It was 10 p.m. on the night of August 20, 1923 when a 39-year-old housekeeper, the former Mary Beulah Adams, gave birth to her 9th child -- a son -- whose father was a 41-year old sharecropper named Thomas Middleton Reeves. Though the official birth certificate lists Logan, Texas as the baby's place of birth, the infant was born in an old cast-iron bed in the front room of the rented house that was home to the family at the time, located in a remote area not far from the small community of Galloway, Texas. There was no reason for either parent to expect their baby would ever escape the dire circumstances of the family's abject poverty, let alone become world famous. Indeed, the odds against such an achievement would have seemed insurmountable. And yet, by dint of his own efforts, and the vocal cords with which he was endowed, the child christened James Travis Reeves would one day touch the lives of millions of people from many nations. His music -- the songs released in his lifetime as well as newly surfaced material fans have not heard before -- is still being enjoyed by people from all walks of life from even the most obscure outposts around the globe. Look at this rare photo from my 672 page book, 'Jim Reeves: His Untold Story," and you can see the humble circumstances of Jim's birth. His parents and siblings were crammed into that tiny shanty and it's a wonder they survived. "Travis," as he was then known, was the ONLY member of his family to even graduate from high school. We timed the release of the new CD "Jim Reeves: The Lost Recordings" (32 previously unissued performances plus new songs) to coincide with his birthday. I hope you will want to listen to some of this new material at the link below: