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.
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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.
