Joyce Jackson, personal secretary to Jim Reeves, answers your questions! Email your question here.

Q. So much of Jim Reeves' personal memorabilia has been sold off, a lot of it to a California collector who has been promising for 30 years to build a museum that has never materialized. I just saw on another website he's now bought the wallet that was in Jim's pocket the day he died, and was recovered from the crash scene.

What do you make of all this?

Also, I heard a rumor from the Holland fan club that there was an important briefcase found in the crash that contained divorce papers Jim didn't want Mary to know anything about. This same source claims there is a woman in Sweden who bore Jim two kids, and that he was planning on marrying her.

Your comments would be appreciated.

Thanks,
--Perla (danter2001@aol.com)

A: Have you ever heard the expression "A fool and his money are soon parted"? Despite all the big bucks that have changed hands, in a few years those mementoes won't be worth much.

In my opinion, I do not think that the wallet should have even been part of the estate sale. That was a personal item of Jim's that, after Mary's death, should have gone to Jim's family if they chose to receive it. But it's like so much of the memorabilia that has been strewn over the countryside, and nobody's ever going to be able to enjoy the legacy of Jim in a museum again. However, those are just "things" and the REAL legacy is Jim's MUSIC and we can still enjoy that today.

Although Eddy Arnold was there at the crash scene, and was the name in the crowd, a state policeman took me to the funeral home where I made the official identification. All items found were returned to me except the ring, which was found by a policeman and returned to us at a later date.

There was NO briefcase to contain any important papers, much less divorce papers. I was astonished to read this. That is just totally bogus. It's a figment of someone's imagination. There was NO WATCH either.

The people who are writing this: Were they there? I WAS. Folks get real. There are a couple of us left who can and will refute your stories...

Mary and Jim were confronted with idiots who tried to claim Jim being the father of their children for as long as I knew him, and her too. But Jim was sterile due to a bout of mumps. This is what Jim told me himself. A direct quote from Jim was that "the mumps fell on me as a child" and it caused him not to be able to have kids. -- Joyce

I want to know,

(a) where I'll get a complete list of his recorded/released songs.
(b) where I can get the complete lyrics of his recorded/released songs.

I look forward to your reply.

Thanks & regards.
--Prabakar (seprabakar@vsnl.net)

A: I do not believe there is such a list anymore; however, you might try writing to RCA/BMG and ask if they have such a list. It's been so long since Jim's death that I doubt if they have one either. I think their theory is "out of sight, out of mind"! Most of the songs that Jim released are on the big 16 CD Bear Family album. I say "most" of them because it does NOT contain every one.

BMG's address here in Nashville is 1400 18th. Avenue So. 37212. I hope this will be of help to you and I always appreciate knowing when someone else enjoys Jim's music. Thank you. -- Joyce

Q. Dear Joyce: Just wanted to give you a line or two about my Jim Reeves story. Really it involved my father who passed on 4 years ago. Jim Reeves came to Pensacola, Florida. with some other big-time singer at the time. But the show was canceled do to a hurricane coming in. While the others just partied and drank the night away. Jim stayed in the radio station and talked and played and sang to the listener. My father was a local singer, he met him that night, and he thought a lot of him after that. He has been and is still my favorite singer. Thanks for your time.

---Robbie McCurdy (songwriter8491@yahoo.com)

A: I had never heard the story about the hurricane cancelling a show, but then Jim staying in the radio station and talking to listeners would have been very typical of him, especially if he felt he was being of some help.

I appreciate knowing that Jim was and is your favorite singer. He was so much more that just a singer. He was a nice man and a gentleman and fun to work for.

Thanks. -- Joyce

Q. Hello. My name is Medina Rios. I live in Saint Petersburg, Florida. I am 12 years old. On February 12, my Grandfather Charles passed away. His favorite song was a song by Jim Reeves. (My grandpa rarely listened to music. When he heard this song he would become very happy.) The song's name was "This World Is Not My Home". We searched for ir for days and couldn't find it. I was hoping that maybe you have that song on a CD, or something. If not, please help me find it. Please answer my prayer with this song. We want to play it at upcoming events. Such as Christmas, New Years, etc. It will be part of his rememberence. Thank you very much. Please take this letter into consideration.

Sincerely,
Medina Rios (BestFans4Yankees@cs.com)

A: This song was included in the "We Thank Thee" LP #LPM 2552. I feel sure you can get a copy of the CD from The Ernest Tubb Record Shop. The # is 1-615-255-7503. They are located at 417 Broadway, Nashville, TN 37203. You might also find it through Margaret Beeskau at 1-615-833 6525. They both have mail order services.

The only thing I have it on is an LP and I have no way of copying it. Glad your Grandfather liked the song.

Let me know if you don't find it and we' ll try another avenue. -- Joyce