1. Del Reeves is 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.
16 Facts About Del Reeves
1. 2.
Del Reeves became one of the most successful male country singers of the 1960s.
3.
Del Reeves was named after US President Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
4.
Del Reeves later enlisted in the United States Air Force, stationed at Travis Air Force Base in Fairfield, California.
5.
Del Reeves made his first rockabilly recordings with Capitol Records from 1957 to 1958.
6.
In 1958, Del Reeves began hosting a television variety show on Stockton station KOVR.
7.
In 1961, Del Reeves signed with Decca Records and recorded the song that would become his first charting single, "Be Quiet Mind".
8.
Del Reeves became known as "The Doodle-Oo-Doo-Doo Kid" for the sound effect he added to his songs.
9.
Del Reeves's success continued throughout the rest of the 1960s.
10.
Del Reeves returned to television, hosting the syndicated TV program, Del Reeves' Country Carnival.
11.
Del Reeves's 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.
12.
Del Reeves had hit songs on the country chart most years until 1982.
13.
In 1979, Del 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.
14.
Del Reeves continued to record in the 1980s on a reduced scale for smaller labels.
15.
Del Reeves married Ellen Schiell in 1956 at the Stanislaus County fair in California; they had three children.
16.
Del Reeves died of emphysema on January 1,2007, at age 74, at his home in Centerville, Tennessee.