eeves' records continued with good sales for both the old albums and a series of new ones. His widow, Mary, combined unreleased tracks with rerecorded previous releases (placing updated instrumentals alongside Reeves' original vocals) to produce a regular series of "new" albums after her husband's death. She also operated The Jim Reeves Museum in Nashville, Tennessee from the early 1980s until 1996. Indeed, Jim scored a major success when, in 1966, his record "Distant Drums" went to number one in the British singles chart and remained in pole position for a remarkable five weeks - beating off stiff competition from such acts as The Beatles with "Yellow Submarine" and "Eleanor Rigby" (a double-sided "A" release) and the Small Faces' "All Or Nothing". In addition, "Distant Drums" also held off many other songs from living artists who were in the UK charts at that time. In all, "Distant Drums" remained in the UK charts for a staggering forty-five weeks as well as topping the US country music charts. Not bad going for a song which had been recorded by Jim for its composer Cindy Walker only under the impression it was for her personal use only and had been deemed "unsuitable" for general release by Chet Atkins and the RCA record company. "Distant Drums" was named 'Song of the Year' in the UK in 1966 and Jim had the distinction of being the first American artist to receive that particular accolade. Although he no longer features in the singles charts, Jim Reeves compilation albums containing well-known standards continue to sell well. "The Definitive Collection" reached #21 in the UK album charts in July 2003 and "Memories are made of this" #35 in July 2004. Bear Family Records in Germany produced a 16-CD boxed set of Jim's studio recordings and several smaller sets consisting mainly of radio broadcasts and demos. In 2007, they released a set entitled "Nashville Stars on Tour", containing audio and video material of the RCA tour of Europe in April 1964 in which Jim features prominently. This is a fascinating collection as it enables us to listen to and see Jim at the height of his fame, just a couple of months before his death. Since 2003, the US based VoiceMasters has issued over 80 previously unreleased recordings by Jim, including new songs that fans have not heard, as well as newly overdubbed material. Among them is "I'm A Hit Again," the last song Jim recorded in his basement studio just a few days before his death. VoiceMasters overdubbed this historic track in the same studio in Jim's former home (now owned by another Nashville record producer). These Voicemasters releases are warmly welcomed and appreciated by Jim's legion of fans across the world. Reeves fans have repeatedly urged BMG or Bear Family to re-release some of the songs overdubbed in the years after Jim's death which have never appeared on CD. He was elected posthumously to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1967, and in 1998 he was inducted into the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame in Carthage, Texas, where the Jim Reeves Memorial is located. Reeves' inscription at the Country Music Hall of Fame reads - "The velvet style of 'Gentleman Jim Reeves' was an international influence. His rich voice bought millions of new fans to country music from every corner of the world. Although the crash of his private airplane took his life, posterity will keep his name alive because they will remember him as one of country music's most important performers." The inscription on the Jim Reeves Memorial has: "If I, a lowly singer, dry one tear, or soothe one humble human heart in pain, then my homely verse to God is dear, and not one stanza has been sung in vain." Blind R&B and Blues artist Robert Bradley (better known as Robert Bradley's Blackwater Surprise) pays tribute to this singing legend in the album description of his latest studio release Out of the Wilderness. Bradley is quoted as saying, "This record brings me back to the time when I started out wanting to be a singer-songwriter, where the music did not need the New York Philharmonic to make it real...I wanted to do a record and just be Robert and sing straight like Jim Reeves on Put Your Sweet Lips a Little Closer to the Phone.'

Author: oldcountrytunes Keywords: MUSIC COUNTRY JIM REEVES Added: November 21, 2008