Latest news with #TerryReid
New York Times
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Terry Reid, Rock Singer Known as ‘Superlungs,' Dies at 75
Terry Reid, a British vocal alchemist and songwriter whose powerful voice earned him the nickname Superlungs — and who, despite turning down the chance to become the lead singer of Led Zeppelin, came to be celebrated as a singer's singer by luminaries like Aretha Franklin, died on Aug. 4 in Rancho Mirage, Calif. He was 75. His wife, Annette Grady, said he died in a hospital from complications of cancer. He had experienced a variety of health problems and canceled scheduled performances in July. In his prime, in the late 1960s and the '70s, Mr. Reid's powerful vocal stylings were compared favorably to the likes of Rod Stewart and Bad Company's Paul Rodgers. Graham Nash, who produced Mr. Reid's 1976 album, 'Seed of a Memory,' once described his talent as 'phenomenal.' Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin called him 'probably the best singer of that period.' After he released his debut album, 'Bang, Bang You're Terry Reid,' in 1968, when he was just 18, Ms. Franklin said, 'There are only three things happening in England: the Rolling Stones, the Beatles and Terry Reid.' Mr. Reid never had a major hit song or album, although a few of his albums eventually came to be regarded as minor masterpieces — particularly 'River' (1973), with its blend of blues, jazz, folk, R&B and Brazilian music. Although it climbed no higher than No. 172 on the Billboard 200, the British rock magazine Mojo later described 'River' as 'one of the most lazily magnificent records of that or any other year.' His song 'Without Expression,' which he wrote at 14 and included on his first album, was later covered by John Mellencamp, REO Speedwagon and other artists. Jack White of the White Stripes recorded Mr. Reid's 1969 song 'Rich Kid Blues' in 2008 with his band the Raconteurs. Even so, Mr. Reid's career was too often framed by what he didn't do. His shot at rock immortality came in late 1968, when the guitar sorcerer Jimmy Page, late of the Yardbirds, was putting together his next venture, which was originally called the New Yardbirds and would evolve into Led Zeppelin. He was well aware of Mr. Reid's gift — a voice that could swing from a raspy croon to a flamethrower blues howl — since Mr. Reid had opened for the Yardbirds, and he and the band shared a manager, the intimidating ex-wrestler Peter Grant. 'Jim called me up and said, 'You'd really be good as the singer,'' Mr. Reid said in a 2016 interview with Mojo. But there were complications, starting with his contract to produce solo work for the pop impresario Mickie Most, who had minted hits for the Animals, Donovan and others. And then there were the Rolling Stones. Mr. Reid had made a handshake agreement with the guitarist Keith Richards to accompany the Stones on their 1969 tour. 'I said, 'Yeah, I'd love to give it a shot,'' Mr. Reid recalled telling Mr. Page in a 2007 interview with The Independent of Britain. ''But I've just got to pop off for a minute to do this Stones tour and I don't want to be the one to tell Keith I'm not going.'' 'Oh no, we've got to do it now,' Mr. Reid recalled Mr. Page telling him. The supergroup Cream, featuring Eric Clapton, Ginger Baker and Jack Bruce, 'had broken up and everybody in London was trying to put one of those groups together, so it's a big scramble who's first.' Instead, Mr. Reid suggested two members of a group called Band of Joy — the singer Robert Plant, blessed with a similarly searing voice, and the berserker drummer John Bonham. 'I contributed half the band,' Mr. Reid later said. 'That's enough on my part.' Terrance James Reid was born on Nov. 13, 1949, in St. Neots, a town in Cambridgeshire, England, the only child of Walter Reid, a car salesman, and Grace (Barker) Reid. He grew up in the nearby village of Bluntisham and attended St. Ivo Academy in St. Ives. He started his first band, the Redbeats, at 13. Two years later he left school and joined Peter Jay and the Jaywalkers, which got a blast of exposure opening for the Rolling Stones on their 1966 British tour. One gig, at the Royal Albert Hall, was 'all screaming girls,' Mr. Reid told Mojo. 'It was scary. You couldn't hear anything, your ears were shut down.' The Jaywalkers broke up soon after, and Mr. Reid embarked on a solo career. His knack for sidestepping history continued. On the Stones' 1969 tour, Mr. Reid chose not to play the final gig — the chaotic, violence-marred Altamont Speedway Free Festival, which left one fan dead. 'I had a bad feeling about Altamont and said so to Keith,' he later recalled. Around that time, opportunity knocked again when the guitarist Ritchie Blackmore invited him to become the lead vocalist for the heavy metal progenitors Deep Purple, replacing Rod Evans. Again Mr. Reid slammed the door, ceding the job to Ian Gillan. 'They were going into a real hard-rock thing that I wasn't so into,' he later told Mojo. Mr. Reid spent years tangled in litigation with Mr. Most. He eventually wriggled free and relocated to the United States, where he signed with Atlantic Records. When the label's star-making president, Ahmet Ertegun, first heard 'The River,' he told Mr. Reid, 'You've given me a jazz album,' Mr. Reid recalled to Mojo. 'Which it was, in the sense that David Crosby's 'If I Could Only Remember My Name' or Van Morrison's 'Astral Weeks' were jazz.' His solo career wound down in the 1980s, although he did session work for the likes of Jackson Browne, Don Henley and Bonnie Raitt. His comeback album, 'The Driver,' released in 1991, featured a star-studded cast, including Joe Walsh, Enya and Stewart Copeland, best known as the drummer with the Police. He released his final studio album, 'The Other Side of the River,' in 2016. In addition to his wife, Mr. Reid is survived by two daughters from an earlier relationship, Kelly and Holly Reid; and two stepdaughters, Erin Grady Barbagelata and Chelsea King. Following Mr. Reid's death, Mr. Plant, who remained a friend, paid tribute to him on social media: 'Such charisma. His voice, his range … his songs capturing that carefree era … Superlungs indeed.' 'He catapulted me into an intense new world he chose to decline,' Mr. Plant added. For his part, Mr. Reid, who was burdened for life with questions about his near miss with Led Zeppelin, was not so sure that he would have been a Plant-scale supernova in some alternative universe. 'Who's to say what would have happened if Jim and me had got a band?' he said in an interview with The Independent. 'It might have been a bloody failure.'
The Guardian
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Terry Reid obituary
Terry Reid's remarkable singing voice ensured he stood out in a golden age of British rock vocalists. So much so that in the late 1960s both Jimmy Page and Ritchie Blackmore, the respective guitarists and leaders of the heavy rock bands Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple, approached him to front their groups. That Reid, who has died of cancer aged 75, turned them both down, could have reduced him to a footnote in rock history, yet his singular talent continued to be recognised by musicians from Aretha Franklin to Dr Dre. Reid's lack of chart success – he would only release six studio albums in a career that spanned almost 60 years – should not detract from his achievements: alongside his powerful voice (his nickname was 'Superlungs'), he was also a gifted guitarist and songwriter, while two of his albums, River (1973) and Seed of Memory (1976), would achieve retrospective critical acclaim and find, once reissued, a far wider audience than when first released. Reid was also a valued collaborator: he performed and/or recorded with musicians from the Brazilian vocalist Gilberto Gil, through the Californian singer-songwriters Jackson Browne and Bonnie Raitt, to the rap producer Dr Dre. When declining Page, Reid recommended he seek out Robert Plant, a teenage vocalist that he had encountered in the Midlands, and his band's drummer, John Bonham, and thus Led Zeppelin was born. 'It's good to check your ego and support other artists' visions,' Reid told the Guardian in 2024, adding, 'I'm part of a society of musicians and I love that I can go out there and sing.' Born in Little Paxton, Cambridgeshire, to Grace (nee Barber) and Walter Reid, Terry was raised in the village of Bluntisham. Walter owned a tractor dealership while Grace managed a small orchard that grew apples for cider. Reid recalled that his mother would stand him on a crate so that he could sing to the women she worked alongside during the apple harvest. Attending St Ivo school in St Ives, Cambridgeshire, Reid formed the Redbeats with schoolmates, and regularly played local venues. One evening in 1965 at the Palais in Peterborough, the Redbeats supported Peter Jay and the Jaywalkers, an instrumental rock band. Jay was so impressed by the 15-year-old Terry that he approached his father to ask if he could join the Jaywalkers as vocalist. Parental permission granted, Reid left school and relocated with the Jaywalkers to London. He then underwent an intensive apprenticeship singing R&B hits in pubs and clubs across Britain. Keith Richards and Mick Jagger witnessed a performance at the Marquee club in 1966 and invited the Jaywalkers to join the Rolling Stones' UK tour alongside Ike and Tina Turner and the Yardbirds, featuring Page, who would later invite Reid to join his new band. Reid, however – with shout-outs from Franklin, who told the press on a 1968 visit to the UK that 'there are only three things happening in England: the Rolling Stones, the Beatles and Terry Reid' – was determined to go solo. The same year, Mickie Most, then one of Britain's most successful pop producers, signed him. While Most had launched such acts as Donovan and the Animals, he and Reid failed to gel; Reid's somewhat overwrought vocals on his 1968 debut album, Bang, Bang You're Terry Reid, met with public indifference. In 1969, after recording his eponymous second album, Reid was again invited by the Stones to join them on tour, this time across the US. Before the tour, however, he fell out irreparably with Most, yet found himself locked into a recording contract. The album was stronger than Reid's debut, but Most declined to promote it. Reid relocated to California and continued to tour, performing at Glastonbury festival in 1971 (so appearing in Glastonbury Fayre, a feature documentary co-directed by Nicolas Roeg), while litigation with Most continued. Atlantic Records finally resolved the dispute and signed Reid, releasing his 1973 album River. A beautifully meandering blend of rock, folk, blues, jazz and bossa nova that baffled many (including Atlantic) when initially released – its abstract textures did not attract radio play – it was appreciated by a new audience on its reissue in the early 2000s. Similarly Seed of Memory, on ABC, and produced by Reid's friend Graham Nash, failed to reach listeners at the time, despite following more conventional song structures. On Rogue Waves (1978), Reid performed uninspired rock versions of 60s-era pop hits and pleased no one. He retreated to working as a session musician, returning for the 1991 album The Driver. With a bombastic production by Trevor Horn, Reid appeared adrift on his own album. Reid sat out much of the 90s until a Monday night residency at a Beverly Hills bar became a magnet for his fans – one of whom, Thomas Brooman, director of Womad festival, invited Reid to perform at the 2002 event. Chris Johnson, a film producer who had licensed one of Reid's songs for the 1999 British feature The Criminal, organised some more UK dates, and Reid began regularly performing on this side of the Atlantic, returning to Womad and Glastonbury festivals alongside summer tours and residencies at Ronnie Scott's jazz club. This led to the 2012 Live In London album, his final release. The reissues of River and Seed of Memory brought renewed media attention and approaches from younger musicians such as Alabama 3 and DJ Shadow. His songs also began to be placed in Hollywood films, while the actor Johnny Depp funded new recordings by Reid (so far unreleased). A UK tour for this September was cancelled after Reid was diagnosed with cancer in June. A 1976 marriage to Susan Johnson ended in divorce in 1982. Reid is survived by his second wife, Annette (nee Grady), whom he married in 2004, and two daughters, Kelly and Holly, from a previous relationship. Terry (Terrance James) Reid, singer, guitarist and songwriter, born 13 November 1949; died 4 August 2025
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Terry Reid, Artists' Artist Who Nearly Became Led Zeppelin's Singer, Dead at 75
Terry Reid, the artists' artist who was revered by the likes of Aretha Franklin and Mick Jagger, and nearly became the lead singer of Led Zeppelin, has died, The Guardian reports. He was 75. A rep for the British musician confirmed his death. An exact cause of death was not given, though Reid had been battling cancer and other health issues. A recent GoFundMe said Reid had been 'in and out of the hospital, enduring rounds of treatment and uncertainty,' forcing him to cancel a six-week tour scheduled for the fall. More from Rolling Stone Loni Anderson, Emmy-Nominated Star of 'WKRP in Cincinnati,' Dies at 79 David Roach, Singer of Eighties Hard-Rock Band Junkyard, Dead at 59 Jeannie Seely, Razor-Sharp Country Singer Known as 'Miss Country Soul,' Dead at 85 With a reedy voice that could push to mighty and soulful heights, Reid earned the nickname 'Superlungs' (partly a nod, too, to his rendition of the Donovan song, 'Superlungs My Supergirl'). Between 1968 and 1978, Reid released five albums. And though he never scored a genuine chart hit, he garnered high praise from critics and esteem from his peers. During the late Sixties, Reid opened for the Rolling Stones and Cream, and in 1968 Franklin famously stated: 'There are only three things happening in England: the Rolling Stones, the Beatles, and Terry Reid.' Led Zeppelin's Robert Plant paid tribute on Instagram, writing that Reid's 'enthusiasm and encouragement were incredible,' and adding: 'Still teenagers, we crashed each others' gigs and crucified 'Season of the Witch' time and time again … So much fun. So on it. He was all of everything … such charisma.' Plant continued: 'His voice, his range … his songs capturing that carefree era … Superlungs indeed. He catapulted me into an intense new world he chose to decline … I listen now to his album River and shed a tear for my brother in arms.' Reid's 1973 album, River, stands out as the gem in his catalog for its mix of progressive folk tinged with elements of R&B, funk, pop, and samba. While it became a longtime cult favorite that received a proper reissue in 2016, it struggled to gain any traction upon its original release. 'I was just doing my thing, mixing blues and rock and other influences,' Reid told The Guardian last year. 'I love music, whether it's Brazilian samba or Bulgarian choirs, I'm listening to it all. But Atlantic didn't really get behind me. Now people tell me how much they love River — I think it's found its audience.' Reid's originals were also frequently recorded by other artists, especially 'Without Expression,' a song he wrote when he was 14. The track was covered (often under slightly different names) by the Hollies, Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young, REO Speedwagon, and John Mellencamp, who turned it into a minor hit in the late Nineties. Nash, in a tribute of his own, wrote, 'Finding it hard to put into words how sad I am about the passing of my dear friend Terry. How was it just a few short months ago we were smiling on my bus together? He was such a force. A talent beyond what I can express right now. It is still one of my proudest moments having produced his beautiful album Seed of Memory. That voice. That guitar playing. That wonderful person we will all miss so dearly.' Born and raised in Cambridgeshire, England, Reid started playing guitar and writing his own songs as a teenager. His first break came in 1965, when his band, the Redbeats, opened a show for Peter Jay and the Jaywalkers. Jay was so impressed, he asked Reid to join his band; soon he was gigging around London and touring alongside the Stones, Ike and Tina Turner, and the Yardbirds. By 1967, Reid was embarking on a solo career, spurred on by his friend, Jimi Hendrix, and under the auspices of producer/manager Mickie Most. Reid released his debut album, Bang, Bang You're Terry Reid, in 1968, when he was just 18. That same year, Yardbirds guitarist Jimmy Page asked him if he'd be interested in fronting his next band. Though Reid considered it, he declined, instead suggesting Page check out the singer and drummer from another group called Band of Joy: Robert Plant and John Bonham. Reid tended to brush aside this sliding doors moment, noting that he was frequently asked to join other peoples' bands (he rebuffed Ritchie Blackmore's offer to front Deep Purple the following year). 'I was intent on doing my own thing,' he said. 'I contributed half the band — that's enough on my part,' he added of Zeppelin. After Bang Bang and his 1969 self-titled album, Reid fell out with Most. It took him several years to settle a contractual dispute with his former manager and producer, before he was able to finally record River. He released two more albums, 1976's Seed of Memory, and 1978's Rogue Waves, before stepping back from his solo career. He moved to California and, in the Eighties, started working as a session musician for artists like Don Henley, Bonnie Raitt, and Jackson Browne. In 1991, Reid partnered with Trevor Horn for a comeback album, The Driver, which contained a cover of the Spencer Davis Group's 'Gimme Some Lovin'' that appeared on the soundtrack for the Tom Cruise racing movie, Days of Thunder. But that failed to garner much attention, and even Reid was dissatisfied with the record, later calling it 'unlistenable.' While Reid did not release any more studio albums, he did drop several live albums and toured regularly. As his back catalog garnered renewed attention, he was enlisted for vocal work by artists like DJ Shadow and Alabama 3. And new covers of his songs emerged, like a rendition of 'Rich Kid Blues' by Jack White's band, the Raconteurs, and a version of 'To Be Treated Rite' by Chris Cornell that appeared on his posthumous collection, No One Sings Like You Anymore, Vol. 1. Reid even revealed that Dr. Dre was such a fan of Seed of Memory, that the hip-hop legend invited him into the studio where they 'reworked it alongside his rappers.' Reid called it a 'fascinating experience,' though the sessions still have not been released. 'I've never looked at making music as chasing fame and fortune,' Reid said. 'I'm part of a society of musicians and I love that I can go out there and sing — it's all I've ever wanted to do.' Best of Rolling Stone Sly and the Family Stone: 20 Essential Songs The 50 Greatest Eminem Songs All 274 of Taylor Swift's Songs, Ranked Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Rock Legend, 76, Pays Tribute to Late Musician Who Turned Down Led Zeppelin
Rock Legend, 76, Pays Tribute to Late Musician Who Turned Down Led Zeppelin originally appeared on Parade. paid tribute to Terry Reid, the legendary musician who turned down the chance to become Led Zeppelin's lead singer. 'Terry Reid's enthusiasm and encouragement were incredible back then … still teenagers we crashed each others' gigs and crucified Season of the Witch time and time again … So much fun. So on it. He was all of everything … such charisma,' Plant, 76, wrote via his Instagram Story on Tuesday, August, 5. 'His voice, his range … his songs capturing that carefree era… Superlungs indeed. He catapulted me into an intense new world he chose to decline … I listen now to his album The River and shed a tear for my brother in arms.' Reid, also known as 'Superlungs,' died on Monday, August 4, and his death was confirmed by Cleopatra Records on the same day. 'Terry wasn't just a legend – he was a true original. His voice had that rare magic that could shake a room or break your heart in a single note,' the statement read. 'But beyond the voice, Terry was warm, funny, and utterly himself – always. Working with him was never just business; it was a pleasure, a lesson, and often, a bit of beautiful chaos.' RELATED: While no official cause of death has been released at the time of publication, Reid postponed his 2025 tour in July due to cancer treatment. "Due to medical issues arising from recent treatment for cancer Terry has had to postpone his autumn 2025 UK, Irish and Norway,' he said in a statement via Facebook at the time. "Terry is especially upset about this as his 2024 tour was so successful and he had been looking forward to playing some new towns and venues plus old faves, as well as his first ever dates in Norway." Reid was who Jimmy Page first tapped to lead Led Zeppelin, but he recommended Plant for the job instead. Plant and Reid remained friends throughout Reid's life, and he even joined the 'Stairway to Heaven' singer on stage in 2004. "This man should have had my life… mind you, I'm not sure he'd want it!" Plant joked with the crowd. Reid then quipped, 'I wouldn't mind some of the money!' He is survived by his wife, Annette. Rock Legend, 76, Pays Tribute to Late Musician Who Turned Down Led Zeppelin first appeared on Parade on Aug 6, 2025 This story was originally reported by Parade on Aug 6, 2025, where it first appeared. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Terry Reid, Legendary Musician Who Turned Down Led Zeppelin, Dies at 75
Terry Reid, Legendary Musician Who Turned Down Led Zeppelin, Dies at 75 originally appeared on Parade. Terry Reid, the iconic British singer and guitarist known for turning down lead singer roles with legendary bands Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple, has passed away at the age of 75. Reid had recently canceled tour dates due to health complications related to cancer treatment, according to an official statement. Known as "Superlungs" for his powerful vocals, Reid began his musical journey with a local band in Cambridgeshire called The Redbeats. By just 16-years-old, Reid was already touring with major acts including The Rolling Stones, Ike & Tina Turner and The Yardbirds. After launching his solo career and befriending guitar legend Jimi Hendrix, Reid again supported The Rolling Stones on their U.S. tour. Jimmy Page, guitarist for The Yardbirds, admired Reid's talent and invited him to join a new band he was forming. Reid declined, committed to The Stones' U.S. tour. Instead, he recommended Robert Plant and John Bonham — both of whom joined Page to form Led Zeppelin. Reflecting on the choice, Reid toldThe Guardianin 2024, 'I was intent on doing my own thing. I contributed half the band – that's enough on my part!' His reputation was so strong that both Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple courted him as their lead singer. In 1969, Reid turned down an offer from Ritchie Blackmore to front Deep Purple after Rod Evans's departure. Reid later said, 'It was very flattering. Ritchie was one hell of a guitar player.' Ian Gillan ultimately became Deep Purple's vocalist. Over his career, Reid released more than seven solo albums, beginning with 1968's Bang, Bang You're Terry Reid. His most celebrated work, River, saw renewed attention in 2016 with the release of The Other Side of the River, featuring previously unreleased tracks. By the 1980s, Reid transitioned into a sought-after session vocalist, collaborating with artists such as Don Henley, Bonnie Raitt and The Replacements. Reid's influence and unique voice earned him praise from legends like Aretha Franklin, who famously said in 1968, 'There are only three things happening in England: The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, and Terry Reid.' Terry Reid, Legendary Musician Who Turned Down Led Zeppelin, Dies at 75 first appeared on Parade on Aug 5, 2025 This story was originally reported by Parade on Aug 5, 2025, where it first appeared. Solve the daily Crossword
