# Del Reeves

Franklin Delano Reeves (July 14, 1932 – January 1, 2007) was an American country music singer, best known for his "girl-watching" novelty songs of the 1960s including "Girl on the Billboard" and "The Belles of Southern Bell". He is also known for his 1968 trucker's anthem, "Looking at the World Through a Windshield", which demonstrated he was capable of more than just novelty songs. He became one of the most successful male country singers of the 1960s.

## Early life

Reeves was born in Sparta, North Carolina, in July 1932 , United States, the youngest of 11 children. He was named after U.S. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. While his older brothers served in World War II, Reeves learned how to play their musical instruments. By age 12, Reeves began performing on the Merry Go Round Show on local radio station WPAQ.
After high school, Reeves briefly attended Appalachian State College (now University). He later enlisted in the United States Air Force, stationed at Travis Air Force Base in Fairfield, California.

## Music career
### 1950s

After completing his military service, Reeves began performing regularly on Chester Smith's radio show on Modesto station KTRB around 1955. Reeves made his first rockabilly recordings with Capitol Records from 1957 to 1958.
In 1958, Reeves began hosting a television variety show on Stockton station KOVR.

### 1960s–2000s

In 1961, Reeves signed with Decca Records and recorded the song that would become his first charting single, "Be Quiet Mind". Moving to Nashville in 1962, Reeves and wife Ellen Schiell co-wrote "Sing a Little Song of Heartache", a top five hit for Rose Maddox that year.
After stints with Reprise Records in 1963 and Columbia Records in 1964, Reeves signed with United Artists Records. Reeves became known as "The Doodle-Oo-Doo-Doo Kid" for the sound effect he added to his songs.
Under United Artists, he had his first number-one hit with "The Girl on the Billboard" in 1965. His follow-up, "The Belles of the Southern Bell", made the country top five. His success continued throughout the rest of the 1960s. Songs that became hits during this time are "Be Glad" and "Good Time Charlie's". In the late 1960s, he appeared in several Hollywood films, including a starring role in Cottonpickin' Chickenpickers, and a supporting role in Burt Reynolds' first big movie Sam Whiskey.
In the 1970s, he released a series of duets with Bobby Goldsboro and Penny DeHaven. He also returned to television, hosting the syndicated TV program, Del Reeves' Country Carnival.
His last big hit was "The Philadelphia Fillies". His career declined in the mid-1970s, and then started to slowly move away from country music, although he recorded some duets with Billie Jo Spears in 1976. He had hit songs on the country chart most years until 1982.
In 1979, Reeves left his musical career to pursue a career as a music executive; he would eventually help Billy Ray Cyrus score his first major record deal. He continued to record in the 1980s on a reduced scale for smaller labels.

## Discography
### Albums

| Year | Album | US Country |
| 1965 | Mr. Country Music | — |
| 1965 | Girl on the Billboard | 8 |
| 1965 | Doodle-Oo-Doo-Doo | 6 |
| 1966 | Sings Jim Reeves | 23 |
| 1966 | Special Delivery | 28 |
| 1966 | Gettin' Any Feed for Your Chickens | 18 |
| 1966 | Santa's Boy | — |
| 1967 | Struttin' My Stuff | 22 |
| 1967 | Six of One, Half a Dozen of the Other | 42 |
| 1967 | The Little Church in the Dell | — |
| 1967 | Our Way of Life | 28 |
| 1968 | Running Wild | 35 |
| 1968 | The Best | — |
| 1968 | Looking at the World | 33 |
| 1969 | Wonderful World of Country Music | — |
| 1969 | Down at the Goodtime Charlie's | 42 |
| 1969 | Friends and Neighbors | — |
| 1970 | Big Daddy Del | 41 |
| 1970 | Country Concert | — |
| 1970 | The Best 2 | — |
| 1971 | Del Reeves | 36 |
| 1972 | Before Goodbye | 45 |
| 1973 | Trucker's Paradise | — |
| 1974 | Live at the Palomino Club | 45 |
| 1974 | The Very Best | 42 |
| 1975 | With Strings and Things | — |
| 1976 | By Request (with Billie Jo Spears) | 46 |
| 1976 | 10th Anniversary | — |
| 1980 | Let's Go to Heaven Tonight | — |
| 1994 | His Greatest Hits | — |
| 1996 | Gospel | — |
| 1998 | I'll Take My Chances | — |

### Singles

| Year | Single | Chart Positions | Chart Positions | Album |
| Year | Single | US Country | CAN Country | Album |
| 1961 | "Be Quiet Mind" | 9 | — | singles only |
| 1962 | "He Stands Real Tall" | 11 | — | singles only |
| 1963 | "The Only Girl I Can't Forget" | 13 | — | singles only |
| 1964 | "Talking to the Night Lights" | 41 | — | singles only |
| 1965 | "Girl on the Billboard"$^A$ | 1 | — | Girl on the Billboard |
| 1965 | "The Belles of the Southern Bell" | 4 | — | Girl on the Billboard |
| 1965 | "Women Do Funny Things to Me" | 9 | — | Doodle-Oo-Doo-Doo |
| 1966 | "One Bum Town" | 42 | — | Special Delivery |
| 1966 | "Gettin' Any Feed for Your Chickens" | 37 | — | Gettin' Any Feed for Your Chickens |
| 1966 | "This Must Be the Bottom" | 27 | — | Struttin' My Stuff |
| 1967 | "Blame It on My Do Wrong" | 45 | — | Six of One, Half a Dozen of the Other |
| 1967 | "The Private" | 33 | — | The Best of Del Reeves |
| 1967 | "A Dime at a Time" | 12 | — | Our Way of Life |
| 1968 | "I Just Wasted the Rest" (with Bobby Goldsboro) | 56 | — | Our Way of Life |
| 1968 | "Wild Blood" | 18 | 5 | Running Wild |
| 1968 | "Looking at the World Through a Windshield" | 5 | 4 | Looking at the World |
| 1968 | "Good Time Charlie's" | 3 | 20 | Down at the Goodtime Charlie's |
| 1969 | "Be Glad" | 5 | — | Down at the Goodtime Charlie's |
| 1969 | "There Wouldn't Be a Lonely Heart in Town" | 12 | — | Big Daddy Del |
| 1969 | "Take a Little Good Will Home" (with Bobby Goldsboro) | 31 | 31 | Our Way of Life |
| 1970 | "A Lover's Question" (with the Goodtime Charlies) | 14 | — | The Best 2 |
| 1970 | "Son of a Coal Man" | 41 | 21 | Friends and Neighbors |
| 1970 | "Landmark Tavern" (with Penny DeHaven) | 20 | 24 | singles only |
| 1970 | "Bad, Bad Tuesday" | — | 41 | singles only |
| 1970 | "Right Back to Lovin' You Again" | 22 | 21 | Friends and Neighbors |
| 1971 | "Bar Room Talk" | 30 | 7 | Friends and Neighbors |
| 1971 | "Workin' Like the Devil for the Lord" | 33 | — | Friends and Neighbors |
| 1971 | "The Philadelphia Fillies" | 9 | 38 | Del Reeves |
| 1971 | "Dozen Pairs of Boots" | 31 | 49 | Del Reeves |
| 1972 | "The Best Is Yet to Come" | 29 | — | Del Reeves |
| 1972 | "No Rings, No Strings" | 62 | — | Before Goodbye |
| 1972 | "Crying in the Rain" (with Penny DeHaven) | 54 | — | single only |
| 1972 | "Before Goodbye" | 47 | — | Before Goodbye |
| 1973 | "Trucker's Paradise" | 54 | 86 | Trucker's Paradise |
| 1973 | "Mm-Mm Good" | 44 | 31 | single only |
| 1973 | "Lay a Little Lovin' on Me" | 22 | 63 | The Very Best of Del Reeves |
| 1974 | "What a Way to Go" | 70 | — | singles only |
| 1974 | "Prayer from a Mobile Home" | 62 | — | singles only |
| 1974 | "She Likes Country Bands" | 89 | — | singles only |
| 1974 | "Pour It All on Me" | 65 | — | Strings and Things |
| 1975 | "But I Do" | 65 | — | Strings and Things |
| 1975 | "Puttin' In Overtime at Home" | 74 | — | Strings and Things |
| 1975 | "You Comb Her Hair Every Morning" | 92 | — | single only |
| 1976 | "I Ain't Got Nobody" | 51 | — | 10th Anniversary |
| 1976 | "On the Rebound" (with Billie Jo Spears) | 29 | — | By Request |
| 1976 | "Teardrops Will Kiss the Morning Dew" (with Billie Jo Spears) | 42 | — | By Request |
| 1976 | "My Better Half" | 79 | — | singles only |
| 1977 | "Ladies' Night" | 78 | — | singles only |
| 1978 | "When My Angel Turns into a Devil" | 93 | — | singles only |
| 1978 | "Dig Down Deep" | 79 | — | singles only |
| 1980 | "Take Me to Your Heart" | 82 | — | Del Reeves |
| 1980 | "What Am I Gonna Do?" | 90 | — | Del Reeves |
| 1981 | "Swinging Doors" | 67 | — | singles only |
| 1981 | "Slow Hand" | 53 | — | singles only |
| 1982 | "Ain't Nobody Gonna Get My Body but You" | 67 | — | singles only |
| 1986 | "The Second Time Around" | 95 | — | Here's Del Reeves |
* $^A$Peaked at No. 96 on Billboard Hot 100 and No. 31 on the RPM Top Singles chart in Canada.

### Music videos

| Year | Video |
| 1994 | "Girl on the Billboard" |

## Personal life

Reeves married Ellen Schiell in 1956 at the Stanislaus County fair in California; they had three children. Reeves died of emphysema on January 1, 2007, at age 74, at his home in Centerville, Tennessee.