Posted by Garry Herring on October 30, 2014, 3:55 pm
Hi all,
Mary Reeves removal to Carthage has been finally noted on the Findagrave site, but the one thing that caught my eye was the contributor to the new memorial page only mentioned the Michael Streissguth book and seemed to take everything in it (including Jim's violence towards Mary)as Gospel. It seems clear he hasn't read Larry's book. However, he did redeem himself at the end of the posting by noting the poor treatment of Mary's second husband towards her.
The guy who did the post on Findagrave cited an article in the Independent, a newspaper in the UK, and a sloppy reporter named Spencer Leigh who is the source of the "Jim beat Mary" blaspheme.
I call out Spencer for this grotesque lie in my book. But it's yet another example of how inaccurate information gets spread around the world.
Ironic, isn't it, that a few of those who profess to be so upset by my having written a truthful, well-documented account of Reeves' life -- claiming I "ruined his image" -- nevertheless embrace the very author who did indeed smear Jim with outrageous lies about him?
I am the one who added the memorial to Find A Grave and have since updated it because I had no intentions of leaving it as it was I just needed a temporary bio to add until I could write one myself! Mary was a good woman whom I knew on a business level I bought many records from her over the years until she closed the museum and would talk to her on the phone when I placed my orders (Joyce may remember me) Mary was always gracious and the true epitome of a lady. Terry Davis mistreated this sweet lady and you may notice I listed he as Mary Reeves and not Davis! I wish she was still her because I am willing to bet there is music that we have yet to hear by Jim Reeves!
Re: Mary Reeves on Findagrave
Posted by JULIE (Webmistress) on October 30, 2014, 11:29 pm, in reply to "Mary Reeves on Findagrave" Board Administrator
I believe you saw that page Garry while it was still under construction and it has been changed and updated to reflect more accurate information. The man in charge of that page will be monitoring it closely from now on to make sure it does not attract erroneous information. He met Mary and adored her. I never had the pleasure of meeting her though Larry and I drove right past the Jim Reeves Museum years ago but were in a hurry to get to the Smoky Mountains where we were due. Years later after Mary became ill and was in a facility outside Nashville we went there while our family was vacationing but she was having a bad day health-wise and we didn't want to intrude on her, on the advice of the nursing staff. It was so very sad. Larry was heartbroken about his friend and I wanted so badly to meet Mrs. Reeves.
We continued on to Nashville where we remained a couple of days and Larry called the facility and checked on her, hoping we'd be able to drive out for a visit before we left the area. I forget now what was going on but they were giving her meds so she was sleeping a lot and of course we would not have wanted to disturb the poor woman.
We were later sent photos of her that were so shocking that Larry decided not to put them in his book. We prefer to remember Mrs. Reeves the way she was most of her life, with that big smile and happy disposition. Her health had deteriorated so in the final years it was truly horrible. God showed His mercy by taking her when He did.
I would love to hear stories from anybody who would care to post here and tell us of their encounters with Mary. There are some cute stories about her. I bet Doris Gath has something to share! -- JULIE
Yeh sorry. I was of course referring to the guy from the Independant and not your good self in the posting on Findagrave. Mary was indeed a lovely lady and several years ago, back in the 1970's, I wrote a letter to her asking if there was going to be a movie on Jim's life and to be honest I didnt think the letter would get there but it did. I still have the reply letter today.
Mary sent a lovely reply and stated there would be, but only on her approval, as she did not want the filmakers to distort the facts ("Patsy Cline's "Sweet Dreams" and "La Bamba" come to mind)
Mary also included a brochure for the Jim Reeves recordings and other memrobilia available at the gift shop at the museum. As a child at the time I even asked her to come over and see me in the UK! which Mary found so amusing. (laughs)
I feel the same way as you, as I dont recognise the Davis at the end of her name. To me she was 'Mrs Mary Reeves'and always will be.
Thank you for your kind words! Mary was a really sweet lady, I called the Jim Reeves museum at least once a month to order Jim Reeves music and Mary always took a minute to chit chat (She was always more than happy to talk about Jim lol) For several years Mary was the only way to find Jim's music and even had many of his early albums from the 50's and 60's still for sale I bought them all over time! The only album I never got was the 1st 3 The Abbott one, Bimbo and Singing down the lane, Jim was on his way to being another Sinatra and would it been had July 31st 1964 never happened!
Don't call me a liar this was the original post before Jordan had it changed !
Birth: Jan. 20, 1929 Tenaha Shelby County Texas, USA Death: Nov. 11, 1999 Nashville Davidson County Tennessee, USA
Mary Reeves was born Mary White, the last of nine children, into an impoverished family in Shelby County, Texas, in 1929. Before she was 10, their cabin had burnt down and her father had died, and the family moved to Marshall. She attended Marshall High School and met Jim Reeves, who was five years older, at a dance in January 1946. He played baseball professionally, but a leg injury ended his career. They were married on 3 September 1947, the day after Reeves had proposed to her. Reeves, with his friendly voice, found work as a radio announcer and made his first records in 1949.
Jim Reeves became an announcer on a national radio show devoted to country music, Louisiana Hayride, in 1952, and the following year he had his first hit with "Mexican Joe" for Abbott Records. As a way of thanking Mary for her book-keeping and scheduling, he entered her name as the composer on "Where Does a Broken Heart Go", although he had written the song himself. Reeves moved to RCA in 1955 and continued to record novelty songs. In 1957 he wanted to record "Four Walls", but his producer, Chet Atkins, told him it was "a girl's song". Mary Reeves responded, "I don't see why a man can't sing that song", and "Four Walls" established Reeves as a country balladeer.
Although Mary often accompanied Jim Reeves on tour, she knew when to make herself scarce. She told the singer Ginny Wright, "I don't like to see women messing around with Jim and I don't want to know anything about it." Jim Reeves was cited in a paternity suit but the claim was denied, which was true as he was sterile. Mary also contended with Reeves's tantrums and bad temper and a recent biography, Like a Moth to a Flame by Michael Streissguth, claims that Reeves beat her. (This, in 1998, was the first biography on Reeves because Mary Reeves did not want the truth made public.)
Jim Reeves shunned the hayseed image of country music. He dropped steel guitars and swopped country fiddles for orchestrated violins. He wore a suit for public appearances and his music was described in the industry as "countrypolitan". He scored with "Welcome To My World" (1963), "I Love You Because" (1964) and "I Won't Forget You" (1964) and years before Willie Nelson's influential Stardust, he recorded an album of standards, Moonlight and Roses (also 1964).
Jim Reeves trained as a pilot in 1963 and, once qualified, he flew as often as he could. In July 1964, he viewed some property with his pianist and manager, Dean Manuel. Although the weather was bad, he chose to return home and his plane crashed seven miles outside Nashville, killing them both instantly.
Once the mourning was over, Mary Reeves proved herself to be a tough, determined woman. She offered RCA her full co-operation providing none of their artists would cover his songs. Unissued tracks were regularly released as new singles and, indeed, Reeves had a release schedule that many living singers would envy.
Mary Reeves passed over demo recordings and even recordings made at home of his appearances on the Grand Ole Opry. Backing was added to a demo of "Distant Drums" and, in 1966, the song became his first his UK No l. Existing tracks were doctored for duets and bizarrely, two separate recordings of "Have You Ever Been Lonely" were linked to create a duet between Jim Reeves and Patsy Cline. With Mary's efforts, Jim Reeves remained on the US country charts for a further 15 years.
In 1969 Mary Reeves married a Baptist preacher, Terry Davis. She established a museum devoted to her first husband's life and often spent time talking to his fans. Many assumed he was still alive and she said in 1992, "People often call in for his autograph and ask about his itinerary." In 1994 the German label, Bear Family, issued a 16-CD boxed set, The Complete Recordings, but, by then, through ill-health, she had lost the inclination to promote his work. Indeed, the annual record royalties in the 1990s have only been around $300,000.
In 1996, Mary Reeves was living with 200 cats on a dilapidated farm. She was moved to a rest home and Terry Davis was given power of attorney. Immediately, he negotiated the sale of her assets including the rights to market Jim Reeves's name for $7m. They were bought by a fairground operator, Ed Gregory, and the sale has been disputed by Reeves's relations ever since.
Mary Reeves lost all interest in life because of the controversy. Whoever wins the rights has an opportunity to make millions. One hopes they will be marketed with a proper appreciation of Jim Reeves's legacy.
Spencer Leigh For The Independent!
Mary Elizabeth White: born Teneha, Texas 1929: married 1947 Jim Reeves (died 1964), 1969 The Rev Terry Davis; died Nashville, Tennessee 11 November 1999.
(I refuse to list her Mary's last name as Davis because of the way this sweet woman was treated by Terry Davis)
Family links: Parents: John A. White (1876 - This is my response! Mr. Atkinson you are a nut! Yes that was how the memorial read in the beginning and I had full intentions of changing the bio because the one you saw was shall we say a holding pattern bio that I added just so I could add the memorial! (I) knew Mary Reeves and was always treated very well by her I thought Highly of Mary Reeves and did business with her for years! All you have done for years is bash Larry and Julie over something you know absolutely about! Stop bothering people with your crap and stop making trouble for my friends! These people have done more to perpetuate Jim Reeves memory than anyone After Terry Davis sold Jim Reeves estate it was years before any new music came out and now there is some of the most beautiful music I have ever heard it sounds so fresh you thin Jim Reeves is still with us and still making records! Go in the woodwork where termites belong and LEAVE THESE PEOPLE ALONE!
I should have waited to put the memorial up when I had time to write a proper biography for it the one Peter Atkinson saw was shall we say a holding pattern biography! I knew Mary (Not saying we were the best of friends) I used to call the Jim Reeves Museum many times to order music and always made a point to ask for Mary I just went ahead and put the memorial up as is with intentions of changing it over the weekend I just wanted to do it before someone who never knew Mary got the facts distorted and If I had read the original bio more carefully I never would have posted it in the first place!
Re: Mary Reeves on Findagrave
Posted by JULIE (Webmistress) on October 31, 2014, 10:16 am, in reply to "Re: Mary Reeves on Findagrave" Edited by board administrator October 31, 2014, 10:19 am
Mr. Atkinson wasted no time in rushing on Amazon to trash us again and he sure got his comeuppance when the man who originally posted on Find-A-Grave told him off! That's very amusing.
Mr. Atkinson always shoots from the hip without thinking first. He just blasts away as fast and furiously as he can, no matter how recklessly. He's on a search and destroy mission. But it isn't working so he's growing more frantic by the day. Can you imagine what his life must be like that he has so much time to devote to such destructive efforts?
Larry had nothing to do with Duke adding any mention of his book or this website, and I'm sure Duke will vouch for that. But that doesn't matter. Atkinson tried to use it to smear us again, which has been his grand obsession for 16 years.
This time it blew up in his face for all the world to see!
I'm so glad Arie, Frank, Eimbert and Mr. Bussey have vigorously defended Mr. Atkinson and tried to portray him as the victim. Anybody with half a brain can see how crazy these posts are and yet they are endorsing the guy making them! That should tell fans something about these individuals.
NOW, let's get back to discussing Jim and not be distracted by this nonsense! Mr. Atkinson is having ZERO IMPACT on sales of the CDs or the book; he's just making himself and his friends look pedantic and jealous. -- JULIE
Larry had nothing to do with me adding any mention of his book or this website I did it because I want to make sure people get accurate information about Jim Reeves and his lovely wife Mary! A lot of misinformation has been written about Jim and Mary Reeves and I want people to go to sites where the information has been researched and known to be accurate before it is posted and I know Larry and Julie do just that! If you want to know about Jim Reeves the man this is where you need to go!
Re: Mary Reeves on Findagrave
Posted by JULIE (Webmistress) on October 31, 2014, 10:46 am, in reply to "Re: Mary Reeves on Findagrave" Board Administrator
Duke...or should I call you "Larry"? Mr. Atkinson is now claiming on Amazon that you're not a real person, just another one of Larry's aliases!
Just like he recently claimed Mike Slater is not a real person either.
They are ALL aliases Larry uses. Like Hemmingway, who's been accused of being Larry.
How paranoid and sick this all is... But Frank, Arie, Eimbert and Mr. Bussey just keep defending Mr. Atkinson and portraying him as a victim! -- JULIE
If everybody will go to Amazon and put a complaint on this mans page they will have to take him down! If the IP addresses are different and the names are different then he can not say Larry or Julie are sending all of the complaints!
Mr. Atkinson is slipping even further into self delusion. He writes on Amazon about the Find A Grave listing for Mary Reeves: "The page was finished and posted just read the article , then as I predicted Jordan and his ego got wind of it and it was suddenly edited and now includes a mention of the dynamic duo Larry and Julie !
"Anybody who has read the previous posts can see the truth but then they are not as dumb as you. But like you said no one reads these posts so why are you even bothering to get involved ?"
Then he responds to another Amazon customer who is defending us, by addressing him/her as if they were Larry:
"Do you realise the more you post on your website regarding this farce the sillier you look, the original post can be read and it clearly shows that you have nobbled the writer to rewrite it praising you and dropping any reference to a true writer Michael Streissguth. Perhaps you promised him copies of your CD-Rs in exchange for him lying on your behalf."
I think we now have a long awaited clarification as to the real reason for this smear campaign against Larry: Mr. Atkinson -- and David Bussey in his liner notes for the Abbott release -- are continuing to promote the book of an author who did a hatchet job on Jim Reeves.
You should download and read Larry's Forword to his book, "Jim Reeves: His Untold Story," to see quotes he has used in challenging the depiction of Jim in such negative terms.
Neither Larry nor I had anything to do with Duke including a mention of us on his tribute to Mary. NONE.
Mr. Atkinson continues to belittle the VoiceMasters CDs as being below commercial quality, HOMEMADE amateur CD-Rs, which I assure you they most definitely are NOT. (However, he was promoting his own CD-Rs and bragging on the Holland website a few years ago that he was selling "bootlegs", which was his word). -- JULIE
My Response I was not promised anything and Larry had nothing to do with me changing the Mary Reeves memorial and why would it matter if he did You are making a mountain out of a mole hill! I did cut and paste on the original bio because I was intending on changing it later I just wanted to make the memorial and get it posted before some dimwit like you posted a bio that had inaccurate information! I knew Mary Reeves personally and will tell you it is people like you that she tried to keep away from anything related to her husbands music and legacy! I went back and rewrote the bio from what I knew of Mary from the heart and not from what I have read or heard! and for your information the Michael Streissguth was so full of misinformation I burned mine! As far as I am concerned Peter you need to grow up and find another hobby and leave Larry and Julie alone once and for all you are a first class pain in the bum who needs to grow up and get a life!
You can't dispute facts! Every Voicemasters CD that is released has been a major success because Jim's fans love them! The same can be said for Larry's book! After reading it, I almost felt as if I knew Jim personally. I felt he was treated with great respect throughout, even though there are some people who can't accept the idea that Jim wasn't perfect and thought certain details should have been edited. I feel That I know more about Jim than ever before, and I still have great respect for the man and the singer. The loonies on amazon and everywhere else can rant all they want, but what is simply IS!
Re: Mary Reeves on Findagrave
Posted by Larry Jordan on October 31, 2014, 6:10 pm, in reply to "Re: Mary Reeves on Findagrave" Edited by board administrator October 31, 2014, 6:20 pm
The obligations of a biographer are very different than the obligations of being a friend. If you are going to write a truthful book on someone, you have to detach yourself from any influences that could color your reporting. Although I had a warm personal regard for Mary as a friend, and of course admired Jim Reeves tremendously (he's my all-time favorite singer), when I wrote about these people I simply could not protect them from the truth. This is the thing a few of the chronic complainers don't comprehend. My job as a chronicler of Jim's life was to illuminate him, not hide his imperfections.
But what I report about him and Mary is set in the proper context. I never sensationalize, and this fact has been noted by everybody from Billboard magazine to respected UK journalist Tony Byworth, who have credited me with avoiding tabloid-style writing.
Believe me, if I wanted to fill my book with smut, I had plenty to draw from. But I avoided that.
I also defend Jim vigorously against unfounded allegations (such as that he was the cause of the fiasco that unfolded on the Irish tour). I have also defended Jim on the 2 CD, 144-minute documentary, "Jim Reeves: The New Recordings" and I defended him repeatedly on the BBC, hour-long broadcast which aired twice, including this past July 31, 2014. (I disputed the notion he was ill-tempered, etc.)
But in my book I lay it all out there for the readers to make up their own minds about various situations, including instances in which there were conflicting eyewitness reports.
I don't think the people who have attacked me for destroying Jim's "image" are very literate or understand what a biography even is. It's NOT a fan club journal. It's NOT a PR release or puff piece. I doubt they have read many biographies in the past. They are in denial about the reality of so many things. They live in a fantasy world of their own making.
If you don't want to really get to know this artist, DON'T BUY MY BOOK ON JIM. There are plenty of others who will.
Duke, no matter that you put up Mary's bio a little too too early. Your heart was in the right place, and Atkinson will take anything he reads and try to twist in into something it's not. Mary would be very happy with your kind words toward her. I spoke to her a few times on the phone myself, and she was a very special lady!
There are a lot of people who need to realize that Jim was like everyone else (HUMAN) he was far from perfect and he would be the first to admit it! From what I am seeing from all of the people who talk cheap talk about Jim and Mary they say that the book made held Jim in an unperfected light but Jim was not perfect neither are you and I know I am from perfect! Larry told Jim's story the way it needed to be told truthfully and from the heart! So Peter and all of the people who put Julie and Larry down need to grow up and get a life!
I have lots of memories of Mary. Here are a couple:
In 1958 my family drove to Nashville which seemed to be our favorite spot to vacation at that time. We stayed in a motel as there were five of us.
During one of our visits with the Reeves Mary asked us if we'd like to go to the Ice Follies with her. She said she loved to go to things like that but Jim didn't and it was no fun to go alone.
We said "Sure", so she drove the Cadillac to our motel, picked us up and took us to the Follies. She bought the tickets for all of us, bought cotton candy for the kids and herself. She was just like a kid and thoroughly enjoyed herself, and we all did too.
Another time we were visiting them in their home and Mary made the comment that Herb Shucher's wife had a maid to do her housework and she said "I'm still scrubbing my kitchen floors!" Jim said "I gave away my first million, the next one is mine". Soon after that Herb was no longer his manager.
Mary was quite a gal. She had a very infectious laugh. Jim did too, for that matter. They were a perfect pair.
I have yet to read the current crop of brick bats that have recently been posted on Amazon, but I will take a look in due course. This thing about Larry having a vast array of alias's has been rumbling on for some years now and at one point even I was accused of being one! The question now has to be broached will all this toing and throwing end up in court? I reckon that if this continues legal action might be the only way forward to silence the critics. Everyone has a right to their own opinion on how recording are acquired, produced and finally put on general sale, but there has to be an end game at some point and perhaps it needs to sorted out sooner rather than later
The irony is that some of the very people who accuse me of using aliases were posting on the old trash site multiple times, agreeing with themselves while pretending to be other people. Frank did this routinely. Before he'd go to work in the morning, while at work, and right after he got home. The IP addresses profiled this pattern.
Yet for years Frank claimed we used multiple internet providers when that wasn't even possible in our little town unless we paid extra! And he listed names of people he claimed weren't real, even though Arie knew otherwise because they subscribed to his newsletter! The same false accusations are made now by Psycho Peter against Mike Slater and others!
It's all part of a pattern of paranoid and delusional thinking on the part of people who are insanely jealous (and I mean that literally), and looking for any pretext they can find to go on the attack.
As to your comment about sorting out "how recording are acquired, produced and finally put on general sale," i didn't know there was any controversy about that Martin. Is that the latest talking point?
Lawyers are involved in every step of the process when a CD is produced and all the "i's" dotted and "t's" crossed, I assure you. My own tax returns over the years demonstrate how much money I've spent (tens of thousands of dollars) to rescue Reeves material that otherwise would be lost.
Hello Larry I have no idea what the current talking point is regarding how the recording are acquired etc. But you will remember that comments used to made how they were acquired on the old trash site and elsewhere I think. I glad that over the years you and VM and latterly H&M have put out Jim Reeves recording that would have otherwise been lost, unused or worse thing of all ended up locked up in hands of the private collector and never released. Larry when I wrote about the lawyers my comments should have been about the continuing(personal) attacks on you, your family, your book and the recording you have put out over the years Best Wishes Martin Lowrie