On This Day 60 Years Ago, Jim Reeves Topped the Country Charts Posthumously With a Hit First Recorded by Roy Orbison

Jim Reeves’ velvety baritone made him a hit on both the country and pop charts. During his all-too-brief career, he sent five songs to No. 1, including “Mexican Joe”, “Four Walls”, and “He’ll Have to Go”. Tragically, “Gentleman Jim” was just 40 years old when he died in a plane crash on July 31, 1964. However, even death couldn’t stop Reeves’ success. On this day (May 15) in 1966, the Galloway, Texas-born singer scored the only UK hit of his career—albeit posthumously—with the haunting ballad “Distant Drums”.

Videos by American Songwriter

This Jim Reeves Hit Was First Recorded by Roy Orbison

Penned by songwriter Cindy Walker, “Distant Drums” takes the perspective of a young man imploring his true love, Mary, to marry him before the drums and bugles call him off to war. I hear the sound of distant drums / Far away, far away / And if they call for me to come / Then I must go and you must stay.

Jim Reeves recorded a demo of the song prior to his death, intending it to be for Walker’s private use only. Both Reeves’ label, RCA, and producer Chet Akins had deemed the recording unsuitable for public release.

After Reeves’ untimely death, his widow, Mary, and RCA Records began combing the archives for any unreleased material from the country crooner. They came across “Distant Drums”, and Atkins added new orchestral backing and released the single in 1966.

Roy Orbison had recorded his own version of “Distant Drums” in 1963. However, it is Jim Reeves’ rendition that has endured in the public consciousness. It spent five weeks atop the UK singles chart—a 1966 record bested only by Tom Jones’ “Green, Green Grass of Home”.

In addition to topping the U.S. country singles chart, “Distant Drums” made Reeves the only overseas performer to ever earn the UK’s Song of the Year honor.

[RELATED: On This Day in 1964, Jim Reeves Was on a Seven-Week Run Atop the Country Chart More Than a Month After His Death]

How Reeves’ Wife Kept His Career Alive

Of Jim Reeves’ 11 career No. 1 hits, six of them came after his death. This was due largely to the efforts of his widow, Mary, who combined unreleased tracks with previous releases to provide fans with new material.

“Jim Reeves my husband is gone; Jim Reeves the artist lives on,” she told a country music magazine on the 15th anniversary of Reeves’ death.

Featured image by Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images