Song:Girl On The Billboard
Album:Road Music: 23 Truckin' Hits
Girl On The Billboard was the only number one country hit for Del Reeves in 1965. He is not related to Jim Reeves. These kind of truck driving songs were very popular in the 60s. He was born Franklin Delano Reeves July 14, 1932 in Sparta, NC and yes, he was named after Franklin Delano Roosevelt who had just been nominated for president. Reeves performed locally as a teen and attended Appalachian State College. After a stint in the US Air Force, Reeves moved to Sacramento, CA. He was a regular on The Chester Smith Show and then moved to Nashville in 1961. Reeves recorded for Decca, Reprise and Columbia before signing with United Artists in 1965. Girl On The Billboard was his first single for United Artists and it topped the Country Singles chart in 1965. The song was written by Hank Mills and Walter Haynes. Haynes was a steel guitarist who probably played on this recording session. Mills was a lyricist who worked with a lot of songwriting partners. Reeves never topped the charts again but he had several top ten hits. There are no decent Del Reeves comps available. His UA recordings are owned by Capitol. Beware of comps with re-recordings. This various artists CD of truck songs was released by TeeVee Records in 1978 and released on CD in 1994. Reeves also appeared in several films including the 1969 western Sam Whiskey starring Burt Reynolds. He also hosted the TV show Del Reeves Country Carnival. In 1979, Reeves semi-retired from recording and touring and became a record executive. He apparently introduced Billy Ray Cyrus to Mercury Records exec Harold Shedd and then sued Cyrus for a percentage. Del Reeves performed occasionally usually on the Grand Ole Opry until his death Jan. 1, 2007 at age 74. Here's Del Reeves performing Girl On The Billboard on The Jimmy Dean Show 1965.
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