Del Reeves

Del Reeves (born July 14, 1932 as Franklin Delano Reeves in Sparta , North Carolina , † January 1, 2007 in Centerville , Tennessee ) was an American country singer and songwriter .

Beginnings

Del Reeves grew up in a large family. He learned to play guitar at an early age and had regular radio appearances by the age of twelve. He spent his military service in California, where he found ample opportunity for radio and television appearances. From 1958 he played a few singles on Capitol Records , but they only sold poorly. His appearances on the Chester Smith Show , however, were so successful that he got his own TV show called Del Reeves' Country Carnival after his military service . He got married and started a successful career as a songwriter with his wife Ellen. Many established artists in the country scene used their material, including Carl Smith and Sheb Wooley .

Career

In 1961 Reeves switched to Decca Records , where he immediately hit a top 10 with Be Quiet Mind . A little later he moved to Nashville , the stronghold of country music. After further label changes and some medium hits, he signed with United Artists Records in 1965 . This was where his real career began, which would last for several decades.

With his first single on the new label, Reeves made his final commercial breakthrough in 1965: Girl on the Billboard became his first and only number 1 hit; the cover version of "Die Frau mit dem Gurt" by the Truck Stop group was also successful in 1977 in Germany. His next release, The Belles of Southern Bell , made it into the Top 10. In 1966 he became a permanent member of the Grand Ole Opry . A year later he reached fifth place each with Looking at the World Through a Windshield and Good Time Charlie's . His backing band was then renamed Good Time Charlies . His streak of top 20 hits lasted until the end of the decade. Several times he sang in a duet with Bobby Goldsboro . In addition to his weekly Opry appearances, he has toured extensively.

In addition to his musical activities, he found time to start a career as an actor. He appeared in a total of six westerns , including 1969 in Sam Whiskey by director Arnold Laven . The hit parade became rarer. Thanks to his appearances in the Grand Ole Opry, he was still in the public eye. His casual appearance on stage earned him the title " Dean Martin of Country Music". In the early 1980s he switched to the independent Koala label. Here he had his last chart success in 1981 with Slow Hand .

Del Reeves died on 1 January 2007 after a long struggle in Centerville ( Tennessee ) on a pulmonary emphysema . He leaves behind his wife and three daughters.

Discography

Albums

year	Title music label	Top ranking, total weeks, awardChartsChart placements (Year, title, music label , placements, weeks, awards, notes)	Remarks
		Country
1965	Girl On The Billboard United Artists	Country9 (8 weeks) Country
	Doodle-Oo-Doo-Doo United Artists	Country6 (11 weeks) Country
1966	Del Reeves Sings Jim Reeves United Artists	Country6 (23 weeks) Country
	Special Delivery United Artists	Country28 (2 weeks) Country
	Gettin 'Any Feed For Your Chickens United Artists	Country18 (8 weeks) Country
1967	Struttin 'My Stuff United Artists	Country22 (6 weeks) Country
	Six Of One, Half A Dozen Of The Other United Artists	Country42 (3 weeks) Country
1968	Running Wild United Artists	Country35 (2 weeks) Country
	Looking At The World Through A Windshield United Artists	Country23 (7 weeks) Country
1969	Down At Good Time Charlie’s United Artists	Country42 (3 weeks) Country
1970	Big Daddy Del United Artists	Country41 (4 weeks) Country
1971	The Del Reeves album United Artists	Country36 (8 weeks) Country
1972	Before Goodbye United Artists	Country45 (2 weeks) Country
1974	The Very Best Of Del Reeves	Country42 (6 weeks) Country
	Live At The Palomino Club United Artists	Country45 (6 weeks) Country
1976	By Request: Del And Billie Jo United Artists	Country46 (3 weeks) Country	with Billie Jo Spears

more publishments

• 1966: Santa's Boy (United Artists)
• 1967: The Little Church In The Dell (United Artists)
• 1967: Our Way Of Life (United Artists)
• 1971: Friends & Neighbors (United Artists)
• 1973: Trucker's Paradise (United Artists)
• 1975: Del Reeves With Strings And Things (United Artists)
• 1976: 10th Anniversary (United Artists)
• 1980: Del Reeves (Koala)
• 1981: Let's Go To Heaven Tonight (Koala)

Singles

year	Title album	Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, album , rankings, weeks, awards, notes)		Remarks
		US	Country
1961	Be Quiet Mind	-	Country9 (17 weeks) Country
1962	He Stands Real Tall	-	Country11 (11 weeks) Country
1963	The Only Girl I Can't Forget	-	Country13 (14 weeks) Country
1964	Talking To The Night Lights	-	Country41 (12 weeks) Country
1965	Girl On The Billboard Girl on the Billboard	US96 (1 week) US	Country1 (20 weeks) Country	two weeks in first place
	The Belles of the Southern Bell Girl on the Billboard	-	Country4 (17 weeks) Country
	Women Do Funny Things To Me Doodle-Oo-Doo-Doo	-	Country9 (13 weeks) Country
1966	One Bum Town Special Delivery	-	Country42 (7 weeks) Country
	Gettin 'Any Feed For Your Chickens Gettin' Any Feed For Your Chickens	-	Country37 (5 weeks) Country
	This Must Be The Bottom Struttin 'My Stuff	-	Country27 (12 weeks) Country
1967	Blame It On My Do Wrong Six of One, Half a Dozen of the Other	-	Country45 (9 weeks) Country
	The Private The Best of Del Reeves	-	Country33 (10 weeks) Country
	A Dime At A Time Our Way of Life	-	Country12 (18 weeks) Country
1968	I Just Wasted The Rest Our Way of Life	-	Country56 (6 weeks) Country	with Bobby Goldsboro
	Wild Blood Running Wild	-	Country18 (13 weeks) Country
	Looking At The World Through A Windshield Looking at the World	-	Country5 (14 weeks) Country
	Good Time Charlie’s Down at the Goodtime Charlie’s	-	Country3 (17 weeks) Country
1969	Be Glad Down at the Goodtime Charlie’s	-	Country5 (14 weeks) Country
	There Wouldn't Be A Lonely Heart In Town Big Daddy Del	-	Country12 (11 weeks) Country
1970	A Lover's Question The Best 2	-	Country14 (12 weeks) Country	with The Goodtime Charlies
	Son Of A Coal Man Friends and Neighbors	-	Country41 (11 weeks) Country
	Landmark Tavern	-	Country20 (12 weeks) Country
	Right Back to Lovin 'You Again Friends and Neighbors	-	Country22 (10 weeks) Country
1971	Bar Room Talk Friends and Neighbors	-	Country30 (11 weeks) Country
	Workin 'Like the Devil (for the Lord) Friends and Neighbors	-	Country33 (12 weeks) Country
	The Philadelphia Fillies Del Reeves	-	Country9 (12 weeks) Country
	Dozen Pairs Of Boots Del Reeves	-	Country31 (10 weeks) Country
1972	The Best Is Yet To Come Del Reeves	-	Country29 (12 weeks) Country
	No Rings, No Strings Before Goodbye	-	Country62 (6 weeks) Country
	Crying In The Rain	-	Country54 (6 weeks) Country	with Penny DeHaven
	Before Goodbye Before Goodbye	-	Country47 (6 weeks) Country
1973	Trucker's Paradise Trucker's Paradise	-	Country54 (5 weeks) Country
	Mm-Mm Good	-	Country44 (10 weeks) Country
	Lay A Little Lovin 'On Me The Very Best of Del Reeves	-	Country22 (15 weeks) Country
1974	What a way to go	-	Country70 (8 weeks) Country
	Prayer From A Mobile Home	-	Country62 (7 weeks) Country
	She likes country bands	-	Country89 (4 weeks) Country
	Pour It All On Me Strings and Things	-	Country65 (8 weeks) Country
1975	But I Do Strings and Things	-	Country65 (9 weeks) Country
	Puttin 'In Overtime At Home Strings and Things	-	Country74 (5 weeks) Country
	You Comb Her Hair Every Morning	-	Country92 (3 weeks) Country
1976	On The Rebound By Request	-	Country29 (11 weeks) Country	with Billie Jo Spears
	Teardrops Will Kiss The Morning Dew	-	Country42 (8 weeks) Country	with Billie Jo Spears
1980	What Am I Gonna Do?	-	Country90 (3 weeks) Country
1986	The Second Time Around	-	Country95 (3 weeks) Country

more publishments

• 1970: Bad, Bad Tuesday

Web links

• Del Reeves in the Internet Movie Database (English)
• Edward Morris: Grand Ole Opry Star Del Reeves Dead at 73. In: CMT. January 4, 2007, accessed March 14, 2018 . 

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b} chart sources:
   • Del Reeves on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart
   • Del Reeves in the US Hot Country Songs chart
   • Del Reeves in the US Top Country Albums chart