Biography of Jim Eaves

Hank Williams was his idol, but he loved all the "hillbilly" singers. He appeared on a TV show in

Lawton, Oklahoma, called "The Southwest Jamboree" and also on a TV show called "The Dixie Boy Jordan Show" in Wichita Falls, Texas, at the age of 14.

He enlisted in the Navy in January, 1955. The first half of his military tour was spent in Pensacola, Florida, and the second half was in Atsugi, Japan. Jim was discharged from the Navy in 1958.

Built in 1892 by James Jackson Eaves the cabin was dismantled board by board and is now on display at the Greater Southwest Museum in Ardmore Oklahoma. Jimmy Eaves lived in this cabin in 1939 when he was 2 years old in Poolville Oklahoma.

Point on the cabin for more information

Things were not so good when he returned in 1958. He picked cotton and worked in the oilfields. He formed a small band, and they played "The Davis Barn Dance": in Davis, Oklahoma. The band played for 1/2 of the door money, and needless to say, it didn't last long. He moved to Fort Worth, Texas in 1960. He attended trade school at night and worked at a steel mill and an auto repair shop in the daytime. He performed on the "Cowtown Hoe Down" in Fort Worth, and in numerous clubs in Oklahoma and Texas.

When "Panther Hall" opened in the early 60's he performed on some of the live TV shows from there on TV channel 11 (KTVT) in Fort Worth.

Jimmy and his wife, Jenny, (whom he married in 1956) recorded their first 45 rpm record on the "panther" label in the early 60's. Their oldest son, Jimmy Lee, Jr., was about 3 years old when Jimmy decided to quit the music business. He became a Fort Worth firefighter in 1965. For about 20 years he did not perform although everyone knew Jim really missed performing during that time. His youngest son, David Lee, was born in 1969.

After the children were grown, he started his musical career again. He formed a band in the late 80's and called it, "Pure Country Band". He recorded his first cassette tape in 1990, which was a tribute to Hank Williams, Sr. called "Jimmy Eaves Sings the Hits of Hank Williams". This recording was made while Jim was performing in the Fort Worth Stockyards at a club called "The Longhorn Saloon" where he performed for over 6 years. Two more recordings were made called "Jim Eaves Sings Pure Country", (1997), and "Bringing Back Memories"(1999).

Jimmy and Frankie Miller recorded a country gospel CD called "Frankie Miller and Jimmy Eaves Singing Gospel Music the Country Way" which was released in May, 2001, and is doing great. Jimmy says it is a pleasure working with such a talented person as Frankie Miller (The Blackland Farmer), and they tour together on most shows. They have performed with many country artists such as Johnny Bush, Darrell McCall, Willie Nelson, Claude Gray, Floyd Tillman, Tilmon Frank, and many more over the last few years. Jimmy and Frankie were guests on the "The Midnight Jamboree" at the Troubadour Theater in Nashville, Tennessee, with Darrell and Mona McCall, and also in the original "Ernest Tubb Record Shop" on Broadway in Nashville with host George Hamilton IV.

Frankie and Jimmy host a county show in the Fort Worth Stockyards in Fort Worth Texas. They have been doing this show for over 3 years, and they have special guests such as Johnny Bush, Darrell McCall, Billy Walker, Bill Mack, and many more great folks. Sometimes it looks like a DJ convention. Thanks a lot to David McCormick, Jim Stenson, and J.J. Lockett, for all their support in keeping country music "country".