Del Reeves
Franklin Delano Reeves (July 14, 1932 – January 1, 2007) was an American country music singer, best known for his "girl-watching" novelty songs of the 1960s including "Girl on the Billboard" and "The Belles of Southern Bell". He is also known for his 1968 trucker's anthem, "Looking at the World Through a Windshield", which demonstrated he was capable of more than just novelty songs. He became one of the most successful male country singers of the 1960s.
Del Reeves | |
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Franklin Delano Reeves |
| Born | July 14, 1932 |
| Origin | Sparta, North Carolina |
| Died | January 1, 2007 (aged 74) |
| Genres | country |
| Occupation(s) | singer, songwriter |
| Years active | 1961–2006 |
| Labels | United Artists, Decca Records, Columbia Records, Capitol Records, Reprise Records |
| Associated acts | Dick Curless, Red Simpson, Red Steagall, Bobby Goldsboro, Penny DeHaven, Billie Jo Spears |
Biography
Rise to fame
Reeves was born in Sparta, North Carolina, on July 14, 1932. He was named after Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who had been nominated by the Democratic Party to be their presidential nominee just a few days before he was born. He graduated from Piney Creek High School in 1951.
In 1954, he signed on with Capitol Records, where he recorded some excellent rockabilly – "My Baby Loves to Rock" is a good example. Later in the 1950s, he recorded for Decca Records, as well as Reprise Records and Columbia Records.
1960s–1970s
Everything began to change when Reeves signed with United Artists Records. The work he did for United Artists is probably his best-known work. He finally scored big in 1961 with the hit song "Be Quiet Mind". Later in 1965, he had his first number-one hit with "The Girl on the Billboard". His follow-up, "The Belles of the Southern Bell", made the country top five. During this time, his wife and he became a songwriting team and wrote songs for the likes of Rose Maddox, Carl Smith, and Roy Drusky, to name a few.
His success continued throughout the rest of the 1960s. Songs that became hits during this time are "Be Glad" and "Good Time Charlie's". In the late 1960s, he recorded an album paying tribute to Jim Reeves (no relation) and also appeared in several Hollywood films, including a starring role in Cottonpickin' Chickenpickers, and a supporting role in Burt Reynolds' first big movie Sam Whiskey.
In the 1970s, he released a series of duets with Bobby Goldsboro and Penny DeHaven. He also returned to television, hosting the syndicated TV program, Del Reeves' Country Carnival.
His last big hit was "The Philadelphia Fillies". His career declined in the mid-1970s and then started to slowly move away from country music, although he recorded some duets with Billie Jo Spears in 1976. He charted hit songs on the country charts most years until 1982.
Decline
In 1979, Reeves left his musical career to pursue a career as a music executive and played a big role in the signing of Billy Ray Cyrus.[1] He continued to record in the 1980s on a reduced scale for smaller labels.
Reeves joined the Grand Ole Opry in 1966, where he continued to perform until his final years. His last Opry performance was in August 2002. He died from emphysema on New Year's Day, 2007.
Discography
Albums
| Year | Album | US Country |
|---|---|---|
| 1965 | Girl on the Billboard | 8 |
| Doodle-Oo-Doo-Doo | 6 | |
| 1966 | Sings Jim Reeves | 23 |
| Special Delivery | 28 | |
| Gettin' Any Feed for Your Chickens | 18 | |
| Santa's Boy | — | |
| 1967 | Struttin' My Stuff | 22 |
| Six of One, Half a Dozen of the Other | 42 | |
| The Little Church in the Dell | — | |
| Our Way of Life | 28 | |
| 1968 | Running Wild | 35 |
| The Best | — | |
| Looking at the World | 33 | |
| 1969 | Wonderful World of Country Music | — |
| Down at the Goodtime Charlie's | 42 | |
| Friends and Neighbors | — | |
| 1970 | Big Daddy Del | 41 |
| Country Concert | — | |
| The Best 2 | — | |
| 1971 | Del Reeves | 36 |
| 1972 | Before Goodbye | 45 |
| 1973 | Trucker's Paradise | — |
| 1974 | Live at the Palomino Club | 45 |
| The Very Best | 42 | |
| 1975 | With Strings and Things | — |
| 1976 | By Request (with Billie Jo Spears) | 46 |
| 10th Anniversary | — | |
| 1980 | Let's Go to Heaven Tonight | — |
| 1994 | His Greatest Hits | — |
| 1996 | Gospel | — |
| 1998 | I'll Take My Chances | — |
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart Positions | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country[2] | CAN Country | |||
| 1961 | "Be Quiet Mind" | 9 | — | singles only |
| 1962 | "He Stands Real Tall" | 11 | — | |
| 1963 | "The Only Girl I Can't Forget" | 13 | — | |
| 1964 | "Talking to the Night Lights" | 41 | — | |
| 1965 | "Girl on the Billboard"A | 1 | — | Girl on the Billboard |
| "The Belles of the Southern Bell" | 4 | — | ||
| "Women Do Funny Things to Me" | 9 | — | Doodle-Oo-Doo-Doo | |
| 1966 | "One Bum Town" | 42 | — | Special Delivery |
| "Gettin' Any Feed for Your Chickens" | 37 | — | Gettin' Any Feed for Your Chickens | |
| "This Must Be the Bottom" | 27 | — | Struttin' My Stuff | |
| 1967 | "Blame It on My Do Wrong" | 45 | — | Six of One, Half a Dozen of the Other |
| "The Private" | 33 | — | The Best of Del Reeves | |
| "A Dime at a Time" | 12 | — | Our Way of Life | |
| 1968 | "I Just Wasted the Rest" (with Bobby Goldsboro) | 56 | — | |
| "Wild Blood" | 18 | 5 | Running Wild | |
| "Looking at the World Through a Windshield" | 5 | 4 | Looking at the World | |
| "Good Time Charlie's" | 3 | 20 | Down at the Goodtime Charlie's | |
| 1969 | "Be Glad" | 5 | — | |
| "There Wouldn't Be a Lonely Heart in Town" | 12 | — | Big Daddy Del | |
| "Take a Little Good Will Home" (with Bobby Goldsboro) | 31 | 31 | Our Way of Life | |
| 1970 | "A Lover's Question" (with the Goodtime Charlies) | 14 | — | The Best 2 |
| "Son of a Coal Man" | 41 | 21 | Friends and Neighbors | |
| "Landmark Tavern" (with Penny DeHaven) | 20 | 24 | singles only | |
| "Bad, Bad Tuesday" | — | 41 | ||
| "Right Back to Lovin' You Again" | 22 | 21 | Friends and Neighbors | |
| 1971 | "Bar Room Talk" | 30 | 7 | |
| "Workin' Like the Devil for the Lord" | 33 | — | ||
| "The Philadelphia Fillies" | 9 | 38 | Del Reeves | |
| "Dozen Pairs of Boots" | 31 | 49 | ||
| 1972 | "The Best Is Yet to Come" | 29 | — | |
| "No Rings, No Strings" | 62 | — | Before Goodbye | |
| "Crying in the Rain" (with Penny DeHaven) | 54 | — | single only | |
| "Before Goodbye" | 47 | — | Before Goodbye | |
| 1973 | "Trucker's Paradise" | 54 | 86 | Trucker's Paradise |
| "Mm-Mm Good" | 44 | 31 | single only | |
| "Lay a Little Lovin' on Me" | 22 | 63 | The Very Best of Del Reeves | |
| 1974 | "What a Way to Go" | 70 | — | singles only |
| "Prayer from a Mobile Home" | 62 | — | ||
| "She Likes Country Bands" | 89 | — | ||
| "Pour It All on Me" | 65 | — | Strings and Things | |
| 1975 | "But I Do" | 65 | — | |
| "Puttin' In Overtime at Home" | 74 | — | ||
| "You Comb Her Hair Every Morning" | 92 | — | single only | |
| 1976 | "I Ain't Got Nobody" | 51 | — | 10th Anniversary |
| "On the Rebound" (with Billie Jo Spears) | 29 | — | By Request | |
| "Teardrops Will Kiss the Morning Dew" (with Billie Jo Spears) | 42 | — | ||
| "My Better Half" | 79 | — | singles only | |
| 1977 | "Ladies' Night" | 78 | — | |
| 1978 | "When My Angel Turns into a Devil" | 93 | — | |
| "Dig Down Deep" | 79 | — | ||
| 1980 | "Take Me to Your Heart" | 82 | — | Del Reeves |
| "What Am I Gonna Do?" | 90 | — | ||
| 1981 | "Swinging Doors" | 67 | — | singles only |
| "Slow Hand" | 53 | — | ||
| 1982 | "Ain't Nobody Gonna Get My Body but You" | 67 | — | |
| 1986 | "The Second Time Around" | 95 | — | Here's Del Reeves |
- APeaked at No. 96 on Billboard Hot 100 and No. 31 on the RPM Top Singles chart in Canada.
Music videos
| Year | Video |
|---|---|
| 1994 | "Girl on the Billboard" |
Notes
- Whitburn, Joel (2008). Hot Country Songs 1944 to 2008. Record Research, Inc. pp. 344–345. ISBN 0-89820-177-2.
References
- AllMusic biography
- Trott, Walt. (1998). "Del Reeves". In The Encyclopedia of Country Music. Paul Kingsbury, Ed. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 434.
- Wolff, Kurt. Country Music: The Rough Guide.
External links
- Del Reeves At CMT.com
- "Del Reeves, Grand Ole Opry member known for country hit 'Girl on the Billboard', dies at 74"
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