Jim Reeves’s “He’ll Have to Go” became his signature hit after reaching No. 1 on the country chart in 1960.
The song was written by Joe and Audrey Allison and recorded by Reeves in a restrained, intimate style. Its premise is a telephone conversation in which a man asks his romantic rival to speak up, knowing that the woman he loves is with someone else.
Reeves’s smooth baritone and close-miked delivery helped establish the sophisticated style associated with the Nashville sound. The single also crossed into the pop market, expanding his audience beyond country listeners.
Reeves died in a plane crash in 1964, but “He’ll Have to Go” remained one of his most recognizable recordings. “Welcome to My World,” another major Reeves hit, reached No. 1 later, in 1964.