Honoring Veterans Through Music Celebrating with Songwriters Billy Swan and Jim Oliver

Musicians Billy Swan and Jim “Jolly” Oliver’s journeys with music started as classmates at a Cape Girardeau high school. The songwriters and lifelong friends, now residents of Nashville, Tenn., will return to Southeast Missouri for a fundraising concert Nov. 11.

For Swan, his story with music began in a Cape Central classroom. His teacher, Ms. Reed, encouraged him to write poetry as a class assignment when he was 16 years old.

Swan wrote his first song as a poem titled “Lover Please” during her class. It grew into one of his most successful and well-known compositions. With the help of his friend Dennis Turner, Swan later learned a few guitar chords to put the poem to music. Clyde McPhatter professionally recorded the song when Swan was 18, pushing him into the songwriting spotlight.

“I put some music to the poem,” he said. “That’s basically what songwriting is — putting poems to music.”

Guitar lessons were the catalyst for turning Oliver’s love of music into a lifetime career. At age 15, he began learning folk songs on guitar and later transitioned to playing the banjo. After high school, he earned a bachelor’s degree from Southeast Missouri State University with the intention of teaching. His career, however, was interrupted by the Vietnam War.

Understanding he might be drafted, Oliver says he wanted the best training. He volunteered for the Marine Corps and served on the coast of Vietnam as a lieutenant from 1968 to 1969. He resigned his commission and was stationed in California for the remainder of his active duty.

During his military service, Oliver says he bought recording equipment in Japan at a discount. While living in a small studio apartment near the beach, he began recording songs he’d previously written. In Los Angeles, he was connected with someone who was interested in immediately recording five of his songs.

Hearing his music on the radio for the first time was an incredible feeling, Oliver says.

In the early years of his music career, Swan says he often traveled. When visiting Memphis, Tenn., Swan says one of the first places he visited was Graceland, the home of Elvis Presley. He talked to the security guard at the front — Presley’s uncle — who “took a liking to him.”

Swan was looking for a place to stay in Memphis, and the guard offered him a vacant room in his house he could rent for $100 a month. He became friends with Presley’s uncles Billy and Bobby, and would often watch movies, visit fairgrounds and go skating with them.

While Presley was the reason he was visiting, Swan says he rarely saw the musician on outings with Billy and Bobby.

Nearby Nashville — often recognized as “Music City, U.S.A.” — later brought Swan and Oliver together once again. They both eventually “wound up in Nashville and never left,” in Oliver’s words. In fact, the pair collaborated on several songs together.

“My friend Billy cut one of my songs, and he and I wrote a couple, because we’re old classmates, all the way back to Central High School,” Oliver says.

In Nashville, Swan says Presley’s producer was friends with Swan’s publisher. Swan initially didn’t know Presley was interested in recording his song “I Can Help,” but was surprised when he did.

Presley often gave items from his closet as gifts, Swan says; he personally requested a pair of socks, which Swan says the famous musician wore when recording his song.

Swan also collaborated with singer and actor Kris Kristofferson. The musician recorded a version of “Lover Please,” and Kristofferson also created the song “Nobody Loves Anybody Anymore, Dear” with Swan.

Since his move to Nashville, Oliver has never stopped creating music. To this day, he’s still creating music — he says he recently finished a few demo recordings in October.

Yet again, the Oliver and Swan pair will come together in Cape Girardeau on Veteran’s Day to celebrate and honor military veterans.

“I’ve always been proud of Cape Girardeau, and Billy and I agree that it’s a great place to grow up,” Oliver says.

During the Evening to Celebrate American Veterans event on Nov. 11, Swan and Oliver will perform a set alongside several other artists, including Steve Shaffner and Jerry Ford. Proceeds from the concert will benefit the Cape Girardeau Veterans Home, according to previous reporting by the Southeast Missourian.

When Swan first asked Oliver to perform at the Veteran’s Day event, Oliver says he responded enthusiastically due to his personal history in the military.

Swan says he has prepared a half hour’s worth of songs he’s written, with Oliver anticipating performing four or five songs for the audience. Oliver says he looks forward to connecting with the veterans who will be attending the event.

“I’ll be wearing my Marine Corps hat, so the guys out in the audience know I’m one of them,” Oliver says.

Want to attend?

The Evening to Celebrate American Veterans featuring Billy Swan, Jim Oliver and friends, will be held at the A.C. Brase Arena Building at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 11. Tickets are $25 and may be purchased by calling the Arena Building at (573) 339-6340, Pastimes Antiques at (573) 332-8882 or Perryville Amvets at (573) 547-1521.