Franklin Delano Reeves, a renowned country singer and songwriter, was born on July 14, 1932, in Sparta, North Carolina, to a family of eleven children. As the youngest sibling, Reeves learned to play the guitar with the help of his mother, borrowing his brothers' instruments while they served in World War II.
Reeves' early talent was soon recognized, and by the age of twelve, he became a local radio star. He attended Appalachian State College in Boone, North Carolina, and later served in the Air Force, where he wrote and performed songs while stationed at Travis Air Force Base in California.
Following his military service, Reeves became a regular on "The Chester Smith Show" from 1958 to 1961. He then signed with Capitol Records in 1954 and recorded songs for Decca Records, Reprise Records, and Columbia Records throughout the 1950s.
In the early 1960s, Reeves moved to Nashville, Tennessee, and signed with United Artists Records, scoring his first hit song with "Be Quiet Mind" in 1961. He and his wife formed a professional songwriting duo, penning songs for established country singers such as Carl Smith, Sheb Wooley, Rose Maddox, and Roy Drusky.
Reeves' biggest success came in 1965 with the beloved trucker's country tune "Girl on the Billboard," which soared to #1 on the country radio charts and sold a million copies. The follow-up song "The Belles of Southern Bell" was a Top 5 country radio hit.
Throughout his career, Reeves had many hit songs, including "Women Do Funny Things to Me," "A Dime At a Time," "Looking At the World Through a Windshield," his signature number "Good Time Charlie's," "Be Glad," and "The Philadelphia Fillies."
Reeves became a regular performer at the Grand Ole Opry in 1966, renowned for his deft comic timing, positive attitude, and amusing impressions of stars such as Jimmy Stewart, Walter Brennan, and Johnny Cash. He hosted his own syndicated TV program, "Del Reeves' Country Carnival," in the late 1960s.
In addition to his music career, Reeves also acted in several films, including "Sam Whiskey," "Cottonpickin' Chickenpickers," "Second Fiddle to a Steal Guitar," "The Gold Guitar," and "Forty Acre Feud." In the early to mid 1970s, Reeves recorded duets with Bobby Goldsboro, Penny DeHaven, and Billie Jo Spears.
After his career waned in the mid 1970s, Reeves became a music executive in 1979, helping to promote the career of country singer Billy Ray Cyrus in the early 1990s. Del Reeves passed away at the age of 74 from emphysema on January 1, 2007.
