15TH OCTOBER 1959 WAS A MEMORABLE DAY NOT JUST FOR JIM REEVES?
Jim Reeves would never forget the recording session of that morning. He covered Billy Brown's "He'll have to go" and everyone in the studio knew he had a smash. His life was at a low ebb at the time - shortly no secretary, no band, no manager and no money. He desperately needed a hit record. This was to be a red-letter day with his career about to be reborn.
Please click here to read more about it
19 MAY 2013
DID YOU KNOW IT WASN'T JUST TWENTY FIRST CENTURY AUTHORS STILL HOPING FOR MILEAGE IN THEIR CONSPIRACY THEORIES?
Please click here to read about it
5 MAY 2013
FIFTH ANNIVERSARY OF LEO JACKSON'S DEATH
Leo will also be remembered for relentless promoting of Jim Reeves' music and history in radio programs and interviews over the years.
Click here to read about and view pictures of a visit of Leo and a few of his friends to RCA Studio B in April 2003. It was in that recording studio Jim Reeves recorded a large number of his greatest hits.
26 APRIL 2013
GEORGE JONES DIED AT AGE 81
Today, George Jones, another Country Music Legend, died, aged 81. He had been admitted to a Nashville hospital with high fiver and irregular blood pressure, a week ago.
George's career spanned a period of 60 years. He was still very active and performed in Knoxville, Tennessee on April 8. George was about to go back to the studios to record an album with Dolly Parton.
On a number of occasions George Jones performed at the same show with Jim Reeves. One of these was at the Civic Center, Saginaw, Michigan on October 30, 1958. Other Grand Ole Opry stars on that show were Jean Shepard and Faron Young.
20 APRIL 2013
JOHNNY RUSSELL HONOURED WITH MARKER ON THE MISSISSIPPI TRAIL
Grand Ole Opry star Johnny Russell who died in 2001, has been honoured with a marker on the Mississippi Country Music Trail in Moorhead on March 25, 2013.
Johnny Russell was born in Moorhead, Miss., in 1940. Jim Reeves recorded one of Johnny's first songs "In a Mansion Stands My Love,", on October 15, 1959. It became the flip side of "He'll Have to Go.", which became a number One hit of Jim Reeves.
Unfortunately the marker does not mention that song but three other ones, including "Act Naturally" which was recorded by famous artists such Buck Owens and The Beatles.
Other country music artists from the state of Mississippi who have been honoured with a marker are Jimmie Rodgers, Tammy Wynette, Conway Twitty, Elvis Presley, Charley Pride and Faith Hill. The Country Music Trail commemorates their many varied contributions and influences as well as the places that cradled their creativity.
Please click
here
to read it
14 APRIL 2013
DID YOU KNOW THAT JIM REEVES WAS NOT THE FIRST TO RECOGNIZE THE POP POTENTIAL OF THE SONG 'MISSING YOU'?
Please click here to read about it
31 MARCH 2013
CHRIST IS RISEN - HE IS RISEN INDEED!
Sunday, March 31st 2013 is Easter Day. Easter is the
oldest Christian holiday and the most important day of the churches year. May we
take this opportunity of wishing everyone a joyful and pleasant Eastertide.
Sunday, March 31st 2013 also marks the birthday of David Bussey. He has reached
the biblical milestone of three score years and ten. We also take this
opportunity to wish him many happy returns of the day and to thank him for 5
decades of loyal service to the music & memory of Jim Reeves.
27 MARCH 2013
GORDON STOKER, MEMBER OF THE JORDANAIRES, DIES AT AGE 88
Gordon Stoker, who was member of the vocal group the Jordanaires died today, March 27, aged 88, after a long illness.
Gordon Stoker could be heard singing background vocals as member of the Jordanaires on many Jim Reeves recordings. The first session, produced by Chet Atkins, was on 7 February 1957. Jim recorded "Four Walls", "Honey Won't you please come home", "Look behind you", The Gods were angry with me", and "I know and you know" .
On two occasions I met and interviewed the Jordanaires in The Netherlands. A few years ago I called Gordon and interviewed him about Jim Reeves by phone. That interview was published in an issue of the fan club magazine.
I offer condolences, also in behalf of members of the fan club, to the family of Gordon Stoker.
25 MARCH 2013
RECENT DEATHS
In recent months three old country music musicians with connections to Jim Reeves' career, have died.
On October 12, 2012 Clifton "Van" Vandevender, better known as Van Howard died at age 83. He had joined the Louisiana Hayride in 1951 and worked there with many county music stars, including Jim Reeves, before joining the band of Ray Price.
On January 22, 2013 Tony Douglas dies, aged 83. He too had joined the Louisiana Hayride after Jim Reeves had left, but on December 13,1958 they performed at the Louisiana Hayride.
On March 7, 2013 Claude King, of "Wolverton Mountain" fame died, aged 80. He too had joined the Louisiana Hayride but it is not known if they performed at the "Hayride" on the same night(s). They did perform on the same show at The Temple ( Texas) Municipal Auditorium on November 17th, 1953 and in early 1954 at the Boy's Club Building in Hot Springs, Arkansas.
6 MARCH 2013
INTERESTING POSTING ON THE JOHN REX REEVES WEBSITE
It would appear a very interesting posting was overlooked on the John Rex Reeves
website on 19th January 2013. The posting on the Guestbook was from Don M. Howard on the subject
of his mother Bea Terry who died in 1997.
Mr. Howard, born Don Michael Hockett in Hunt, Texas in 1939, the only son from
Bea's first marriage, provided all the composite detail and paperwork on the
story of his mother's liaison with Jim Reeves. He first met Jim Reeves as a
young teenager and followed his mother's career as a journalist and publicist
into the music business on the West Coast to become a promoter, agent and
personal manager, booking such artistes as Freddy Weller, Slim Whitman, Bonnie
Guitar, Slim Whitman and Kathy Taylor (who he also managed).
Mr. Howard, opening his piece with "There has been much suggestions about my
mother Bea Terry," seems desperate to play down and soften the relationship
between his mother and Jim, which has already been portrayed as much more
adulterous and torrid. It is difficult to imagine what has suddenly caused this
outburst of damage limitation, much like closing the stable door after the horse
has bolted.
Mr. Howard did at one time express the wish to put out a book on the life and
times of his mother, though the nucleus of any saga has already been well
scattered on the four winds.
Please click here to read about it
5 MARCH 2013
TODAY 50 YEARS AGO ....
Today 50 years ago Jim Reeves recorded three songs in Nashville's famous RCA Studio B, from 7pm till 10 pm; 'The world you left behind' , 'I've enjoyed as much of this as I can stand', and 'Don't let me crossover'.
Two days earlier, in Kansas City, George Jones, Bill Walker, Dottie West, Wilma Lee and Stoney Cooper, Cowboy Copus, Hawkshaw Hawkins, Patsy Cline, and a few other artists were performing at a benefit for the family of disk jockey Cactus Jack Call, who'd been killed in a car crash.
On March 5, at noon, Cowboy Copus, Hawkshaw Hawkins, and Patsy Cline flew back to Nashville in a small plane piloted by Patsy's manager Randy Hughes. At around 6.09 pm the plane flew into bad weather and crashed some 85 miles from Nashville, in a forest near Camden, Tennessee.
Patsy was buried at Winchester, Virginia on March 8. Jim Reeves already had left for South Africa to play a part in a movie. From there Jim sent telegrams of condolences to the bereaved families.
26 FEBRUARY 2013
DID YOU KNOW YOU SHOULDN'T ALWAYS BELIEVE WHAT YOU READ IN "BILLBOARD" MAGAZINE?
Please click here to read about it
22 FEBRUARY 2013
DID YOU KNOW JIM REEVES INTENDED GIVING UP PROFESSIONAL SINGING AT THE END OF 1963?
Please click here to read about it
20 FEBRUARY 2013
HOW ABOUT IT SONY?
At the end of last year Sony Music
released as part of their Columbia Legacy Series a 63 cd (yes, that's really 63
cd's!) boxed-set entitled "Johnny Cash - the Complete Columbia Collection" at a
simply astounding price of around £130, working out at not much more than £2 per
cd. Nothing but 5 star reviews and comments like "Quite simply the best ever
country music release", the set contains every official LP from 1958 - 1985 and
more. Certainly, if you're a Johnny Cash fan of any year's standing, this set is
for you.
Now that Sony have shown the superb job they have done with Cash, it would be a
nice gesture to repeat the process to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Jim
Reeves' passing. A complete collection of his work at a similar budget price
would appeal to all those fans who couldn't afford to avail themselves of the
pricey Bear Family set and would then have a chance to complete their
collections, or replace some old vinyl.
How about it Sony???????
24 JANUARY 2013
JIM'S TEXAS SAYING GIVEN NEW LEASE OF LIFE AFTER 48 YEARS
Late February/early March 1964 Jim went into the Starday
studios to demo Alex Zanetis songs. Seven songs were copyrighted on 3rd March.
After four attempts at starting "The writings on the wall", Jim is heard to say
"I can't sing this damn song. I can't sing anything - half drunk & it's dark
thirty."
"Dark thirty" was obviously one of the many Texas sayings he would frequently
utter, but until now to most fans it's meaning remained conjectural. It could
have meant "very late or very early time of the day", "some unspecified time
between midnight & dawn" or as we might say today "in the wee small hours" or
"at the crack of dawn."
Fast forward 48 years and the U.S. blockbuster "Zero Dark Thirty" brings the
words into modern parlance. The film is a controversial chronicle of the CIA's
decade-long hunt for al-Qaeda terrorist leader Osama bin Laden after the Sept.
2011 attacks and his death at the hands of the Navy S.E.A.L. Team 6 in May 2011.
It has been nominated for numerous awards.
The film's working title was "For God & Country." The title "Zero Dark Thirty"
was officially confirmed at the end of the film's teaser trailer. The director
explained that "...it's a military term for 30 minutes after midnight and it
refers to the darkness & secrecy that cloaked the entire decade-long mission."
The film goes on general release in the United Kingdom from 25th January.
17 JANUARY 2013
DO YOU KNOW THE REAL STORY SURROUNDING THOSE 1961 OIL WELL INVESTMENTS?
Please click here to read about it
11 JANUARY 2013
FRANK PAGE , OF KWKH 'LOUISIANA HAYRIDE' FAME DIES AT AGE 87
Frank Page, veteran broadcaster of the Louisiana Hayride, died late Wednesday, January 9, after fighting complications with pneumonia, he was 87. He had been in the intensive care unit at WK Pierremont Health Center in Shreveport, Louisiana. Frank joined KWKH in 1947 and became an announcer at the 'Louisiana Hayride' in 1949. He retired in 2006 after being employed by KWKH for 59 years! Frank has been inducted into Country Music Hall of Fame, the Louisiana Broadcasters Hall of Fame and the Wall of Fame in Shreveport.
Frank announced later to become famous stars on the Hayride, such as Hank Williams, Web Pierce, Johnny Horton, Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jim Reeves, and a lot of other artists, some who would eventually make it to the 'Grand Ole Opry', others who would pass into oblivion. Fortunately quite a number of audio recordings of the show survived and performances of some artists have even been released on CD. Jim Reeves joined KWKH first as an announcer in December 1952, (KLSA News 12 reporter Willard Woods erroneously reported the year as 1950), before joining the 'Hayride'.
I had the pleasure of meeting and interviewing Frank Page and his business partner David Kent backstage at the revamped 'KWKH Louisiana Hayride show' in Bossier City, Louisiana, in July 1977. That interview has appeared in one of the early issues of the fan club magazine.
Please click here to read more about it
Please click here to view the 'Shreveport Times' 'Remembering Frank Page' gallery
3 JANUARY 2013
WE WISH YOU ALL A HAPPY AND PROSPEROUS 2013!
24 DECEMBER 2012
DID YOU KNOW THAT ...?
Did you know that the song "Blue Christmas" was one of Jim's favourite Christmas songs?
Please click here to read about it
JIM REEVES WITH 3 SONGS IN THE
DUTCH RADIO 2 'TOP 2000' CHART LIST
Please click here to listen to Radio 2 on the internet and select the option 'luister' or 'webcam' on the right hand side of the web page.
19 DECEMBER 2012
JIM REEVES RECORDED A CHRISTMAS ALBUM 50 YEARS AGO
It is just over 50 years ago that Jim Reeves recorded 11 Christmas songs in two
recording sessions in Nashville's famous RCA Studio B. On October 19, 1962, from
14.00 till 17.30 hours, five songs were recorded, and one week later, on October
25, from 19.00 till 23.00 hours, six songs were recorded.
Please click here to read about it
9 DECEMBER 2012
LOUIS NUNLEY, FORMER MEMBER OF THE ANITA KERR SINGERS, DIES AT 81
Louis Nunley, who was a member of THE ANITA KERR SINGERS and who can be heard on many
Jim Reeves' records, died on October 26, 2012. Louis joined the Anita Kerr
Singers in 1953 and remained a member until 1965 when Anita Kerr disbanded the Nashville operation
when she moved to Los Angeles. In 1999 Louis replaced Duane
Lewis, who in turn had replaced Hoyt Hawkins, as baritone of THE JORDANAIRES.
The house of Louis and his wife Mary Ann was badly hit by the May 2010 Tennessee
Floods.
Please click here to read his obituary
5 DECEMBER 2012
DID YOU KNOW THAT ...?
Did you know that in April & May 1964, correspondence was exchanged between Jim Reeves & a Canadian promoter with regard to a possible show in Ontario in September of that year?
Please click here to read more about it
3 DECEMBER 2012
THE ENGLISH EDITION OF FAN CLUB MAGAZINE No. 132 HAS BEEN MAILED TO MEMBERS
The latest English edition of the fan club magazine has been mailed to the
membership. The main article features the concluding part of a 1973 interview of
Chet Atkins on Jim Reeves, by the Dean of Jim Reeves fans, Mr. David Bussey. The
Dutch edition will be dispatched within two weeks.
We have a special offer for those two issues of the fan club magazine in which the interview got printed, to non fan club members at a special price.
Please click
here
to read more about the 1973 Chet Atkins
interview and the special offer, and view a few pictures from Mr. David
Bussey's collection of the persons he has interviewed in Nashville in 1984.
1 DECEMBER 2012
CHRISTMAS TIME AT THE HOME OF JIM AND MARY REEVES
Two pictures taken at Jim's home at Christmas time.
Please click here to view them
29 NOVEMBER 2012
MARKETING MAYHEM OR THE END OF A BEAUTIFUL FRIENDSHIP?
The much publicised marriage made in heaven between
Messrs. Brink & Jordan to create the mighty H&H/Voicemasters label for Jim
Reeves' recording, production and distribution in the European marketplace
appears to have hit an impasse.
Reeves' fans and collectors are questioning the wisdom of why two simultaneous
releases aimed at the lucrative Christmas market have not appeared where sales
potential is the greatest & they sell most copies, that is in the shops on the
high street, and why Steve Brink put out H&H's own 2cd + dvd set "A touch of
velvet" in direct competition with Larry Jordan's 2 cd set "The new recordings."
H&H's connection and involvement with both sets is plain to see and surely it
would have made more marketing sense to put their weight behind a release
containing "new" recordings. One would assume that buyers at big companies like
HMV would jump with excitement at having a "new" album by Reeves at Christmas
time.
It seems bizarre and ironic that a release, purported to be fashioned and
printed in the UK, can only be purchased from the States by fans with a
computer. This matter in question has been put to Steve Brink, but so far no
answer.
"Once in a blue moon" is a pointed phrase to replace the Voicemasters label
logo, or "Here today & gone tomorrow" might be more apt. The Jordan cd "The new
recordings" is purely a ploy to sell copies of an "award winning" book. So far,
if anyone wants the cd (with or without the book), it remains firmly rooted in
Amazon.com & ebay.
However, the best track on the set is available to
download on You tube.
Now that's a great marketing ploy!!
18 NOVEMBER 2012
FORGOTTEN INTERVIEW ACCEPTED BY NASHVILLE'S COUNTRY MUSIC HALL OF FAME & MUSEUM
On 14th November 2012 a long forgotten 1973 interview between David Bussey and
Chet Atkins was accepted into the archives of the oral history collection of the
Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum in Nashville. Senior Historian John W.
Rumble said in his acceptance letter "I'm delighted to receive your interview
with Chet Atkins, and we'll be proud to add this to our archives."
John joined the staff in 1982 as director of the oral history project. He was editor and also a contributor to the superb book "Chet Atkins: Certified Guitar Player" published in 2011 by the Country Music Foundation Press. The book contains several references to, and photos of Jim Reeves.
The transcribed interview article featured in the last issue of the Jim Reeves Fan Club Magazine and will conclude in the forthcoming issue along with the complete acceptance letter from Mr. Rumble.
11 NOVEMBER 2012
FLORAL TRIBUTE FOR MARY REEVES ON THE THIRTEENTH ANNIVERSARY OF HER DEATH
Today we remember the anniversary of the death of Mary Reeves. Thirteen years have passed since that sad day. For almost 35 years Mary nursed, promoted and especially protected the image of 'Gentleman Jim Reeves'. Thirteen years later, little remains of that image but Jim's voice will continue to give pleasure to millions of listeners.
Click here to read about it
23 OCTOBER 2012
PICTURE OF OCTOBER 19, 1962 JIM REEVES RECORDING SESSION
The Nashville Tennessean newspaper published a NASHVILLE THEN: OCTOBER 1962 picture gallery on its website. Among the 64 pictures are six ( pictures 31 - 37) taken by photographer Joe Rudis on October 19, 1962 when Jim Reeves recorded his first and only Christmas album in RCA Studio B. Pictures shows Jim Reeves singing "White Christmas", musicians Floyd Cramer, Bill Pursell ( who strikes the chimes), Velma Smith, The Anita Kerr Singers, Jim and Chet (Atkins) and Bill Porter in the control room, and Jim listening to playback from one of the (large) speakers.
22 OCTOBER 2012
LEO JACKSON WOULD HAVE CELEBRATED HIS 78TH BIRTHDAY TODAY
Leo Jackson, who played lead guitar for Jim Reeves from 1954 till Jim's death in 1964, would have celebrated his 78th Birthday today. Leo has been a friend with whom I corresponded by letter, phone, e-mail and fax for about 17 years. You can read a fax he had sent me in April 1997 here.
14 OCTOBER 2012
TOM PERRYMAN ELECTED INTO THE COUNTRY LINE MAGAZINE HALL OF FAME
The Country Line Magazine recently reported; "Throughout his career Tom has received many recognition awards. He’s a member of the Disc Jockey Hall of Fame and the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame and won numerous Lifetime Achievement Awards. This year he was inducted into the County Line Magazine Hall of Fame for winning Best DJ in the Upper East Side of Texas four years in a row." The July issue of that magazine featured an article about Tom's 65th anniversary in the radio and music industry.
The October 2012 issue featured an article about the Reo Palm Isle, Jim's former stomping ground, which reopened earlier this year after being closed for a year. Two weeks ago Tom played a recording of Jim Reeves singing a jazzy version of "GOT YOU ON MY MIND" on his radio show. Tom mentioned he went one afternoon in 1952 to record a rehearsal because they sponsored part the "Hillbilly Hit Parade" on KSIJ . Jim was there and did three songs, including this one. Everybody loved to dance to Jim's singing. Tom probably used a Wollensack or very probably a Magnacorder recorder and picked the sound up from the PA system by the voice microphone. The other two songs he did are "YOU BELONG TO ME" and "TAKE ME IN YOUR ARMS AND HOLD ME" and are in the BEAR FAMILY 's JIM REEVES 16 CD set. "GOT YOU ON MY MIND" has not been released in full by a record company yet.
29 SEPTEMBER 2012
LARRY CUNNINGHAM DIES AT AGE 74
Irish singer Larry Cunningham died last night at St Vincent's Hospital in Dublin following an illness, aged 74. On Friday 7th June 1963 Jim Reeves was scheduled to do a show in Lifford, County Donegal. That night the piano was not only out of tune but had a few broken strings too. After a few minutes, Jim decided to leave the stage. To prevent the hall from being demolished by the 1500 fans who had come to see Jim were very disappointed and very angry, Larry Cunningham ( and his band the Mighty Avons) stepped in sang for an hour Jim Reeves' songs. Larry's singing career really took of when in December 1964 he and his band had with the song "A tribute to Jim Reeves' a Top-10 hit in the Britsh charts. Incidentally that was the first Irish record in that chart. Besides a large number of his regular albums, Larry also recorded 2 Jim Reeves' tribute Long Play albums.
I interviewed Larry Cunningham in a room at the historic 'The Greville Arms Hotel Granard', in Longford and which was published in the fan club magazine. Ill health prevented Larry to attend our 2006 Fan club meeting.
('The Greville Arms Hotel Granard', in Longford is historically linked to Irish revolutionary leader Micheal Collins, he visited the hotel regularly as it was the home of his fiancé to be Kitty Kiernan.)
31 AUGUST 2012
JIM REEVES SPECIAL - RADIO RIDDERKERK
Op zondag 2 september, van 17.00 tot 18.00 uur, staat de Amerikaanse country-zanger Jim Reeves centraal in het radioprogramma ´The Story Of´ bij Radio Ridderkerk. Radio Ridderkerk zendt ook uit op het internet.
On Sunday 2 September, from 17.00 hours CET till 18.00 hours CET, Radio Ridderkerk will broadcast a Jim Reeves special, "The Story Of ..." You can listen to Radio Ridderkerk on the internet.
30 AUGUST 2012
'BALIN' WIRE BOB STRACK PASSES
Robert Henry 'Balin' Wire Bob' Strack, died on Friday, August 17, 2012 after battling Alzheimer's disease and pneumonia. He was almost 90 years old.
Bob Strack replaced Jim Reeves on 'RED RIVER ROUNDUP' radio program on KWKH after Jim had left Shreveport for Nashville. In the July 1955 issue of 'COUNTRY & WESTERN JAMBOREE', Bob reported: "Jim Reeves has a new band now called THE WAGON MASTERS with Sonny Trammel on steel and Leo Jackson on lead guitar." Incidentally, it was Sonny Trammel who, probably around that time, had taken a picture of Elvis Presley at the Louisiana Hayride, and on it Leo Jackson was partially visible.
26 AUGUST 2012
UPDATE ABOUT TOM PERRYMAN
On August 20th, Tom Perryman would have hosted a Jim Reeves tribute in his 'CLASSIC COUNTRY' radio program at KKUS - THE RANCH' in commemoration of what would have been Jim Reeves' 89th Birthday. Tom usually doesn't do a Jim Reeves tribute on July 31st but on August 20th, Jim's Birthday instead. A number of Jim Reeves fans reported they were disappointed that Tom couldn't broadcast the tribute due to being ill. Tom returned to the show on Tuesday but did not return the next day. He had experienced a very busy period of 8 days in which he was one of the major guests at the 35th anniversary of the death of Elvis Presley at Graceland, and attended the 15th Texas Country Music Hall Of Fame Award Show in Carthage on August 18. Tom discovered that his body couldn't take at age 85, what it could 60 years earlier, he was suffering from back problems. I got in touch with Tom today, and he informed me he was feeling much better and was planning to be back on the air tomorrow.
21 AUGUST 2012
AT THE END OF 2012, 82% OF JIM'S RCA RECORDED MATERIAL ( A TOTAL OF 282 SONGS) WILL BE OUT OF COPYRIGHT IN THE U.K.
19 AUGUST 2012
TOM PERRYMAN TO HOST A JIM REEVES TRIBUTE ON HIS 'CLASSIC COUNTRY' RADIO PROGRAM AT KKUS - THE RANCH ON AUGUST 20TH.
Tom's two- hourly program can be heard on weekdays from 9 am. till 11 am. Central Time Zone at http://theranch.fm/ .
31 JULY 2012
FLORAL TRIBUTES FOR JIM REEVES AND DEAN MANUEL
Click here to view the pictures.
30 JULY 2012
48TH ANNIVERSARY JIM REEVES RADIO TRIBUTES
16 JULY 2012
KITTY WELLS DIES AT 92
4 JULY 2012
AUDREY ALLISON, CO-WRITER OF 'HE'LL HAVE TO GO' DIES
3 JULY 2012
DID JIM REALLY KNOCK THE BEATLES OFF FROM THE FIRST PLACE IN THE HIT PARADE?
28 JUNE 2012
DID JIM REALLY WRITE 88 SONGS?- UPDATE
Please click here to read more about it
24 JUNE 2012
DID JIM REALLY WRITE 88 SONGS?
23 JUNE 2012
LATEST UPDATE IN THE 'SCRAPBOOK' SECTION
Please click here to visit the Scrapbook page
18 JUNE 2012
FAN CLUB MAGAZINE ISSUE #130 SENT
The English edition of the latest issue
of the fan club magazine has been mailed last Friday. The Dutch edition will be
mailed within 2 weeks.
In the current issue there's a 7 page article on songwriter Alex Zanetis,
incorporating much of an interview I did with him in Nashville in 2003.
In the article Alex Zanetis tells also about his memories of Jim Reeves and Jim's plane crash. He describes why and when Jim lost control of the airplane. It gives a very different picture of the man as a person and heavily involved in the music industry throughout his life, than the hypercritical picture painted by messrs Ray Baker and Ira "Bud" Logan. Perhaps both men had an axe to grind.
In the
"Did
You Know"
section there's new posting
about the Top 10 songwriters (besides himself of course) who contributed most
songs to the recording career of Reeves. You'll be surprised to see which
position Mr. Zanetis takes.
17 JUNE 2012
FRANCES PRESTON REMEMBERED
On Thursday June 14, Tom Perryman announced in his radio program the death of one of his good friends, Frances Preston who had died of congestive heart failure at age of 83. As head and president of BMI Music in Nashville, she was one of the most influential and famous business woman in the Nashville music industry.
Tom remembered he first met her when he went to work for WSM at the
National Life building, when he got off the elevator at the top
floor, she was the first person he saw. She worked there as a
receptionist. She met a lot of the people in the music business
and became knowledgeable in the music business, of the operation
of it and especially the publishing side and then she was hired by BMI
(Broadcast Music, Inc.).
Tom Perryman produced a radio documentary: The Jim Reeves
Special, hosted by Eddie Arnold. It won a Gold medal for
"Best audio music special in the world" at the 1984 International Radio
Festival of New York. Among the persons who told their
memories on Jim Reeves was Frances Preston. She talked about that one day
she was on a plane with Jim Reeves sitting next to her and across
of them sat the Wilburn Brothers. The plane started to losing
altitude as it got close to Nashville, and they had talked in terms of
everybody putting their heads down between their knees and Jim
turned to her and asked her to tell him about the BMI logging system.
Jim was simply trying to get her mind of the idea that we might crash.
In the 1990's a compact audio cassette album version of that program; "The Jim Reeves Story", was on sale at the Jim Reeves museum in Madison, Tn. It can be considered as an early version of an "audio book".
The Nashville Tennessean published a lengthy article about her with a few picture galleries of Frances and music industry celebrities on their website. A nice picture of her and Jim Reeves, and two of her with Mary Reeves can be found here .
Links to other tributes and
stories on her career in the music industry can be found at the
BMI
website.
6 JUNE 2012
"KEEPIN' IT COUNTRY" WITH TOM PERRYMAN
Spend an evening or afternoon with Legendary Disc Jockey, TOM PERRYMAN. Presented by KKUS—The Ranch 104.1 FM Classic Country and Tyler Civic Theatre Center.
Performances will be on Friday, June 8, 2012 at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, June 9, 2012 at 2:30 pm in the Braithwaite Theatre at Tyler Civic Theatre Center, 400 Rose Park Drive, Tyler, Texas. Doors open at 6:50 pm Friday and 1:50 pm on Saturday and all seats are unreserved.
Advance tickets are now on sale at the Theatre Center Box office for $20.00 per person. Call 903 592-0561 to order your tickets for this great show. MasterCard and Visa and personal checks accepted.
Please click here to read more about it
3 JUNE 2012
THE STARDAY STORY - THE HOUSE THAT COUNTRY MUSIC BUILT
This excellent book, written by Nathan D. Gibson with Don Pierce, was published by the University Press of Mississippi earlier this year. Gibson is a graduate student in the department of folklore & ethnomusicology at Indiana University in Bloomington and a performing musician. Pierce was co-founder of the label.
The book has been commended by no lesser country music luminaries than Bill C. Malone, author of "Country Music U.S.A., who gave it "his unqualified endorsement" and Nolan Porterfield, author of "Jimmie Rodgers: The Life & Times of America's Blue Yodeler.
The 265 page book tells the detailed story of probably the most important independent record label in country music history, from its formation in 1953 by Pappy Daily & Don Pierce, until its sale to Moe Lytle in 1973.
The book will certainly be of interest to fans of Jim Reeves due to the many connections to him and his own story. His demos were recorded at the Starday studios. Former artist & band member Tommy Hill managed the studio for many years, producing numerous country hits. Dean Manuel & the Blue Boys recorded there. Hill set up the Starday studio house band which included at various times Junior Huskey on bass, Willie Ackerman on drums, Jerry Shook or Hank Garland on electric guitar, Jerry Smith or Dean Manuel on piano and almost always Pete Drake on steel guitar.
The label played its part in the early careers of such eventual stars as George Jones, Roger Miller, Willie Nelson and Dottie West who began her musical career by singing backing vocals at the studio.
The 70 page listing at the back of the book, of more than 2600 Starday record releases from 1953-70 will appeal to all discographers and serious students of country music history.
The book has proved its worth by having just won the prestigious 2012 Belmont Book Award & $1000 first prize, presented by Belmont University 's Mike Curb Entertainment & Music Program.
ARCHIVED NEWS ITEMS
Click HERE to read them
IN MEMORIAM
MARY REEVES
20 January 1929 - 11 November 1999
Please click HERE for our tribute
Click on the camera for links to a collection of photographs of Jim Reeves.
List of radio shows issued on transcription records
The opening of the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame.
Pictures of the Jim Reeves Memorial in Carthage.
Pictures of the former Jim Reeves "EVERGREEN" Museum in Madison
Pictures of the mausoleum where Mary Reeves has been put to rest
Please click HERE for links to other sites
Copyright: Arie den Dulk ( 1998-2013)