James Travis Reeves

 James Travis Reeves (August 20, 1923 – July 31, 1964)

He received international acclaim for his rich baritone voice that produced award-winning country songs. Professionally nicknamed "Gentleman Jim," he had aspirations of becoming a baseball player. He started in the semipro circuit with the Houston Buffaloes for three years before playing with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1944 as a right-handed pitcher. In 1947 his career ended with a leg injury, thus he turned to singing and being a disc jockey at the Shreveport, Louisiana, radio station KWKH, which broadcast the country music show the Louisiana Hayride. In 1953 his breakthrough single was "Mexican Joe;" the same year he officially joined the cast of the Louisiana Hayride. In 1954 his song "Bimbo" hit #1 on the US Country Charts; and by October 1955 he was a member of the Grand Ole Opry. Starting his career with a loud, East Texas sound, he made the transition to a much softer, romantic-sound balladeer with such classic country songs as "Home," "Am I Losing You?," "Blue Boy," and his Platinum Record hit, "He'll Have to Go." Hitting #1 on both Country and Pop Charts, his version of "Four Walls" became a crossover success in both genre

During the 1960s, he also toured extensively throughout the world from the British Isles, South Africa, India, European countries and the Scandinavian countries making him one of the first country artists to achieve international stardom. In 1963 he made a second trip to South Africa to accept the main role in his only film, Kimberley Jim. He also recorded songs in the South African language of Afrikaans. Reeves' last two recording sessions for RCA Victor were held July 2, 1964; they produced the songs "Make the World Go Away", "Missing You", and "Is It Really Over?" When the session ended with some time remaining on the schedule, Reeves suggested that he should record one more song. He taped "I Can't Stop Loving You", in what was to be his final RCA recording.

He died in a plane crash on July 31, 1964, age 40. While flying, Reeves and his manger Dean Manuel encountered a thunderstorm. Reeves tried unsuccessfully to correct the plane, and fly over the storm. Both men died upon impact of the crash. Reeves is buried at Jim Reeves Memorial Park in Carthage, Texas.