Jody Reynolds

Jody Reynolds was a rockabilly singer and songwriter who had a Top 10 hit called "Endless Sleep" in 1958. The song was the first in a line of "teen tragedy" pop hits in the 1950s. Reynolds died of liver cancer at the age of 75 on November 7, 2008.¹

Fast Facts

1. Full name: Ralph Joseph Reynolds
2. Birth date: December 3, 1932¹
3. Birth place: Denver, Colorado
4. Died: November 7, 2008, in Palm Desert, California²
5. Cause of death: Liver cancer
6. Spouse: Judy Reynolds
7. Married for 47 years
8. Children: Daughters Malina Bustos and Marla Reynolds, son Mark Reynolds¹
9. Grew up in Oklahoma
10. Began playing guitar as a teenager
11. Moved to Arizona in the early 1950s
12. First band: The Storms
13. Wrote "Endless Sleep" in 1956 after hearing Elvis Presley's "Heartbreak Hotel"
14. Song was rejected at first by different record labels because it was "too depressing"¹
15. "Endless Sleep" peaked at number 5 on Billboards Hot 100 chart in 1958¹
16. Worked as a real estate agent in La Quinta
17. Had a music store in Palm Springs
18. Retired in Southern California¹
19. Occasionally performed with others on the rock oldies circuit²

Endless Sleep

Reynolds said he wrote the hit single "Endless Sleep" after hearing Elvis Presley's "Hearbreak Hotel" on a jukebox. Reynolds sent a demo to several record labels and it was rejected each time because it was "too depressing." However, a Los Angeles record company, Demon Records, liked the song. It went on to become a top 10 song on Billboards Hot 100 chart in 1958.¹

The song has since been covered by several artists including Billy Idol, Hank Williams, Jr. and The Judds.¹

Related Pages on Mahalo

Elvis Presley | Ricky Nelson | Billy Idol | Hank Williams, Jr. | The Judds | Colorado | California | Liver Cancer

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