BIG NEWS ON IMPENDING RELEASE OF NEW REEVES MATERIAL

Word has reached us from a reliable foreign source that an overseas label is getting ready to release a CD based on a very rare -- and as yet unheard -- Jim Reeves recording. Jim was known to have performed with the Nashville Symphony Orchestra at Centennial Park on August 16, 1961. Up to now, it was thought that only Jim's widow, Mary, had a taped copy of the show (and, presumably, the new owner of the Reeves estate, Ed Gregory). However, it is reported that a pristine copy of the tape, which even includes songs by the symphony, has surfaced.

On the tape, Jim sings four songs, including two that were pop-sounding album cuts that he rarely sang in concert, and which -- so far as is known -- no other tapes exist of his singing live.

So far, the only "live" performances to be commercially released were in the "Jim Reeves On Stage" LP, which features what some regard as a somewhat atypical show with abbreviated versions of some songs; some live things he did on the Grand Ole Opry stage; and an LP called "Nashville Stars On Tour" which has never been released in the U.S.

The Symphony tape, however, is a real gem. A source says the tape not only has the four Reeves performances, but also features the 56-piece Nashville Symphony performing the score from "The Sound of Music", as well as Bizet's famous "Carmen Suite." Whether or not these Symphonic numbers will be included in the CD has not yet been decided.

Mary's reported reluctance to release the tape was due to her unwillingness to pay all the musicians featured. However, since there are a myriad of copyright laws overseas, it is thought that a foreign label could get around the requirement of paying the musicians or, for that matter, even compensating Reeves' record label or providing royalties to his estate.

What is also known is that the Reeves Symphony numbers will be combined with another rare tape, this one of Jim on stage in Canada with the Blue Boys. Likewise, this tape was thought to only be held by a private collector but it, too, has inexplicably turned up, reputedly having been acquired in an estate sale. On this show, Jim also does songs that have never been released in a live version.

No further details are available at this time, but it is thought that the as yet-untitled CD will be pressed in early February 2000, and may even turn up in catalogues as early as the first quarter of the year. We'll keep you posted on this exciting news as more information becomes available.

OCTOBER 15TH IS THE ANNIVERSARY OF "HE'LL HAVE TO GO"

Tony Wall from England writes to remind us that it was on October 15, 1959 that Jim Reeves entered the studio to record what was to become undoubtedly his most famous hit and signature song, "He'll Have To Go." Music historians have cited it as perhaps the finest, quintessential country music tune ever recorded. Jim first became aware of the song, co-written by Joe and Audrey Allison, earlier in the year when he heard Billy Brown's version played on the radio. He commented that "it was like a hot poker burning its way through my mind." So impressed was he by this number that he pulled his car off to the side of the road, and turned the radio up to listen. Although Jim was already a star, and could have easily recorded the song and knocked Brown's version off the charts, out of deference to Billy he waited to see if the other singer's version would be a hit. Jim lamented to secretary Joyce Jackson that Columbia records was not giving the song enough promotion, and was amazed when it faded from the charts. Only then -- six months later -- on October 15th, did Jim enter the studio at 9:30 a.m. to record the song. He took a copy of Billy's version with him because he liked the arrangement so well, and asked Anita Kerr to improvise a vocal accompaniement similar to what was on Billy's record. In addition, it was Jim's idea to bring in Marvin Hughes on vibes, to create that shimmering introduction, which became sort of an aural trademark. Also on the session were Floyd Cramer on piano and Hank Garland on electric guitar. Since the song contained such low notes, Jim apparently decided to schedule the session for earlier in the day than was his custom, (he normally recorded late at night), so his voice would be deeper at that hour. Contrary to what was reported by one author, Jim did not sing the song in a higher key to begin with or fail to put in the low notes. The outtakes from the session confirm this, as do those who were present. Joyce also says that "I remember the first time I heard 'He'll Have To Go' is when Jim came down to the office singing it one morning. And he did it exactly the same way -- with the 'way down low' part -- as you hear it on record."

At the same session, Reeves also cut "In A Mansion Stands My Love,"(written by Johnny Russell) and "After Awhile." Then he came back after lunch and did "Snowflake" and "But You Love Me Daddy." All of which were dramatically different songs. Yet Jim adapted his voice to each of them to capture the right mood.

Ironically, "Mansion" was the "A" or "plug" side of the single when it was released, with "Have To Go..." on the other side, and it started to make its way up the charts in early December. Jim was pessimistic, though, and feared the record would "get lost amidst all the Christmas wrappings." When it didn't do as well as they'd hoped, RCA at one point even considered rushing out "Snowflake," but fortunately decided against it.

Soon deejays discovered the "B" side of the "45" and started playing it. During the first week of February in 1960, "He'll Have To Go" knocked Marty Robbins' "El Paso" from the top spot on the Country charts, and stayed Number One for 14 straight weeks. A phenomenal achievement. It also got up to Number Two in the pop charts -- helped by Jim's appearance on Dick Clark's "American Bandstand" TV show. And the tune even crossed over to the Rhythm and Blues charts, which really thrilled Jim.

This smash hit earned Jim Reeves the first -- and only -- gold record in his lifetime for U.S. sales, ultimately selling 3.5 million copies. (He did receive various gold, silver and platinum awards overseas however). It also established Jim as a star of international stature, and was the first of his songs introduced to South Africans. Chet Atkins, Jim's producer, presented him with his gold record plaque on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry in the Spring of 1960. RCA wanted to hold the ceremony in New York, but Jim asked instead that it be given to him at the Ryman, which he regarded as his "musical home."

To hear an overdubbed version of "He'll Have To Go" which you may not have heard before, click HERE to listen to it in streaming RealAudio.

JIM IN "COUNTRY WEEKLY" AGAIN; ANOTHER MISTAKE MADE

Can't these people get anything right? Once again Country Weekly magazine, the Sept. 21 issue, has a mention of Jim Reeves. Someone wrote in and asked about the inscription that's on the statue of Jim at the memorial near Carthage, Texas. They ran a picture of it and columnist Christine Reed quotes Barbara Moreland, assistant executive vice president of the Texas County Music Hall of Fame as claiming that the inscription reads, "If I, a lonely singer, dry one tear or soothe one humble human heart today, then my worldly verse to God is dear, and not one stanza has been sung in vain."

That's wrong, of course, and it doesn't even rhyme.

The correct inscription reads: "If I, a lowly singer, dry one tear, or soothe one humble human heart in pain, then my homely verse to God is dear, and not one stanza has been sung in vain."

Their mistake misses Jim's message about soothing those in pain. It also misses the key to his humility, in that he described himself not as "lonely" -- as they have it -- but as "lowly."

Every single time that magazine writes about Jim they make mistakes. Some minor, some major. Apparently, they have no fact-checkers on staff. Hence everything they report ought to be taken with a grain of salt.

CHARLIE PRIDE WORKING ON JIM REEVES TRIBUTE CD

Those who were tuned in to the "Opry Backstage" show Saturday night on TNN heard Charlie Pride tell interviewer Holly Dunn that he was working on a tribute CD to Jim Reeves! He said this is something he always wanted to do. Charlie mentioned "Four Walls" and "He'll Have to Go" as being among the Reeves songs he recorded, but we also know that he is doing "Danny Boy." Leo Jackson, Jim's lead guitarist, has been working on the sessions!

No release date has been announced but we'll keep you posted.

Charlie Pride shares a few things in common with Jim. Both were former pro baseball players, and Charlie previously did a song years ago called "I Know One," which was a big hit for him. Of course, Jim had a hit on it first in the early 1960s. (You can hear Jim sing it "live" at the Opry by clicking here.

NEW 3-CD REEVES COMPILATION OFFERS SOME SURPRISES

There is an intriguing new 3-CD boxed set that's just been released on Jim Reeves called "Have I Told You Lately That I Love You?" The surprise is that there is some live material included that up to now has not been widely available. Though bootleg copies of some of these songs have been traded amongst collectors for years, the multiple duplications have resulted in muddy sound that's hard to enjoy. However, the fidelity of these songs on the new CD set has been greatly improved, making this a release many fans will want to obtain.

Of the 42 tracks on these CDs, 28 of them are from Jim's earliest catalog, and are not usually among the favorites of most Reeves fans. That's putting it mildly. Obscure songs like "Gypsy Heart," "A Woman's Love", "Each Beat Of My Heart", and "Let Me Remember Things I Can't Forget," obviously derive from Jim's days on the Abbott label. Some of these performances thankfully remained buried in the RCA vaults after the company bought them from Fabor Robison, and only surfaced in recent years.

If the collection only obtained these numbers, then probably a lot of fans would not be interested.

However, the first CD -- which includes 14 songs -- consists entirely of what are described as "broadcast recordings" -- no doubt songs done for armed forces radio. These are different selections than were featured in last year's Bear Family 4-CD set, "Radio Days: Vol. 1" (which consisted of all the known "Country Music Time" programs Reeves did for the Air Force). While the sound quality is not as pristine as Bear's (which did a magnificent job of cleaning up its old tapes), this collection is still very listenable.

Though some of these songs turned up on 1989's "I Love You More" CD put out by A Touch of Magic, those were by and large quite terrible in terms of sound quality, with apparently no efforts made to remove tape hiss or electronically enhance them. These versions are better.

While Jim did some of these songs numerous times, it would surely be unfortunate if these particular performances were lost to the ages. Because some of them are really outstanding. For example, one highlight is "Dear Hearts and Gentle People." In this version, Reeves swings with a casual ease and really brings the song to life. Another one that fits this category is "Till The End Of the World." The accompaniement on several of these selections is clearly superior to some of the other radio transcriptions Jim did, and more in keeping with the style that we know him by. On "How's the World Treating You," the guitar riffs are jazz-flavored. On "If Heartache Is the Fashion" he sings it in a bit faster tempo. Jim's comments regarding these songs are also featured.

The producers of this CD set also had the good sense to choose a rarely-seen and much more flattering photo of Jim for the cover, instead of some dreadful outtake photography from his earliest days that has inexplicably turned up on some foreign releases in the recent past.

This collection may be hard to find until it reaches the stores and online music stores (I got mine from a private source) so if any of you run across it, please drop me an email and let me know where you found it so I can tell others.

Although the copyright date is 1999, the origins of the new release are a bit mysterious. It has been put out on the Goldies label, (GLD 25349-1) and says on the outside of the box that it is "Made in Portugal." On the CDs themselves, however, it says "Made in Belgium, manufactured by ISP." There is also the notation "SABAM--IMC Music Ltd., issued under license from Intermusic SA."

Other review comments are welcomed!

VOLLEYS CONTINUE TO BE FIRED BETWEEN LANI ARNOLD, ED GREGORY

The latest issue of Arie den Dulk's Holland-based (unofficial) Jim Reeves Fan Club newsletter has arrived, and it contains a brief interview (conducted via email) with the new owner of the Reeves estate, United Shows of America, Inc., and chairman Ed Gregory.

One of the questions prompted an answer from Mr. Gregory which has raised the ire of Jim's niece, Lani Arnold, who is still pursuing a lawsuit she filed to stop the sale of the Reeves estate to Gregory's United Shows of America, Inc.

Here is the question and answer:

"Q: There were reports about the Jim Reeves memorial being neglected, grass not cut, and unkept appearance. This has been solved but will the site be maintained regularly?"

"A: We pay and have paid continually $300 per month to keep the Jim Reeves memorial neat and clean, in addition to paying the monthly electric bill, insurance and real estate taxes. Ms. Lani Arnold could have simply called our office when she discovered weeds growing at the memorial, instead of having her mother stand for a picture and placing that photo on the internet (the Jim Reeves Way - Arie). Our people have been very kind to Ms. Arnold and her family, never charging them for anything concerning Jim Reeves since we purchased the estate.

"We are continuing to explore any and all possibilities in marketing Jim Reeves products, as well as legally pursuing anyone who illegally uses Jim Reeves in any way."

Even though the newsletter is only mailed to about 200 members of the unofficial fan club, Mrs. Arnold was upset by the references contained therein.

Contacted in Louisiana, Ms. Arnold told the Jim Reeves Way website that, "[Mr. Gregory has] given me a thorn in the flesh, that's what he's given me. A lot of heartache for the last four years...

"I don't work for Ed Gregory. It's not my responsibility to inform him when the memorial site is not kept up. He told me in no uncertain terms that he owned that memorial site, and he could dig up Uncle Jim and move him if he wanted to. And it was obvious by the appearance of the memorial site that it had not been mowed in months. So if he paid them $300 on a monthly basis, he got ripped."

Lani Arnold said "I confronted him on the memorial site after court one day, and showed him pictures of it, and I told him how upset we were. He said 'I'm doing everything I can to take care of it.' But it was not taken care of until I confronted him. He said 'It's been very difficult to get good help' being that he was in Nashville [and the park is in Texas]. Well, like Aunt Mary didn't have that problem? She kept it up for 30 years."

This website received an email some months ago from Carthage itself saying officials there were frustrated because they had received complaints from fans who had noticed the memorial park has periodically not been mowed or weeds cut, and assumed the fault rested with the city itself, which it does not. In fact, we were told their attorney contacted Mr. Gregory's attorney in an attempt to rectify this situation. A period of time went by before anything was noticeably done to improve the conditions at the memorial park.

With regard to any gratuities she may have received from Mr. Gregory or his organization, Mrs. Arnold acknowledged "He gave my attorney some CDs [of Jim Reeves] and told him to share them with me. That was in the very beginning. When my mother [Jim's sister] was very, very sick and we thought she was going to die -- we were told she would not make it -- I called to get some religious tapes that we were going to play before her funeral and gave him my [credit card] number, because I was going to pay for them." Instead, Gregory's office "sent a letter saying [Gregory would not charge for them and] had contributed them to me."

She recalled an incident that happened in August of 1998, when Mrs. Arnold, her mother and aunt were asked by Mr. Gregory to appear with him at a public ceremony at Jim's gravesite, and later to attend a function at which Jim was inducted into the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame at Carthage. "He said he was giving us rooms, and paying for expenses in Carthage, Texas," she recalled. But "then I'm told by the Chamber of Commerce that they got stuck with the bill. So he hasn't given me anything. He sent some pictures from the function in Carthage; he sent me a photo album of pictures and he sent my mother [one], but we also had to sign a release so that he could sell pictures and videos of the whole function; he was going to sell them and make money off them. So to me in turn he made money off of us."

Mrs. Arnold says she is upset by Ed Gregory's claim to have been so generous with her family. She points out that several years ago, "I loaned a Victrola to Aunt Mary for [the Jim Reeves] museum, that originally belonged to my grandmother [Jim's mother] and then was given to my mother [one of Jim's sisters]. And when [the sale of the Reeves estate] came about, I asked Mr. Gregory for the Victrola back, because it did not belong to Aunt Mary. When we thought my mother was dying, I called him crying and upset and said 'Please, Mr. Gregory, please return it. It doesn't mean a darn thing to me, but it does to [my mother]. You have violated her by not returning what belongs to her.'

"He promised me that he would return it. I waited on the front porch for that delivery. The Perrymans can attest that the Victrola does belong to me, my brother in law delivered it up there, Mary and Frances (an employee of the museum/gift shop) met him up there and put it on loan. Now they're telling me I have to have signed contract papers saying I loaned the Victrola to my Aunt. And he has on numerous occasions told me he would return it. He promised he would return it. And he has not."

Mrs. Arnold concludes, "He can't stop me from what I do. Jim was my blood relative. [Gregory] can't stop me from talking, or giving interviews about Uncle Jim. He's got a limit to what he can stop me from doing."

And so it goes...

"THE 12 GREATEST COUNTRY VOICES OF ALL TIME"? REEVES NOT AMONG THEM

As further evidence that the editors of Country Music magazine live in a world of "Alice In Wonderland," where up is down, in is out, and logic is otherwise inverted, their October/November issue has an article entitled the "12 Greatest Voices of All Time." Jim Reeves is not on the list. In fact, he's not even on the "second string" list of honorable mentions.

Would you like to know who is a better singer than Jim Reeves? Here they are:

1. Hanks Williams, Sr.
2. Patsy Cline
3. Ernest Tubb
4. Lefty Frizzell
5. Tammy Wynette
6. Johnny Cash
7. George Jones
8. Dolly Parton
9. Loretta Lynn
10. Merle Haggard
11. Willie Nelson
12. Vern Gosdin

Honorable Mentions:
Marty Robbins
Bill Monroe
Jimmie Rodgers
Emmylou Harris
Eddy Arnold
Conway Twitty
Faron Young
Webb Pierce
Buck Owens

Notice that Country Music magazine thinks Ernest Tubb, Buck Owens and Webb Piece have finer voices than Jim! Isn't that pathetic? We don't know whether to laugh or to cry. And these writers are supposed to be experts on country music!

By any objective standard, none of these three (nor most of the others) are even in the same league as Reeves in terms of stardom or technical vocal prowess. Fortunately, music fans over the years have demonstrated that their sense of aesthetics is more finely tuned than some of the so-called experts. Note that Jim Reeves has sold more recordings worldwide than any other artist on this list, bar none.

Fans ought to write Country Music and let them know how shameful this sort of article is. In fact, there are several other performers whose voices we think are better than some on the list. Of course, Country Music is the home of writer Rich Kienzle, who has made a career out of trashing Jim Reeves in print, and who doesn't even respond to letters from people like Joyce Jackson who challenge his erroneous assertions about Jim.

You might try writing the editor: County Music Magazine, One Turkey Hill Road South, Westport, CT. 06880. Mark envelope: "Attention, Letters." Sign your full name.

MORE WARNINGS ABOUT EBAY AND UNSCRUPULOUS FANS

Since posting info about the peculiar goings-on that are occurring on the online auction website called "ebay," a number of you have written to share your experiences. It is increasingly apparent that some of the merchandise being offered for sale is not as it is represented to be. For instance, some of you may have spotted some CDs being listed which are of Jim's vinyl albums, such as "Talkin' To Your Heart." However, these were never released on commercial CDs. Anyone buying these needs to know that these are bootleg, homemade, unauthorized and hence illegal copies. Some Reeves collectors are taking older albums and dubbing them onto CD-ROM disks, scanning and copying the album covers and printing them out on a homemade printer, then affixing them to the front of the CD jewel cases. The bids go pretty high for these, with naiive collectors assuming they are acquiring professionally-mastered commercial releases. They are not. When a record label does a CD, they work from original or early-generation masters, and manipulate the audio in the conversion to digital format in an attempt to achieve faithful reproduction on CD. This process is not followed by a homemade dubber, who of course lacks the sophisticated equipment used to do this. Aside from the obvious copyright violations, it is fraudulent for any seller to pass these off as "rare" items and/or imply they are commercial, hard-to-get releases.

Counterfeit goods are a worldwide problem in every category of commerce, and law enforcement agencies have been known to vigorously prosecute offenders.

We have also seen copies of "Kimberley Jim" being sold on ebay. It turns out some of them are homemade dubs on defective tapes, and packaged in plain white boxes with a homemade label affixed. Buyer beware.

Another problem concerns the use of a "shill" -- a fake bidder. In several cases that have come to our attention, a seller will use two email addresses and different identities to bid on his own item and create the illusion of demand for it. The hope here is, of course, that an unsuspecting Reeves fan will see the merchandise and enter a competitive bid. Then the shill bids again to drive the price up, back and forth until the shill drops out and the fan is stuck paying an inflated price, often for illegal merchandise.

We have been told by ebay that they do not countenance such practices and will take action to permanently ban any traders who are unscrupulous. This includes the possibility of legal action against bootleg merchandisers and/or fraudulent claims. If you know of any violations you need to immediately report them to ebay by clicking HERE.

There are, indeed, some wonderful treasures pertaining to Jim Reeves that can be found from time-to-time on ebay. The best advice is to do your homework, proceed cautiously, look at the profile of the seller to see if there have been negative comments registered on past sales, notice other bidding patterns, and don't hesitate to email your questions to sellers.

There are also reports of collectors who are offering homemade dubs of some of Jim's TV performances for exorbitant sums in the hundreds of dollars. Before any of you are tempted to send off a check, be sure to ask around because some of that video is not all that hard to come by. Also, keep in mind that these sellers do not own the rights to these video performances, so if they offer them for sale they are legally vulnerable to prosecution in the courts. Sadly, some of the Reeves collectors who can least afford it fall prey to those selling Reeves items at a high price.

It is understandable that fans of Jim Reeves are eager to acquire as much material on him as they can, particularly in light of the fact that no one in an official capacity has the interest or wherewithal to use any of the (unreleased) top-quality video performances by Jim and produce a commercial tape. Plus some big-time collectors are notorious for hoarding items and not sharing them with others. However, having said that, it has been the unwritten rule among honorable collectors for years that no one seeks to make a profit from Jim Reeves, and that we all will swap things for free, or at most for the cost of postage and a blank tape. Your feedback is welcomed in the Fan Forum...

WHAT'S BEHIND THE INFLATED PRICES ON EBAY?

Something fishy is going on these days on ebay.com, the online auction website. That is to say some of the Jim Reeves items being offered for sale are commanding astronomical prices. A concert poster is listed for $500; something described as an "original deejay card and sheet music display" is going for $300. An EP of "Four Walls" which supposedly featured the autograph of Jim (though the seller stressed he could not prove it was authentic) went for over $500. So did a vinyl record of theatrical promotions for "Kimberley Jim." Strangely, even photos which were sold in the Jim Reeves Museum gift shop for a few dollars and have been widely available for years are being bid on by...well, guess who? Let's just say this well-known Tennessee man has already got all he needs. Hmmmm. Is he selling items piecemeal on ebay through surrogates, and bidding on them with a friend or two to drive the prices up? (He bids on many more than he acquires). Or does he have so much he doesn't realize what he's got? What's going on here? Of course, there are laughably absurd items, such as someone selling a picture they claim is Jim Reeves with Lassie embossed on a dinner plate. (Actually, it's a photo of Jim with his collie Cheyene!) Amazing what you can find on the internet! Buyer beware!

JOHN REX REEVES HAS NEW WEBSITE ONLINE

Singer John Rex Reeves, one of Jim's nephews, has a new website online. It's just been created and will be expanding as the months go by. Be sure to visit it and bookmark it for future visits. You can click here.

JIM GETS A NICE MENTION FOR A CHANGE

Doris Gath advises that Country Weekly magazine, the August 24th issue, under "This Week in Country Music History" flashbacks says that Jim's "Don't Let Me Cross Over" record was #10. This was the week of August 18, 1979. The information was compiled by Rick Haydan from the files of the Country Music hall of Fame. Just a little trivia!

VANDERBILT REFUSES TO RELEASE MARY'S MEDICAL RECORDS TO COURT

There is a conference scheduled for Monday, August 9, 1999 in Nashville, Tennessee in "judge's chambers" to discuss the refusal by Vanderbilt medical center to comply with a judicial order requiring the facility to turn over the medical records of Mary Reeves Davis to the court. The Honorable Frank Clement, Jr. apparently decided that he needed to see all of her medical records, in an attempt to resolve questions raised in a lawsuit by Reeves niece Lani Arnold. Mrs. Arnold questions whether or not her aunt was mentally competent at the time she agreed to the sale of the Reeves estate. As reported previously on this website, Mary Reeves Davis inexplicably rescinded an earlier trust agreement only weeks after it was signed, and in the second trust gave her husband, Terry Davis, 50% of everything she owned, including Jim Reeves' memorabilia and even future royalties. Since Davis had no previous ownership interest in the Jim Reeves estate, this arrangement raised eyebrows in Nashville and elsewhere.

"It's very important we get [the records so as] to establish whether Aunt Mary was competent at the time of the sale...whether she was capable of making that decision or whether somebody persuaded her to make it," Mrs. Arnold explained.

Mary's psychiatrist, who works for Vanderbilt, is also refusing to provide his part of the medical records. He was previously ordered by the judge to either relinquish them or be in court. Ironically, it was this same doctor who refused to provide a letter sought by Mary's attorney confirming that she was mentally competent to execute legal agreements at the time the sale of the estate was consummated back in the Spring of 1996.

What are they hiding? As one legal expert theorized, if the medical facility knew Mary was incompetent, and they did not bring this information forward at the time of the sale, certain issues of liability could arise. If there is information in the records pertaining to Mary's lack of mental competency, and/or abuse, people would wonder why they didn' t tell the investigators for the Tennessee Dept. of Social Services what they suspected or knew, as required by "mandatory reporting" statutes.

Lani Arnold alleges that Mary "was in a lock-down Alzheimer's ward, wearing a bracelet labeling her as being 'memory impaired', and on anti-psychotic drugs," at the time she signed papers relinquishing her estate. Mrs. Arnold reports having visited her aunt Mary in Stones River Manor and observing her going in and out of reality, with hallucinations around this time. "She signed [the second trust agreement] the week before I got to Nashville, on July 4th weekend. I would say she was hallucinating then. So I know she wasn't all there. And there's no way that if I knew it, [the medical personnel] didn't know it. That's why I was questioning the doctors and all..."

The court-appointed guardian ad litem at the time, Douglas Barry, said in a report dated January 14, 1997, that Mary's "concentration comes and goes. She periodically blanks out. She becomes frustrated when she is unable to communicate."

And in court documents dated Sept. 8, 1997, Mary's own attorney, Carrol D. Kilgore, recalls in a bizarre and seemingly contradictory fashion a meeting he had with her on July 8, 1997. He observed that "she was suffering from some hallucinations" but strangely concludes that "this did not appear to affect the clarity of her thinking..." He added that "She exhibited the same difficulty she had shown previously in forgetting the name of persons or things, but not in understanding what was going on."

"There was no way she should have made that kind of a decision," Lani contends. "It says even on the medical [labels] for these drugs that your judgment is impaired, you cannot drive, you cannot do this or that." She says that "At one point [Mary] would be lucid and at another she'd be way out in left field." Mary was in the hospital at Vanderbilt at the time the first trust agreement was signed, but one of the Vanderbilt doctors continued to supervise her care even after she was placed in the current nursing home and after a second trust was executed. (See the About Mary page for more information on the history of this tragic case).

Check back on this website for an update on these important matters. It will be interesting to hear what excuse Vanderbilt offers for defying a court order. The eyes of the world are watching everybody and everything in this case...

THANK YOU, MR. GREGORY

Regular visitors to this website know that several weeks ago we informed you of some concerns that were being raised about Mary Reeves' care in a Nashville nursing home. (You can read the original item by scrolling down the page). We have recently been informed that the new owners of the Reeves estate, United Shows of America, Inc. -- and specifically chairman Ed Gregory, and his wife -- personally looked into the matter the day after this was posted on the site, and her situation has been taken care of. Mary now has a comfortable cushion for her wheel chair (though it is still not her own chair), a bar has been placed in her hand to prevent it from curling backward and hurting her palm, some new clothing has been added to Mary's wardrobe, and Mr. Gregory has even seen to it that a CD player was added to the room. All of these are very kind gestures and are sincerely appreciated.

(Someone close to the situation did inform us that there are still no pictures of Jim on hand, and challenged: "Why should there be...she's been married to another man for 30 years!" Of course, this misses the whole point, because Jim Reeves was more than just a husband, he was Mary's whole life, as she worked for decades after his death to promote his music. Her identity was wrapped up in this endeavor and thus any reminders of her past life could only help her now, not hurt her. But, alas, we are told that her second "husband," Terry Davis, doesn't want any pictures of Jim on display. Any that have been brought into the room by friends have been removed).

We want to give credit where credit is due, and every Jim Reeves fan who cares about his dear widow Mary should be pleased that the Gregorys personally interceded in this situation. One still has to wonder, however, why Mary's nephew and legally-appointed conservator, Bill White, did not respond on his own to prior complaints about Mary's care. She has the money and he is supposed to be administering it wisely.

Asked for a comment about these developments, the singer's niece, Lani Arnold -- who is still involved in litigation -- said that she is pleased that the matter has been taken care of, but that she will continue to press to see that every reasonable measure be taken to assure that Mary's comfort and needs are being met. Indeed, she previously had her attorney send a letter to the lawyer for the conservator outlining complaints about Mary's care.

PATSY CLINE GET'S STAR ON "HOLLYWOOD WALK OF FAME". WHERE'S JIMS?

In yet another example of how Jim Reeves is consistently overlooked, one of Jim's contemporaries, Patsy Cline, has been awarded a star on Hollywood's famous "Walk of Fame." She joins such other luminaries as Marilyn Monroe and Jimmy Stewart -- American icons, to be sure -- to be honored in this way. With all due respect to dear Patsy, who was a fabulous singer and a wonderful woman, we have just one question: WHY? After all, Patsy never made a movie, and although her "Greatest Hits" package has sold over 6 million, her sales are far outpaced by other artists. Jim Reeves, for instance.

Jim DID make a movie, "Kimberley Jim," that even outgrossed "Ben Hur," a big epic film of the time. Jim's flick is a picture that is still showing in parts of the world. Besides Jim's record sales, his TV and radio appearances as well as his international tour schedule made him a star of gigantic dimensions, with popularity stretching to the far ends of the earth.

But while Patsy's husband, Charlie Dick, and her daughter Julie Fudge, graciously accept the award on Patsy's behalf (see photo), Jim lies forgotten in the sandy soil of Texas, and no one in a position to do something about it has made even the slightest gesture to acknowledge his contribution to country music.

A sad lament, but true.

Country Weekly magazine (Aug. 3 issue) has a big article on Jim Reeves, commemorating the 35th anniversary of his death in a plane crash. The story, by Rick Haydan, while generally favorable, typically contains some gross inaccuracies.

For instance, it starts out by claiming that Jim "tried to punch a shortcut through a thunderhead" on his final approach to the Nashville airport. It quotes Michael Streissguth's beknighted book as the source. Session pianist Bill Persell is also mentioned (from the Streissguth book) as having seen the dark cloud Jim flew into, and thinking to himself that "I wouldn't fly through that cloud if you paid me."

Two things are wrong with this version of events. First, Jim did NOT take a "shortcut." He flew in a straight line on the NORMAL LANDING APPROACH to the airport. The tower operator did NOT tell Jim to turn, he only offered him the OPTION of making a right turn to go around it. Jim said he could see the area of rain up ahead, but thought his present heading would take him to the right of it. Therefore, he obviously knew the dangers inherent in flying through rain as a VFR pilot, but made a judgment error as to the storm's proximity to his flight path. He also apparently misjudged its intensity, which was easy to do given the fact that the rain was light enough he could initially see the airport through it. In no case did he take a "shortcut."

As for Bill Persell's recollections, Bill left his residence to go to a 6:30 p.m. session at RCA's Studio B. The Reeves plane disappeared from radar over an HOUR AND A HALF before Bill saw the storm clouds. So Persell had the time wrong and is not a good source for information about the precise weather conditions that prevailed over Nashville that day.

Small points? Not hardly. When Jim Reeves is portrayed as endangering the life of another man as well as himself because he allegedly took a "shortcut," it creates a wrong perception in the minds of many fans.

The article quotes Eddy Arnold, who arrived on the scene of the crash when it was found two days later. Unfortunately, Arnold gives details of the scene which are at variance with the recollection of others, including professional investigators and law enforcement officers. Country Weekly says that a driver's license "confirmed Eddy's identification of the body." This is incorrect, since Jim's remains were UNIDENTIFIABLE, except by Joyce Jackson later. And the only way she knew it was Jim was because she recognized the clothes he had been wearing.

The magazine writer is also inaccurate when he repeats the old canard that Marty Robbins joined the search party for Jim's missing plane. Marty did NOT search for Jim because, he said, "I didn't want to find him."

Now -- as for the good parts of the article. It says that "in death, Jim's career took on a life of its own, thanks to the hard work of his wife, Mary, and the collection of demo tapes he had cut for his publishing company."

Eddy Arnold describes Jim by saying "he was a mellow, romantic, smooth singer, who pronounced his words where you could understand him. He wasn't a nasal singer."

Jim Ed Brown contributed some nice quotes as well. "Jim's bigger in death than he was in real life," he told the magazine. "His music could outlive us all.

"He was one of the greatest song stylists I've ever known," says Jim Ed. "He knew how to make every word mean something. He had a lot of heart and put that feeling into his songs.

"Jim had the ability to find the feelings behind the words, put himself in that position, and then relay them to his listeners, almost like an actor reading play lines."

"He was a charming person. He loved people and he had a lot of character. He worked hard to make other people successful along with him."

Gosh, that sure sounds like a major contradiction to the way Jim was portrayed in the Streissguth hatchet job!

Chet Atkins added, "But you didn't mess around with Jim in the studio. He was very professional and worked much harder than most people at his craft. He was a perfectionist. He was very difficult with some of the background singers and some of the musicians and engineers. He had a helluva temper. He didn't take anything from anybody."

This is a strange comment coming from Chet, because he regularly sought Jim out for golf games and the two socialized after hours. If Jim's temper was so bad, it's unlikely he'd have been such a good golfer, plus why would Atkins want to be around him?

Interestingly, NONE of the other individuals -- singers, musicians, et al -- who were interviewed for the forthcoming book on Reeves had anything negative to say about Jim in the studio. They all describe him as quiet, serious and well-prepared. However, several had anecdotes to share about Chet's temper tantrums, which interfered from time to time with the sessions.

Naturally, Country Weekly chose as their main picture one of the most embarrassing early shots they could find of Jim Reeves. A smaller one, of Jim with Chet, is much better. There are also a couple of pictures of the monument and gravesite.

One item that will no doubt arouse questions is a reference to Ed Gregory of United Shows, new owner of the Reeves estate. The magazine claims a new museum, featuring cowboys and country music, will be opened this Fall in Nashville, which will include Reeves memorablia. However, sources close to Gregory have repeatedly said for months that nothing would be opened until after the new Opry Landing shopping complex debuts in a year or so.

TAPE DUPLICATORS FOR RARE REEVES VIDEO ARE LINED UP

As a follow-up to the story shown directly below, here are the six individuals who have volunteered to make FREE copies of the newly-surfaced video of Jim singing "Four Walls" on the Steve Allen show, circa 1957. Remember they are doing this as a gesture of good will, and have only agreed to each make dubs for a total of six fans. So it must be on a first-come, first-served basis. You will have to make your own arrangements with them as to whether they prefer you send a blank tape and postage, or just the cost of a tape plus mailing. Under NO circumstances should any fan pay more than the mere cost of a tape and postage. Absolutely no profiteering is permitted.

If we exhaust this list of volunteers (and no doubt that will happen quickly), I will be eager to have the email addresses of others who, once they receive a tape, are themselves willing to make six more copies...

The six people listed below should receive their dubs within the next week or so. Enjoy!

A REAL COUP: COPY OF RARE TV APPEARANCE BY JIM IS OBTAINED BY THIS WEBSITE!

In a surprising development, a pristine, commercially-dubbed copy of Jim's 1957 Steve Allen Show performance of "Four Walls" has been duplicated by a confidential source at a New York video company and sent to author Larry Jordan. This copy is derivative of an original kinescope and was professionally mastered, so the sound and video quality is superb.

In turn, Jordan has advised this website that he wants to make this video available FREE of charge to whomever wants it. Between the two of us we have come up with this idea:

I need to have six people email me who have two VCRs or tape dubbing capability. (Email me HERE.) They need to agree to send a blank tape plus $3.25 postage to me (for Priority Shipping) and I will make them a copy of this video. In turn, they must agree to make copies for six other people. I will post the email addresses of these six individuals on this website who have agreed to make dubs so fans may contact them directly. It will be on a strictly first-come, first-served basis.

The one proviso above all others is that this tape NOT BE SOLD FOR PROFIT. If anyone attempts to do this, please notify me and I will put their name on the web immediately as a warning.

The objective is to share this rare TV performance with as many fans as possible on a worldwide basis. Thus we are able to circumvent any elitist intentions by someone to horde it and not let other fans see it. In light of the controversy surrounding the acquisition of this piece of footage by a collector who has sent hostile email to this website, this announcement is a real coup.

The video is so rare that even James Newberry, the world's foremost collector of Reeves memorabilia (whose collection has been appraised at more than $1 million) has not had it. In fact, it has been in private hands for many years.

The piece opens with show host Steve Allen sitting at a piano. He says..."We have a gentleman named Jim Reeves, from Texas..." and is immediately interrupted by applause. "And a professional ballplayer at one time, too, you sports will be glad to know. Well, what I started to say was that music which in some instances may seem to have only limited appeal lately has been sort of taking over the whole popular music picture...rock and roll of course is a prime example, and there was calypso. And a country and western tune from time to time gets in on the same idea. And our next guest, already an established star of the country and western field, is now selling records very successfully in the straight pop field. He has one of the big hits of the year and this song is kind of a good sign I think. Because it's not one of those wild, wooly, ridiculous songs. It's a good, pleasant, well-constructed (song) and has a nice little emotional quality to it. A good western tune. Here's Jim to sing it for you. It's called 'Four Walls'..."

Jim stands with his right hand on his hip and one foot up on a chair. He is dressed in a wide-plaid shirt and western tie, somewhat reminiscent of Roy Rogers. (It's a good bet that the wardrobe people on Steve Allen's show selected the costume and of course designed the western-style set). As he sings the song Jim walks casually forward, then leans on a saddle in the foreground.

He appears relaxed and perfectly at ease -- quite a fete for having to do this live on network TV while millions of people watched and listened. He looks handsome and earnest -- two qualities which made him such a natural and telegenic performer. His voice is smooth, his diction precise. The accompaniement is somewhat plaintive, (just guitar and what sounds like the Jordanaires), allowing Jim's trademark voice to shine. He sings softly but with assurance. At the end, we hear a brief example of how powerful Jim could be, as he applies fuller chest voice on the final notes. He smiles humbly and bows as the audience applauds wildly. Steve Allen claps loudly and effuses, "Isn't that nice? That was very pleasant. It kinda takes me back to my Arizona days..." Then Steve announces that Wally Cox, famed Orson Wells and Meg Miles will be the guests after station identification.

The video is a thrilling example of Jim at his best, and it is so fortunate that a well-intentioned Reeves fan was willing to come forth and send a copy of this video to Larry even before it reached the hands of a man who paid hundreds of dollars to acquire it and told us it was "none of your damn business" what he planned to do with it.

Soon this can be enjoyed by others. How fitting that this priceless piece of video has surfaced after all these years, and not long before we observe the 35th anniversary of Jim's death. Keep checking this space for further details!