Jody Reynolds (1932-2008) was a rockabilly singer, guitarist, and songwriter from Denver, Colorado. He wrote "Endless Sleep" in 1956 after listening to Elvis's "Heartbreak Hotel"; Reynolds' singing style on this is somewhat similar to that of Elvis, and you can imagine the King singing it when you listen. The song was credited to Reynolds and Dolores Nance; Nance was a fictitious person created to make it seem as if the song was created by a songwriting team.
"Endless Sleep" was originally rejected by record companies as being too depressing until Reynolds wrote a new ending, in which the hero protagonist successfully retrieved his loved one from the sea. (One hopes that she had not been in the water too long.) The revised song reached #5 on the Billboard chart and sold over one million copies. It inspired several other "teenage tragedy" songs.
Reynolds eventually settled in Palm Springs, where he became a realtor. He was inducted into the Rockabilly Hall of Fame in 1999.
Created November 28, 2025.