98 Country Classic Spotlight To Feature Jim Reeves

This weekend the 98 Country Classic Spotlight shines brightly on the late Jim Reeves.

Jim was born on August 20, 1923, the youngest of nine children. His older brothers were forced to leave school to help support the family after their father died.

Jim stands out as one of the most distinctive singers in the history of country music.  His smooth warm baritone voice was a major component of the very sophisticated pop influenced Nashville sound that emerged during the late 1950's and early 1960's.  He was a demanding perfectionist in the studio and worked very closely with Chet Atkins, a producer at RCA.  Their efforts paid off with many hit recordings.

Jim passed in 1964 and his death reminds us of all the legends in country music that left us before we were ready to see them go.  Some artists were victims of a tragedy, some lost a battle to bad health and others a role in their own sad destiny.  Conway Twitty age 59, Dottie West at 58, Marty Robbins at 57, Chris LeDoux at 56, Eddie Rabbitt at 56, Tammy Wynette at 55, Patsy Cline at age 30, Keith Whittley at age 33 and Jim Reeves at age 40.  Jim was piloting his own plane when he crashed outside of Nashville on July 31, 1964.

Jim placed 46 songs on the Billboard charts.  He also racked up 33 posthumous hits including, Distant Drums.

98 Country Classic Show starts at 9 a.m.  The country Classic Spotlight kicks off at 11 a.m. every Sunday morning.