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Edward Benton (Eddie) Reeves (November 17, 1939 - November 18, 2018) was an American songwriter and author who was also a recording artist, music publisher, artist manager, and record company executive. His songs include “All I Ever Need Is You,” co-written with Jimmy Holiday and recorded by Sonny & Cher and others; “Don’t Change On Me,” co-written with Jimmy Holiday and recorded by Ray Charles and others; and “Rings,” co-written with Alex Harvey and recorded by Cymarron, Lobo and others.
Broadcast Music Inc. awarded Reeves their Special Citation of Achievement for "Rings" having received over 1 million radio and television performances. His songs are associated with three Grammy Award Nominations: 1972 Pop Vocal Group - Sonny & Cher - “All I Ever Need Is You” lyrics; 1972 Best Country Vocal Performance - Duo or Group - Tompall & the Glaser Bros. - “Rings”; and 1973 Best Country Instrumental Performance - Chet Atkins, Jerry Reed - Me and Chet (album included “All I Ever Need Is You”). Albums including Reeves’ songs have earned seven “RIAA Gold Certification” awards and three “RIAA Platinum Certification” awards.
Early Life
Reeves was born in Austin, Texas and raised in Amarillo, Texas where he graduated with honors from Amarillo High School in 1958. He began singing, playing guitar, and writing songs in high school and in 1956 along with friends and musicians Bob Venable and Billy Sansing formed the Combo Kings—Amarillo’s first rock ‘n roll band. With the addition of drummer Mike Hinton in 1957, and later bass player John Thompson, the band was renamed the Ravens (from use of Buddy Holly’s “Rave On” as their signature song) and eventually the Nighthawks—the original band using this name. From the summer of 1957 to the fall of 1958 the Nighthawks performed on many Friday and Saturday nights for Amarillo High School dances at the YWCA, YMCA, school gym, and the National Guard Armory. On July 25, 1958 the Nighthawks recorded “When Sin Stops” and “All’a Your Love” at the Norman Petty recording studio in Clovis, New Mexico and on November 17, 1958—Reeves’ 19th birthday—Hamilton Records, a subsiduary of Dot Records, released a 45-rpm record (Hamilton Records #45-50006). Airplay on Amarillo’s KLYN radio station generated sales of about 1500 records to local fans and landed it at #1 on the radio station chart, but no other success materialized.
In the fall of 1958 Reeves and Venable attended the University of Texas and joined Delta Tau Delta fraternity where they occasionally performed for fraternity events. Hinton’s freshman entry at UT the following year allowed the band to reconstitute in full form. After graduating from UT law school, Venable entered his family’s oil production business while living mostly in Dallas, Texas and Asolo, Italy until his death from cancer on March 30, 1996. Hinton also graduated UT law school and practices law in Houston. After 1960 the Nighthawks, but without participation of John Thompson, performed only three more times—at the 20th and 25th Amarillo High School Class of ’58 reunions in 1978 and 1983, and for the final time in November 1989 at Reeves’ 50th birthday party in Nashville, Tennessee.
Career
During college and the two following years, Reeves often traveled to Petty’s studio
in Clovis to play his songs for the well-known producer who recorded several with
local talent although none generated commercial success. In 1964 Petty hired Reeves
as his New York representative, which served as Reeves’ entrée into the New York
music b
usiness and generated several unique experiences including co-writing a song
with famous songwriter Doc Pomus and having a few brief, novel encounters with young
folksinger, Bob Dylan.
In 1965 Reeves was hired as a songplugger by United Artists Music and signed as an exclusive songwriter and recording artist. In 1968 he established the Hollywood office for United Artists Music and during his total seven-year tenure with the company in New York and Hollywood, he worked with recording artists/songwriters Jimmy Holiday, Alex Harvey, Jackie DeShannon, Mac Davis, Delaney & Bonnie, Sharon Sheeley, Paul Leka, Kenny Young, Andy Kim, Billy Edd Wheeler and others. His own songwriting success began in 1971 when three songs gained national prominence: “All I Ever Need Is You” co-written with Jimmy Holiday and recorded by Sonny & Cher (#7 pop, #1 AC, #8 UK, #10 Canada), “Don’t Change On Me” co-written with Jimmy Holiday and recorded by Ray Charles (#13 R&B, #33 AC, #36 pop), and “Rings” co-written with Alex Harvey and recorded by Cymarron (#17 pop, #6 AC).
Other most notable recordings of his songs:
“All I Ever Need Is You” recorded by Ray Charles, Ray Sanders (#18 country), Andre Hazes (#1 Dutch version titled "Ik meen 't" in 1984), Tom Jones, Sammi Smith, Chet Atkins & Jerry Reed, and Kenny Rogers & Dottie West (#1 country);
“Rings” recorded by Lobo (#8 AC, #43 pop), Reuben Howell (#86 pop), Leo Kottke, Twiggy, Tompall and The Glaser Brothers (#7 country), and Lonnie Mack (vocal rendition from the guitar man of “Memphis” hit record fame);
"Don't Change on Me" recorded by B.B. King, Van Morrison (unreleased by Warner Bros. but available on an Italian bootleg album), and by Alan Jackson (album #4 pop & #1 country);
"If You Wouldn't Be My Lady" co-written with Jimmy Holiday and recorded by Ray Charles and by Charlie Rich (included on “Behind Closed Doors” album that sold 4 million copies);
"It’s a Hang Up Baby" recorded by Z.Z. Hill and by Jerry Lee Lewis (his last rock ‘n roll session after which he became a country recording artist and Reeves takes partial credit for having ended “The Killer’s” rock ‘n roll career!). The song was also performed by Tom Jones with musical backing by the Moody Blues on the November 6, 1969 broadcast of the national television show, "This Is Tom Jones.”
Although the three Ray Charles recordings of Reeves / Holiday songs attained only marginal commercial notice, the long reach of Charles’ musical influence brought significant collateral success. Johnny Musso, label head of Kapp Records (MCA), became aware of the Ray Charles recording of “All I Ever Need Is You” when Reeves, a Kapp recording artist during 1970 and 1971, decided not to include the song on his next recording session. Musso sent the Charles recording to Sonny & Cher’s producer, Snuff Garrett, who recorded it with the duo for immediate release just as their weekly television show, “The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour,” exploded onto the national scene. Recording artist Charlie Rich and his producer, Billy Sherrill, discovered “If You Wouldn’t Be My Lady” on the 1972 Ray Charles album “Through the Eyes of Love” and recorded it for Rich’s 1973 quadruple platinum album “Behind Closed Doors.” Thirty-five years after Charles’ moderate success with “Don’t Change On Me,” the song was recorded by country artist Alan Jackson for his 2006 hit album “Like Red On a Rose” (# 1 country, #4 pop) produced by Alison Krauss. It was as if Reeves and Holiday had fortuitously acquired the prodigious talents of Ray Charles to create demonstration recordings of their three songs.
During 1972 and 1973 Reeves was a songwriter and recording artist for ABC Dunhill Records and in 1974 was hired as Vice-President of Chappell Music (the world’s largest music publisher and now part of Warner Chappell) where he signed and helped launch the careers of Kim Carnes, the Sandford Townsend Band, and Jules Shear. He also hired the young, talented record producer, Jim Ed Norman, with whom he later shared great success at Warner Bros. Records Nashville. In 1977 Reeves launched his own music publishing and artist management company working with recording artists/songwriters Kim Carnes, Jules Shear, and Slow Children, the original group using this name. Kim Carnes and her husband, Dave Ellingson, wrote all songs on the Kenny Rogers album “Gideon,” which sold two million copies. Jules and the Polar Bears recorded three albums for Columbia Records and toured the U.S. and England. Slow Children recorded for Don Arden’s (Sharon Osborne’s father) Jet Records, followed by a contract with Nigel Grainge’s Ensign Records.
Reeves’ plan to continue his music business adventure in London was sidetracked in 1980 by family circumstances that took him back to Amarillo where for four years he managed rental property. In the spring of 1984 former employee Jim Ed Norman hired Reeves as General Manager of Warner Bros. Records Nashville where he spent sixteen years—the last ten as Executive Vice President and General Manager until his retirement in 1999. While at Warner Bros. Nashville he shared in the great success of launching and developing the careers of Faith Hill, Randy Travis, Dwight Yoakam, Travis Tritt, Little Texas, Jeff Foxworthy, Bill Engvall, David Ball, Michael Peterson, and Take 6 while promoting the continued success of Hank Williams, Jr., Emmylou Harris, John Anderson, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Eddie Rabbitt, and others.
Awards
RIAA Certified Gold Single Award
Recording Industry Association of America Single Sales Award commemorating U. S. sales in excess of 1 million copies.
1968 – “Put a Little Love In Your Heart" written by Jimmy Holiday, Jackie DeShannon and Randy Meyer as recorded by Jackie DeShannon for Liberty Records. United Artists Music Co. presented award to Reeves for having paired Holiday and DeShannon as a songwriting team.
RIAA Certified Gold Album Award
Recording Industry Association of America Album Sales Award commemorating U. S. sales in excess of 500,000 copies.
1972 – “All I Ever Need Is You” album by Sonny & Cher containing title song co-written with Jimmy Holiday.
1974 – “Behind Closed Doors” album by Charlie Rich containing the song “If You Wouldn’t Be My Lady” co-written with Jimmy Holiday.
1979 – “Classics” album by Kenny Rogers & Dottie West containing the song "All I Ever Need Is You" co-written with Jimmy Holiday.
1980 – “Gideon” album by Kenny Rogers in which all songs were co-published by Reeves’ company Quixotic Music Corp. including the hit single “Don’t Fall In Love With a Dreamer” performed by Kim Carnes and Kenny Rogers.
1980 – “Greatest Hits” album by Kenny Rogers containing the song “Don’t Fall In Love With a Dreamer” co-published by Reeves’ company Quixotic Music Corp.
1983 – “20 Greatest Hits” album by Kenny Rogers containing the song “Don’t Fall In Love With a Dreamer” co-published by Reeves’ company Quixotic Music Corp.
1984 – “Duets” album by Kenny Rogers containing the songs “All I Ever Need Is You” co-written with Jimmy Holiday and “Don’t Fall In Love With a Dreamer” co-published by Reeves’ company Quixotic Music Corp.
1993 – “Very Best of Kenny Rogers” album by Kenny Rogers containing the song “Don’t Fall In Love With a Dreamer” co-published by Reeves’ company Quixotic Music Corp.
2004 – “42 Ultimate Hits” album by Kenny Rogers containing the songs “All I Ever Need Is You” co-written with Jimmy Holiday and “Don’t Fall In Love With a Dreamer” co-published by Reeves’ company Quixotic Music Corp.
2006 – “21 Number Ones” album by Kenny Rogers containing the songs “All I Ever Need Is You” co-written with Jimmy Holiday and “Don’t Fall In Love With a Dreamer” co-published by Reeves’ company Quixotic Music Corp.
2006 – “Like Red On a Rose” album by Alan Jackson containing the song “Don’t Change On Me” co-written with Jimmy Holiday.
RIAA Certified Platinum Album Award
Recording Industry Association of America Album Sales Award commemorating U. S. sales in excess of 1 million copies.
1974 – “Behind Closed Doors” album by Charlie Rich containing the song “If You Wouldn’t Be My Lady” co-written with Jimmy Holiday.
1979 – “Classics” album by Kenny Rogers & Dottie West containing the song "All I Ever Need Is You" co-written with Jimmy Holiday.
1980 – “Gideon” album by Kenny Rogers in which all songs were co-published by Reeves’ company Quixotic Music Corp. including the hit single “Don’t Fall In Love With a Dreamer” performed by Kim Carnes and Kenny Rogers.
1980 – “Greatest Hits” album by Kenny Rogers containing the song “Don’t Fall In Love With a Dreamer” co-published by Reeves’ company Quixotic Music Corp.
1983 – “20 Greatest Hits” album by Kenny Rogers containing the song “Don’t Fall In Love With a Dreamer” co-published by Reeves’ company Quixotic Music Corp.
1984 – “Duets” album by Kenny Rogers containing the songs “All I Ever Need Is You” co-written with Jimmy Holiday and “Don’t Fall In Love With a Dreamer” co-published by Reeves’ company Quixotic Music Corp.
1993 – “Very Best of Kenny Rogers” album by Kenny Rogers containing the song “Don’t Fall In Love With a Dreamer” co-published by Reeves’ company Quixotic Music Corp.
RIAA Certified Multi-Platinum Album Award
Recording Industry Association of America Album Sales Award commemorating U. S. sales in excess of 2 million copies.
1974 – “Behind Closed Doors” album by Charlie Rich containing the song “If You Wouldn’t Be My Lady” co-written with Jimmy Holiday for sales in excess of 4 million copies.
1980 – “Greatest Hits” album by Kenny Rogers containing the song “Don’t Fall In Love With a Dreamer” co-published by Reeves’ company Quixotic Music Corp. for sales in excess of 12 million copies.
1983 – “20 Greatest Hits” album by Kenny Rogers containing the song “Don’t Fall In Love With a Dreamer” co-published by Reeves’ company Quixotic Music Corp. for sales in excess of 4 million copies.
ASCAP Performance Award
American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers award commemorating most performed songs each year on U. S. radio and television.
1972 – “All I Ever Need Is You" co-written by Jimmy Holiday in the POP song category.
1980 – “All I Ever Need Is You” co-written by Jimmy Holiday in the COUNTRY song category.
1981 – “Don’t Fall In Love With a Dreamer” co-published by Reeves’ company Quixotic Music Corp. in the POP song category.
1981 – “Don’t Fall In Love With a Dreamer” co-published by Reeves’ company Quixotic Music Corp. in the COUNTRY song category.
BMI Citation of Achievement
Broadcast Music Inc. award commemorating most performed songs each year on U. S. radio and television.
1972 – “Rings” co-written with Alex Harvey in the POP song category.
BMI Special Citation of Achievement
BMI award commemorating U. S. radio and TV performances in excess of 1 million.
1984 –“Rings” co-written with Alex Harvey.
Delta Tau Delta National Alumni Achievement Award
1978 – Fraternity offered prestigious national award eventually presented August 2012.
Book
In 2000 Reeves moved to Winnipeg, Canada where he began compiling his songwriting catalog and writing stories from notes he began keeping in 1972. He states, "My writing is mostly from a spoken-word inner voice and sometimes spoken word makes poor written word. My struggle to succeed in writing something worth reading has on occasion caused me to state my occupation as 'word wrestler.'" When Sin Stops, a collection of life stories and musings, was privately published for friends and family and is currently being revised for commercial publication.
Personal Life
Eddie passed away on November 18, 2018 in Houston, Texas surrounded by family and is survived by his wife, Lena Shammas Reeves, children Marc, Natalie and Sophie, granddaughters Cheyenne and Skylar, stepdaughters Noor, Sarah and Reem and niece Karla Kay. Eddie lived by the credo "work hard, play hard, and love hard” while always continuing to invest in being the teenager he was born to be.
