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Mini Bio: Born James Travis Reeves was known as Travis during his early years but as he got older preferred Jim. Like Patsy, what can be said that has not already been said about Gentleman Jim? Somewhat unknown is that he began his early years as an up-and-coming baseball player. A right-hander, he made it as far as the St. Louis Cardinals’ farm club. While in the minor leagues, Jim severed a sciatic nerve in his right arm ... goodbye sports career. In 1943 Jim joined the army to serve in WWII ... hmmm, failed his physical resulting in becoming 4F. During the 1940s Jim did several music-related things to get a foothold in the business but failed. In the late 1940s, Jim became a solo artist for Moon Mullins’ band. He had a couple of
Hawkshaw, Patsy, Cowboy Airplane Crash continued: The National Transportation and Safety Board [NTSB] concluded the aircraft was functioning properly upon impact. They found the cause was due to “Judgement of the pilot in initiating flight in the existing conditions” by a “non-instrument pilot attempted visual flight in adverse weather conditions, resulting in a loss of control.” Lastly, “He was informed that the in-route weather was unfavorable and that the destination weather was below VFR minima with further deterioration indicated before any improving trends could be expected. After receiving the weather briefing, the pilot talked with his wife in Nashville by telephone, and she informed him that the sun was shining in Nashville.”
On Friday, July 31, 1964, after completing a real estate deal, Jim Reeves and his manager Manual Dean were flying from Batesville Regional Airport in Arkansas to Nashville International Airport [BNA]. Jim, who had just passed his private pilot's license a month earlier, was piloting his Beechcraft Debonair the 280-mile trip from Batesville to Nashville. He was not Instrument qualified only VFR. Nine miles outside of Nashville Jim ran into a violent thunderstorm. The Air Traffic Controller told Jim to turn RIGHT to avoid the storm ...
minor hits during that time. Such as Each Beat Of My Heart in 1952. Note: you will notice a very different-sounding Jim. In the early 1950s, Jim became the announcer for KWKH-AM in Shreveport, Louisiana, which broadcasted the Louisiana Hayride. In 1954 the show’s star guest did not show up [there is a disagreement about who that “star” was so I will not speculate] so they asked Jim to fill that slot. The rest as they say is history. Over the next 9 years, Jim had 11 #1 hits and 51 top 10 hits, gulp, 19 after he died. During Jim’s last recording session [July 2, 1964] two of his songs were hits Missing You and Is It Really Over. A couple of days before his death, Jim recorded at his home ... I'm a Hit Again, using just an acoustic guitar as an accompaniment. A polished-up recording was released in 1964. Of course, 1960’s He’ll Have To Go was Jim’s biggest hit. Post-death, he had some big #1’s such as This Is It [1965] and Distant Drums [1966]. Really, John? Okay, we can’t leave Jim Reeves without mega hit Four Walls.
Stars Who Died In Tragic Accidents [TA] Continued
Jim Reeves <> August 20, 1923 – July 31, 1964 <> Plane Crash <> Jim was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1967
Jim Reeves
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The Jim Reeves Airplane Crash Story
