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Eddie Reeves

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Eddie Reeves
Eddie Reeves in 2007
Eddie Reeves in 2007
Background information
Born(1939-11-17)November 17, 1939
Austin, Texas, United States
DiedNovember 18, 2018(2018-11-18) (aged 79)
Houston, Texas, United States
GenresRock, pop, country, adult contemporary
Occupation(s)Singer, songwriter, artist manager, publisher, record company executive, writer
InstrumentsGuitar, piano, vocals
Years active1950s–2010s
LabelsUnited Artists Music, ABC Records, Chappell Music, Warner Bros.
Website[1]

Edward Benton Reeves (November 17, 1939 – November 18, 2018) was an American songwriter, recording artist, music publisher, artist manager, record company executive, and author. He wrote several hit songs including "All I Ever Need Is You" co-written with Jimmy Holiday and recorded by many artists including Ray Charles, Sonny & Cher, Ray Sanders, Andre Hazes,[1] Tom Jones, Sammi Smith, Chet Atkins & Jerry Reed and Kenny Rogers & Dottie West; "Rings", co-written with Alex Harvey and recorded by Cymarron, Lobo, Reuben Howell, Leo Kottke, Twiggy, Tompall and The Glaser Brothers, Lonnie Mack (a vocal rendition from the guitar man of "Memphis" hit record fame), and other artists; "Don't Change on Me" co-written with Jimmy Holiday and recorded by Ray Charles, B.B. King, Van Morrison (recorded for Warner Bros. but available only on an Italian bootleg album), and by Alan Jackson; "If You Wouldn't Be My Lady", co-written with Jimmy Holiday and recorded by both Ray Charles and Charlie Rich; and "It’s a Hang Up Baby", recorded by both Jerry Lee Lewis and Z.Z. Hill. The song was also performed on November 6, 1969, by Tom Jones with musical backing by the Moody Blues on his national television show, This Is Tom Jones.

BMI awarded Reeves and co-writer Harvey their Special Citation of Achievement for "Rings", having received over one million radio and television performances, making it one of the most performed songs from BMI's repertoire of over eight million songs.[2]

Reeves' songs are associated with three Grammy Award nominations: 1972 Pop Vocal Group – Sonny & Cher – "All I Ever Need Is You" lyrics;[3] 1972 Best Country Vocal Performance – Duo or Group – Tompall & the Glaser Bros. – "Rings";[3] and 1973 Best Country Instrumental Performance – Chet Atkins, Jerry Reed – Me and Chet (album, which included "All I Ever Need Is You").[4]

Early life

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Born in Austin, Texas and raised in Amarillo, Texas, Reeves graduated Amarillo High School with honors and attended the University of Texas at Austin where he was a member of Delta Tau Delta fraternity.[5]

Career

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Reeves started singing, playing guitar and writing songs in high school in 1956 and formed the Nighthawks (original band by this name) in 1957 with high school friends Bob Venable, Mike Hinton and John Thompson. The band recorded two singles at Norman Petty’s studio in Clovis, New Mexico with only "When Sin Stops" b/w "All’a Your Love" commercially released by Hamilton Records (subsidiary of Dot Records) on November 17, 1958, Reeves' 19th birthday. After college, he returned to Amarillo where he worked for two years in his father's retail building materials, residential construction, and real estate businesses.[5]

In 1964, Norman Petty hired Reeves as his New York representative[6] and the following year Reeves was hired by United Artists Music where he signed an exclusive recording artist and songwriting contract. In 1968, United Artists sent him to Hollywood to set up a West Coast office and during a seven-year tenure at United Artists he worked with Mac Davis, Jackie DeShannon, Jimmy Holiday, Sharon Sheeley, Delaney & Bonnie, Billy Ed Wheeler, Alex Harvey, Buddy Buie, Andy Kim, Paul Leka and Kenny Young amongst others.[7]

In 1972, he signed an exclusive recording artist and songwriting contract with ABC Dunhill Records. In 1974 he accepted a job as the West Coast vice-president of Chappell Music, then the world's largest music publishing company.[8] During his years at Chappell Music, he signed and helped launch the careers of Kim Carnes,[9] the Sanford Townsend Band, Jules Shear and hired the young record producer Jim Ed Norman, with whom in later years he would share success with at Warner Bros. Records. In 1977, Reeves started his own music publishing and personal management company, working with Carnes, Shear (Jules and the Polar Bears) and Slow Children. In 1980, Reeves returned to his hometown of Amarillo, Texas, where he managed real estate properties for four years.

In 1984, Reeves was hired by Jim Ed Norman as general manager of Warner Bros. Records[10] where he spent sixteen years – the last ten as Executive Vice President and general manager,[11] until retiring in 1999 at age 60. While at Warner Bros., Reeves shared in the success of launching and developing the careers of Faith Hill,[12] Randy Travis, Dwight Yoakam, Travis Tritt, Little Texas, Jeff Foxworthy, Bill Engvall, David Ball, and Take 6; whilst promoting the continued success of Hank Williams, Jr., Emmylou Harris, John Anderson, and The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band.

Books

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In 2000, Reeves moved to Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, and started the process of compiling his songwriting catalog of over 100 songs, as well as beginning work on his collection of writings from notes he had been keeping since 1972. Reeves stated, "My writing is mostly from a spoken-word inner voice and sometimes spoken word makes poor written word. My struggle to succeed in writing something worth reading has on occasion caused me to state my occupation as 'word wrestler.'" When Sin Stops, a collection of life stories and other thoughts, was privately published for friends and family.[13]

Personal life

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Reeves has four children – Rhonda, Marc, Natalie, and Sophie – and spent the last 10 years of his life in Houston, Texas with his wife, singer-songwriter, Lena Shammas.

Death

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On November 14, 2018, Reeves suffered a massive hemorrhagic stroke at his home in Houston, Texas and died on November 18, 2018, aged 79, surrounded by his family. As he wrote in his book, he requested that he be cremated and his ashes scattered in Middle Fork Lake in New Mexico.

Discography

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Year Artist Title S-Single
A-Album 		Peak chart positions Certifications
(sales thresholds) 		Notes
US Country R&B/Soul AC UK Canada
1966 Willows My Kinda Guy S - - - - - 15 - (#2 Canadian content)
1970 Ray Charles Love Country Style
"Don’t Change On Me"		 A 155 - - - - - -
1971 Ray Charles Don't Change On Me S 36[14] - 13 22 - - -
1971 Ray Charles Volcanic Action of My Soul
"All I Ever Need Is You"		 A 52 - - - - - -
1971 Cymarron Rings S 17[15] - - 6 - 41 - #9 – Canadian AC
1971 Tompall &
the Glaser Bros.		 Rings S - 7 - - - - -
1971 Sonny & Cher All I Ever Need Is You S 7[16] - - 1 8 10 - 5 Weeks at No. 1 on AC Chart
1971 Sonny & Cher All I Ever Need Is You A 14 - - - - 7 Gold
1971 Chet Atkins and
Jerry Reed		 Me & Chet
"All I Ever Need Is You"		 A - 24 - - - - -
1971 Ray Sanders All I Ever Need Is You S - 18 - - - - -
1972 Tompall &
the Glaser Bros.		 Rings & Things
"Rings"		 A - 33 - - - - -
1972 Ray Charles Through the Eyes of Love
"If You Wouldn’t Be My Lady"		 A 186 - - - - - -
1973 Charlie Rich Behind Closed Doors
"If You Wouldn’t Be My Lady"		 A 8 1 - - - 4 4× Platinum
1974 Lobo Rings S 43 - - 8 - 30 -
1974 Reuben Howell Rings S 86 - - - - - -
1977 Sammi Smith Mixed Emotions
"All I Ever Need Is You"		 A - 47 - - - - -
1977 Twiggy Please Get My Name Right
"Rings"		 A - - - - 35 - -
1979 Kenny Rogers &
Dottie West		 All I Ever Need Is You S 102 1 - 38 - - -
1979 Kenny Rogers &
Dottie West		 Classics
"All I Ever Need Is You"		 A 82 3 - - - 60 Platinum
1984 Andre Hazes All I Ever Need Is You S - - - - - - - #1 in the Netherlands
Dutch title: "Ik meen ‘t"[1]
1984 Kenny Rogers &
Dottie West		 Duets
"All I Ever Need Is You"		 A 85 43 - - - 64 Platinum
2004 Kenny Rogers 42 Ultimate Hits
"All I Ever Need Is You"		 A 39 6 - - - - Gold
2006 Kenny Rogers 21 Number Ones
"All I Ever Need Is You"		 A 24 6 - - - - Gold
2006 Alan Jackson Like Red on a Rose
"Don’t Change On Me"		 A 4 1 - - 177 8 Gold

References

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  1. ^ a b Hung, Steffen. "André Hazes – Ik meen 't". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved August 11, 2013.
  2. ^ "BMI Million-Airs: 1 Million M – R". Chartts.tripod.com. Retrieved August 11, 2013.
  3. ^ a b "AwardsandShows.com". Retrieved July 24, 2016.
  4. ^ "AwardsandShows.com". Retrieved September 17, 2017.
  5. ^ a b "Eddie Reeves". 60sgaragebands.com. Archived from the original on April 6, 2012. Retrieved August 10, 2013.
  6. ^ Childs, Marti (2011). Echos of the Sixties. EditPros LLC. p. 4th page of EPILOGUE: Jimmy Gilmer. ISBN 978-1937317027.
  7. ^ Wiser, Carl (August 20, 1996). "Eddie Reeves: Songwriter Interviews". Songfacts.com. Retrieved June 4, 2016.
  8. ^ "Executive Turntable". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. May 18, 1974. pp. 4 & 53. Retrieved June 4, 2016.
  9. ^ Horowitz, Is (September 13, 1975). "Creative Responsibilities Restructured at Chappell". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. p. 10. Retrieved June 4, 2016.
  10. ^ "Country – Nashville Scene – May We Have the Envelope, Please?". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. October 13, 1984. pp. 53 & 58. Retrieved June 4, 2016.
  11. ^ Flippo, Chet (October 5, 1996). "Talkin' 'Bout an Evolution: Label Execs Discuss the Future of the Country". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. p. 52. Retrieved June 4, 2016.
  12. ^ "Interview with Faith Hill and Tim McGraw". Larry King Live. CNN. April 21, 2006. Retrieved June 4, 2016.
  13. ^ Notes from interview with Eddie Reeves, October 6, 2011
  14. ^ "HOT 100". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. April 24, 1971. p. 68. Retrieved June 4, 2016.
  15. ^ "HOT 100". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. August 14, 1971. p. 56. Retrieved June 4, 2016.
  16. ^ "HOT 100". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. December 25, 1971. p. 58. Retrieved June 4, 2016.
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