WORLD EXCLUSIVE

NEWBERRY'S AUGUST SURPRISE:
WILL SHARE REEVES ITEMS
WITH FANS IN BIG DISPLAY

 

For the first time in all the years he has been collecting Jim Reeves memorabilia, James Newberry of California has confounded critics and done something a lot of people thought he'd never do: make rare items from his vast collection available for the fans to enjoy.

As has been previously reported on this site, the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame in Carthage, Tex. is remodeling so as to accommodate an expanded display of Reeves memorabilia. A professional designer has been working around the clock to put together the new room.

Mr. Newberry had previously agreed to loan to the museum the equipment from KGRI radio that Jim Reeves had used in his first job in broadcasting. But now Newberry has sprung an August surprise by deciding to ship even more items from his California home in time for an unveiling on Saturday, August 21 -- one day after Jim's birthday. Both James and his wife, Priscilla, are expected to fly into Carthage for the ribbon cutting ceremony that day.

All of the items in the expanded Jim Reeves display room will come exclusively from Mr. Newberry and no one else. Included will be various record awards, personal clothing, photos and even the funeral registry book he rescued from an unscrupulous ebay seller. This will enable Carthage to present a greatly expanded display of Reeves collectibles that is sure to draw visitors from far and wide.

In fact, this marks the first time Carthage has had anything truly valuable of Jim's to display in its museum. Mary never showed much interest in working with Carthage officials, and the controversial convicted bank fraud felon, Ed Gregory, who took control of the Reeves estate, had open contempt for Carthage, such that he never was willing to make any Jim Reeves items available to Jim's hometown community.

This surprise by James Newberry is so stunning, that even most Carthage officials will be unaware of this turn of events until they read it here on this website.

In an exclusive interview, Mr. Newberry explained that "The first item sent last week was a 33 x 44 inch framed photograph featuring a very young Jim Reeves and Elvis [Presley] when Elvis was probably 16 years old.  It was taken in front of a radio station somewhere in Texas and features others as well.

"I also sent last week a 34 in. x 46 in. framed record award consisting of 40 CDs presented to Mary Reeves and Jim Reeves Enterprises on what turned out to be Mary's last visit to Carthage to commemorate Jim Reeves 40th Anniversary on RCA Records.  This is very significant for several reasons," Newberry elaborated. "It was the last major award ever presented to Mary and it was never displayed in the Jim Reeves Museum. This is the first time this award will have been put on display."

James added that "there is one additional item that has tremendous historical significance. It's a show poster from Fabor Robison that dates back to the Jim Reeves/Ginny Wright era."

The KGRI equipment includes:

One microphone with the KGRI station letters attached

One Western Electric transmitter

One Associated Press teletype with cabinet

One Magnacorder tape deck

One Presto turntable with cabinet

One Presto equalizer

One Western Electric control console

The radio items had been previously displayed by Mary at the now-defunct Jim Reeves Museum in Nashville and later at an Opry museum, but then were auctioned by Gregory. James Newberry acquired the equipment and then had it professionally shipped directly from Nashville to Carthage, where it has been in storage for awhile until a suitable display area could be fashioned.

Among the rare Jim Reeves items that Newberry is loaning to Carthage is the Ampex magnetic tape recorder that Jim had in his home that he recorded a large number of his demos on. This equipment has never been viewed by the public before.

Newberry is also loaning the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame a number of awards that Jim garnered. For instance:

A number of these awards were depicted in exclusive photos previously posted on this website, and that can still be viewed by clicking here.

In addition, James Newberry is loaning the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame in Carthage the Jim Reeves Number One in the Nation Award Billboard special survey ending 10-15-1966 "Blue Side of Lonesome" Number One with bullet, as well as:

A framed WSM photo Jim Reeves receiving "He'll Have To Go" award with Chet Atkins and the Manager of the Opry.

A framed song sheet "Am I Losing You" words and music by Jim Reeves

A framed photo Jim Reeves sings "The Proof is in the Puffing" ad from the Progressive Farmer for Prince Albert pipe and cigarette tobacco

A framed show poster: Fabor Robison Presents Spring Music Show direct from Louisiana Hayride KWKH Shreveport starring Abbott and Fabor recording artist Jim Reeves and his Hayride Band with Ginny Wright. Also featuring Jim Ed Brown and Maxine Brown, Alvadean and Sandy Coker, Shirley Bates, Jenny Rowley and Tom Tall.

A large framed photograph of Jim Reeves holding his "He'll Have To Go" Gold Record Award

One black Nudie's Rodeo Tailors, North Hollywood, California with Jim Reeves' name and number 4032 sewn inside the jacket pocket. The jacket features 13 Sterling silver buckles.

Included in the newly expanded Carthage display will be Jim Reeves' baseball uniform from the Lynchburg Cardinals. They were a team owned and operated by the St. Louis National Baseball Club. This clothing likewise was rescued by Newberry in a private deal with Gregory. Included are the following

One pair of baseball pants
Two red stretch socks
One baseball T shirt
One black belt
One Cardinals baseball top with the number 5
One baseball
One glove

One Lynchburg Cardinals letter addressed to James T. Reeves, Deberry, Texas which served as his first contract and the original envelope it was mailed in.

Last but not least, James Newberry will be displaying the funeral registry book with original box from Phillips-Robinson & Company, Funeral Directors, Nashville. Inside it states "In memory of Jim Reeves, Tuesday August 4, 1964 2:00 p.m."

A who's who of the music industry attended the funeral and their signatures are in the book. This precious item, which Connie Sanders claimed she was forced to sell due to financial circumstances, went for over $1,800. (That's right...the woman who has made a fortune off Jim Reeves memorabilia tried to say this was a hardship sale.)

Incidentally, Ms. Sanders has been telling people that she plans on travelling to Carthage for the August event. Will she be donating any items to the museum? She has already sold off much that she had previously promised to make available to them.

For several decades, Mr. Newberry has aggressively pursued the rarest of the rare Jim Reeves items, including things that Mary never even had for her museum. As such he has come in for much criticism, some of it from this website, for being among the group of so-called horders, who get their hands on Reeves items and then lock them away. In his defense, Newberry has repeatedly assured people that he wanted to see a museum built to house his collection. But after many years had passed without such a museum ever materializing, some people lost faith. With this bold initiative, however, James has taken a major step in the direction of sharing part of his collection with the fans -- a part, incidentally, which is among the most significant Reeves memorabilia to be found anywhere.

By agreeing to loan these historically significant Jim Reeves items to Carthage, and paying a small fortune for them to be shipped there, he has set a good example for some of the other individuals who have been zealously snatching up Reeves items but not making them available for others to enjoy.

So many of the things that Newberry has acquired he has tracked down when even Mary was unable to locate them, or didn't know they existed. He did not take them from Mary, unlike the items that Ed Gregory got his hands on and then didn't pay for, that have recently been scattered to the winds by unscrupulous ebay sellers and others.

In fact, Mary was supportive of James' collecting, and the two of them had many conversations about combining forces to put together a grand museum. They even had drawn up a plan to open a museum in Shreveport, La., but sadly, Mary's health soon declined thereafter, and the plan never reached fruition.

When Ed Gregory broke his public promises and began auctioning off every scrap of Jim and Mary Reeves memorabilia that he had acquired in a disputed sale of the estate, Newberry stepped in to rescue the most important pieces. For instance, he bought the record awards, the wallet that was in Jim's pocket the day he was killed, and such sentimental items as the funeral registry book.

Fans owe James Newberry a debt of gratitude for being a man of good conscience, in sharp contrast to the small but hardcore group of obsessive collectors out there -- including the proprietor of the trash forum -- that have greedily bought hundreds of Jim Reeves items apiece and then put them beyond the reach of the fans just so they can have "bragging rights." Ironically, some of these same individuals are the ones taking potshots at Mr. Newberry or anyone else who actually does something good for the fans.

Additional photos will be posted in a day or two that show more of the very rare James Newberry collecton.

If you are able to travel, it will be well worth your time and effort to make the trip to Carthage to see these precious Jim Reeves items. It is not known how long they will remain on display. -- Julie

 

Copyright 2004 by Julie Campbell-Jordan. ALL WORLDWIDE RIGHTS RESERVED. No photos, video, film clips, audio or writing can be reproduced without the express written permission of the website owner in advance.