August 20, 1924 - July 31, 1964

A stockpile of recorded material kept Jim Reeves in the spotlight long after his tragic death in 1964. Commonly referred to as Gentleman Jim, his widespread popularity crossed numerous boundaries, as Jim was an international idol. Jim began his recording career with Abbott Records in 1953, but joined the more upscale RCA label two years later. He teamed up with then RCA producer, Chet Atkins and their camaraderie was reflected in an array of songs that dominated the charts for more than a decade.

It is not clear how many albums Jim recorded during his brief career, but some sources have put the number at around 75. Today Jim's original music is extremely hard to locate. Fortunately, however, some of his material has been reissued on compact disc. In 1990, Germany's Bear Family Records issued Gentleman Jim, a 4-CD box set covering his most fertile years, 1955 to 1959. Included in the set are 109 tracks, every single recording he made during those years. If you are a serious Jim Reeves enthusiast, spring for this collection of his early hits. For the more penny-wise fan, RCA released a single CD on Reeves entitled The Essential Jim Reeves.

The Essential Jim Reeves is available at


Career Highlights

Born in Panola County, TX

Major label - RCA Records

Mexican Joe (1953) - his first Top 10

He'll Have To Go (1959) - his biggest hit

On Billboard charts from 1953 - 1981

51 Top 10 Hits

No. 13 All-time Country Music Artist

Major Awards/Achievements

Inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame (1967)

He'll Have To Go - Gold Single

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Revised: 11/8/1999 | Thanks for visiting!