HOUSTON, TX (CelebrityAccess) — Eddie Reeves, a noted songwriter, performer, artist manager, and former label exec died on Sunday, Nov. 18th after a brief illness. He was 79.
While a cause of death was not officially announced, a family friend stated that Reeves passed after suffering from a serious stroke.
A native of Austin, Reeves formed his first band, The Nighthawks, while still in high school and the group recorded a pair of singles “When Sin Stops” and “All’a Your Love” which were released via the Dot subsidiary Hamilton Records.
In 1964, Reeves relocated to New York, where he was hired as a song plugger, recording artist and songwriter with United Artists. In 1968 he launched UTA’s Los Angeles office and during his tenure with the label, he worked with recording artists/songwriters Jimmy Holiday, Andy Kim, Billy Edd Wheeler, and Mac Davis among others.
In 1971, his songwriting career picked up steam and he would go on to pen a series of hits that include “All I Ever Need Is You” co-written with Jimmy Holiday and recorded by Sonny & Cher; Don’t Change On Me” co-written with Jimmy Holiday and recorded by Ray Charles; and “Rings” co-written with Alex Harvey and recorded by Cymarron.
In 1974, Reeves signed on as Vice President of music publisher Warner-Chappell, and then, three years later, he launched his own music publishing and artist management company, Eddie Reeves Music.
In 1984, after a hiatus from the industry, he was named as General Manager of Warner Bros. Records Nashville, eventually serving as Executive Vice President and General Manager for a decade until his retirement in 1999.
Reeves returned to Houston after he retired, where he lived with his wife.
He is survived by his wife Lena, and three children.
