Biography
Jim Reeves relied on the Blue Boys as his touring ensemble, whose membership shifted across multiple eras. He first assembled the group under the name Wagon Masters, yet switched to the Blue Boys in 1958 after his single “Blue Boy” became a hit, thereby sidestepping any mix-up with Porter Wagoner in Nashville. The earliest roster included Billy Harlan on bass, Royce Morgan on guitar, Jimmy Day on steel guitar, and Pee Wee Kershaw on drums. Leo Jackson had already served as Reeves’ lead guitarist, but military duty kept him away when the renamed unit formed, forcing Morgan into the role temporarily. Roughly twelve months later Reeves overhauled the personnel again. After several interim lineups that briefly featured James Kirkland, Henri Strzelecki, Mel Rogers, Bobby Dyson, and Roy Aldridge, the stable configuration settled on Leo Jackson handling lead guitar, Dean Manuel on piano, Bud Logan covering bass and vocals, and Jimmy Orr on drums. When Manuel perished alongside Reeves in the 31 July 1964 plane crash, Bunky Keels took over the piano chair, and the outfit kept performing until it dissolved in 1968. During the late 1960s the musicians cut four albums for RCA-Victor Records and scored hits with “My Cup Runneth Over” in 1967 and “I’m Not Ready Yet” in 1968, billing themselves as The Blue Boys featuring Bud Logan. Between 1973 and 1974 Logan notched additional chart entries by pairing with Wilma Burgess on “Wake Me Into Love” and “The Best Day Of The Rest Of My Life,” both issued on Mary Reeves’ Shannon label. Jackson and Keels subsequently established themselves as session musicians, while Logan built a career as a record producer.
Albums
