Posted by Larry Jordan on November 11, 2014, 7:35 pm
Jim Reeves' widow and a woman who did so much to perpetuate this great artist's legacy, his wife Mary, passed away on this date in 1999.
I regarded her as a bit of a mentor, as I got to know her as a teenager growing up and knew her for 33 years. I admired her savvy as a business woman (even though she didn't always make the right decisions), but she was always very concerned about doing the right thing for Jim. She never gave up the faith and even in our last conversation, in 1995, (just as she was becoming ill), she was still talking hopefully of releasing more of his music.
Check out the Mary Reeves page I have on the author blog of my book, "Jim Reeves: His Untold Story."
It's nice people send flowers to her grave, but some of the names on the list are people who attacked her when she was alive. A bit hypocritical, I'd say, to now be grandstanding and pretending to honor the lady they never really knew...and one in particular whom she especially despised. (Can you guess who?)
In June of 1985, my then-wife and I went to Nashville and spent 6 days there. I will tell you that 4 of those 6 days we visited the Jim Reeves Museum, much to the annoyance of my wife, who somehow wasn't a fan (no wonder it didn't work out between us, lol). I desperately hoped to get to meet Mary Reeves, but every time, we either missed her by a couple of hours, or she was away that day. It was such a beautiful building, in a beautiful setting, and a wonderful tribute to the man and his music. I find it sad, even depressing, that this exquisite place was allowed to fall into such pitiful shape after she became ill. I always regretted not being able to go back at least one more time. Thanks, again, Larry, Julie and Sara, for doing a magnificent job in preserving the memory, and furthering the music of this man, and the mission of his beautiful widow.
on November 11, 2014, 7:35 pm