Ralph Joseph Reynolds, known professionally as Jody Reynolds, was born December 3, 1932 in Denver, Colorado, and died November 7, 2008 in Palm Desert, California. He was an American rockabilly singer, guitarist, and songwriter. Raised in Oklahoma before moving to Arizona, he formed his first band in the early 1950s and was inspired by Elvis Presley's "Heartbreak Hotel" to write "Endless Sleep" in 1956. Released by Demon Records, the single peaked at number 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1958, becoming the first in a series of teen-tragedy hit songs. His follow-up single "Fire of Love" reached the top 100 in 1958. In later years, Reynolds focused on songwriting and operated a guitar shop, writing songs for Presley in the mid-1970s. In 1999, he received a star on the Palm Springs Walk of Fame and was inducted into the Rockabilly Hall of Fame. Reynolds died of liver cancer at age 75.
