On the last Saturday of May in the Spring of 57, in our small town of Vernal, Utah, A friend, Orville Hullinger who was also a school teacher and did promoting as a sideline had booked the already well known country singer Jim Reeves to entertain at a local show and dance. My being a friend of Mr. Hullinger, he had asked me to meet Jim at the airport and escort him to his hotel accommodation. My being such a great fan of Jim Reeves I was honored and excited to have been appointed this task. As Jim appeared in the little Terminal of our airport, I walked over to him, introduced myself to him and told him I was there to drive him to his hotel. I've not forgotten that hand shake---it was firm and strong, the hand shake of a very sincere man.

We talked there for a few minutes while I was telling Jim that I would show him where he would be performing that night on the way to his hotel room. The performance was being held at the National Guard Armory Hall, and would run from 8:00PM to 1:00AM. By the time Jim had gotten registered at his hotel I told him that by the time I got home that dinner would be on the table and if he wished, he would be more than welcome to join us.. He was very surprised and insisted that it would be such an imposition on my wife etc....I assured him that that wasn't the case at all, that we had in fact planned on it. Well, reluctantly he agreed.

Yes, supper was just a bit more than a little special that night----after all---we had a pretty special guest! It was during this short time that Jackie (my wife) and I learned why Jim was called "Gentleman Jim". Shoot, instead of us being honored to have him in our home, he made us feel like he was the one that was honored to be there. Yes----He was truely "Gentleman Jim"!

That night at the dance and show, that man made everyone in that place feel so elated to be there. Jim would sing 4 or 5 numbers, he would wave or point to different people in the crowd. From time to time he would leave the band to play on they're own while he would mingle in the crowd. He would talk and shake hands with all those people to let them know that he was proud to be in our little old town. Well, our little town was not about to forget this night, ever!

After the show was over, we took Jim back to his hotel room and assured him that we would be there in the morning on time to drive him to the airport.

Now, we need to go back to when were at our house and the chat we had during supper. It had been casually mentioned that I was doing a "Live Radio" program at our local Radio Station KVEL 5 days a week, Monday through Friday. I had plenty of time to do the program before picking up Jim because it ran from 6:30AM to 7:00AM each morning.

Well now, when I arrived at the radio station the next morning, about 6:15AM, there in the waiting room of the Radio Station sat Jim Reeves reading the morning paper! I was very surprised---but pleased. I told him, "Up a little early this mornin aren't you?" He just grinned and replied, "Didn't you say that you did the program alone?" I shook my head and said," Yeah---why?" He said, " I just wondered if I could help you do it." Hey-----this is Jim Reeves the Super Star------ asking me! Yep---there was 2 of us doing the show that morning!!!

I was and still am so very proud of that. The Disc Jockey, Frank Judd, took these two pictures of Jim and I. Little did I realize it then---but today---nearly a half century later, they would be such a treasure to me.

Later that day, when I took Jim back to the airport, I stood and watched that Big Bird climb higher and higher into the blue, and I remember thinking to myself-----There goes "Gentleman Jim Reeves----My Friend.

I had a band at that time, we had a steel guitar, A fiddle, bass Guitar, and myself on the rythum guitar.

The manager of the Radio station thought that I was kinda good , so he wanted to give me a start if he could. SO, I got a sponsor and it was Ashley Valley Appliance and Sport shop. The manager of Radio Station KVEL said that I'd have to have a nick-name, so he named me "The Drifter". While doing my music, I got to work on the same stage with Little Jimmy Dickens, George Jones, Wanda Jackson, Lefty Frizzell. Marvin Rainwater.

Wayne Hall

edited by Audrey Fahey

Click on photo of Jim's book to read about Larry Jordan, the Author of the soon to be released book and stay tuned for the release date of his book.

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