The 1989 4 CD boxed-set ‘Gentleman Jim,’ which covered only Jim’s 1955-1959
RCAVictor recordings.
This was Reeves at last leaving his frus-
trating musical apprenticeship behind, and
beginning what he hoped would be the new
and exciting recording career for which he
had been earnestly striving for several
years. But he was not to be permitted
merely to follow his own musical direc-
tion. He would instead be steered in of-
ten uncomfortable directions by a pro-
ducer who insisted on his adopting a
singing style more in line with those
currently in vogue and commercially
successful. As opposed to Reeves’
preference towards mellow, deep
crooning, Fabor Robison wanted
Reeves to sound more country, almost
strained - pitched and at the top of his register, closer to
what stars like Webb Pierce and Lefty Frizzell were doing. Country mu-
sic had had its share of smooth-voiced singers in the past, though none quite like
Reeves and few other than Eddy Arnold even close to that in an era dominated by
the successes of Roy Acuff, Hank Williams and others. Robison, like the market-
place, simply wasn’t looking for a velvet voiced balladeer. Jim Reeves was, until he
found both his true voice and the audience for it, just one of hundreds of hopeful
Texas hillbilly wannabees who plied their trade around the radio stations, dancehalls,
schoolhouses and honky tonks, following their dreams, hoping to finally make it,
land a recording contract, and - who knows? - maybe make it to Nashville and the
Grand Ole Opry.
David Bussey, May 2014
7
