Posted by Ron McBride on September 30, 2014, 7:29 pm
In his book, Larry documented many instances of Jim Reeves' charitable activities and deeds. I have come across another one that I thought might be of interest. As Larry noted, Jim Reeves performed in Wichita Falls, Texas on March 4, 1961. In between the matinee (2 PM) and evening performances (8 PM), Reeves and the Blue Boys performed a free concert for 400 patients at the Wichita Falls State Hospital. The patients expressed their appreciation by their "persistent applause" all during the show.
Re: A Benefit Performance
Posted by Ron McBride on September 30, 2014, 7:54 pm, in reply to "A Benefit Performance"
I need to make a small correction to my original posting. This wasn't a benefit performance. I should have just stated it was a free concert.
Howdy Ron, that's a neat piece of history. I think you're right, that's in the book. I like that Jim never got a big head where he was too important to play for the average people and those who are less fortunate. Country music always had its roots in the people. You couldn't have 1 without the other. What Jim did on a global level was prove that a country artist could reach the hearts of anyone, without language differences, race or skin color being an issue. Best, Lance
Jim played many, many concerts for free during his "time off," and would sandwich these in between his scheduled performances. Bunky Keels lasted only a few weeks as a member of Jim's band, the Blue Boys, because he didn't want to have to get up early after playing a show the night before, and go do some freebie show somewhere. Ironically, after Jim was killed, Bunky re-joined the band and was a Blue Boy for awhile.
The only time I'm aware of that Jim drew the line was when he was home visiting family. A neighbor of one of his sisters asked if he would sing in her church (for free, of course), Reeves politely informed her he would be happy to do that -- but NOT NOW. He told her to write his office and ask to be put on his schedule.
On the other hand, Hank Cochran told me that when he and Jim used to go bar hopping, they would be sitting there and somebody would accost Jim and want him to sing. And if he had his guitar handy, which he often did, he would sing a few songs at the table for whomever was within earshot. He also, of course, enjoyed getting up and "jamming" at jazz (and other) clubs, like he would do in Nashville's Printer's Alley the night he followed Roger Miller to the stage.
When Jim died, his loss was felt not only on an emotional level but financially as well. Because he had supported the ladies' golf association in San Antonio, Texas -- the one town in the world that Mary Reeves told me was Jim's favorite. They had close friends there and went there many times, and of course Jim had found a ranch he wanted to buy nearby just days before his death. Reeves would bring his band and do fundraisers for San Antonio and when he was killed, members of the Pro Golfers Assn. sent reps to his funeral.
Gee, that doesn't sound like Jim had a "black heart" after all, does it? Yet that's what Michael Streissguth claimed in his book on Reeves (among other outrageous and baseless assertions).