Goebel Reeves
Encyclopedia
Goebel Reeves was an American folk singer. His most famous song is "Hobo's Lullaby
Hobo's Lullaby
"Hobo's Lullaby" is a song written by Goebel Reeves, and famously performed by various people including folk singer Woody Guthrie, his son Arlo Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Emmylou Harris, the Kingston Trio, Ramblin' Jack Elliott. and Anaïs Mitchell. Its music is nearly identical to popular Civil War era...

," which has been covered by a variety of singers, notably Woody Guthrie
Woody Guthrie
Woodrow Wilson "Woody" Guthrie is best known as an American singer-songwriter and folk musician, whose musical legacy includes hundreds of political, traditional and children's songs, ballads and improvised works. He frequently performed with the slogan This Machine Kills Fascists displayed on his...

 and his son Arlo
Arlo Guthrie
Arlo Davy Guthrie is an American folk singer. Like his father, Woody Guthrie, Arlo often sings songs of protest against social injustice...

.

Born in Sherman, Texas, Reeves grew up in Austin while his father was a member of the state legislature. In the 1920s, he voluntarily adopted the life of a hobo, writing and singing songs as he traveled. He began recording his music in 1929, and became known as "the Texas Drifter" the year after that. (This was not his only stage name; he also sometimes billed himself as "George Riley, the Yodeling Rustler," and "the Broadway Wrangler.")

Reeves had a musical style that resembled that of "the Singing Brakeman" Jimmie Rodgers
Jimmie Rodgers (country singer)
James Charles Rodgers , known as Jimmie Rodgers, was an American country singer in the early 20th century known most widely for his rhythmic yodeling...

, including yodeling and lyrics about life on the road. Reeves claimed that he had taught Rodgers how to yodel as they traveled together in the 1920s. A sampling of the Texas Drifter's recordings can be found on the third CD of a four-CD set released in 2005, Sounds Like Jimmie Rodgers--on which Reeves sings 19 songs.

An earlier (1994) CD release entitled Hobo's Lullaby has Goebel Reeves singing on all 26 tracks, 16 of which are not duplicated on the 2005 Sounds Like Jimmie Rodgers CD.

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