August 20, 2020

20 August– birthday of Jim Reeves (20 Aug 1923 – 31 July 1964), one of the greatest voices in country music who achieved widespread fame not only in the US but worldwide, especially following his 1960 hit He’ll Have To Go. He scored big hits in the early 50s with his up-tempo recordings of Mexican Joe and Bimbo, but by the mid to late 60s his voice had deepened and matured, producing a string of beautiful ballads, his deep baritone much emulated but never equalled. BACM have not yet issued a dedicated Reeves CD but his hits can be found on our Country Music Chart Hits series (the Top 100 Country Hits worldwide each year on four CDs, available separately or in sets; so far we have completed eight years: 1955 to 1962.) Here are just some of them on which Jim’s recordings can be heard, alongside other country fits of the same year …

Country Music – Chart Memories – 1955 – (Vol. 1) CD 021

Country Music – Chart Memories – 1956 – (Vol. 2) CD 026

Country Music – Chart Memories – 1957 – (Vol. 1) CD 029

Country Music – Chart Memories – 1958 – (Vol. 2) CD 034

Country Music – Chart Memories – 1959 – (Vol. 4) CD 040

Country Music – Chart Memories – 1960 – (Vol. 1) CD 041

Country Music ~ Chart Memories – 1961 – (Vol. 1) CD 045

Country Music ~ Chart Memories – 1962 – (Vol. 2) CD 050