Born Franklin Delano Reeves on July 14, 1933 in Sparta, NC, Del Reeves was the youngest of 11 children.
At the age of 12, Del was hosting a radio show.
After attending Appalachia State College in Boone, NC, Del joined the USAF and was stationed at Travis Air Force Base in California.
While in the Golden State, Del appeared on the Chester Smith Show from Sacramento. In 1958, three singles were released on Capitol.
After leaving the service, Del stayed in California and hosted the Del Reeves Country Carnival and started writing songs with his wife, Ellen which were cut by Roy Drusky, Carl Smith, and Sheb Wooley.
Del signed to Decca in 1961, and moved to Nashville in 1962. By 1963, Del was recording for Reprise. In 1964, Del recorded for Columbia.
In 1965, Del joined the United Artists roster and achieved his first charttopper with Girl On The Billboard. In 1966, Del became a member of the Grand Ole Opry.