During the late 1940s, he was contracted with a couple of small Texas-based recording companies, but without success. Reeves began to work as a radio announcer and sang live between songs. However, he failed the exam (probably due to a heart irregularity), and on 4 August 1943 an official letter declared his 4-F draft status. On March 9, 1943, he reported to the Army Induction Center in Tyler, Texas for his preliminary physical examination. Reeves' initial efforts to pursue a baseball career were sporadic, possibly due to his uncertainty as to whether he would be drafted into the military as World War II enveloped the United States. He played for the minor leagues for three years before severing his sciatic nerve while pitching, which ended his athletic career. Louis Cardinals 'farm' team during 1944 as a right-handed pitcher.

Soon he resumed baseball, playing in the semi-professional leagues before contracting with the St.

Winning an athletic scholarship to the University of Texas, he enrolled to study speech and drama but quit after only six weeks to work in the shipyards in Houston. He was known as Travis during his childhood years. He was the youngest of eight children born to Mary Beulah Adams Reeves (1884-1980) and Thomas Middleton Reeves (1882-1924). Reeves was born at home in Galloway, Texas, a small rural community near Carthage.

Gospel song born to die