Singer-songwriter Terry Reid, who turned down Led Zeppelin, dead at 75
British singer Terry Reid, who turned down the chance to become Led Zeppelin‘s singer, has died aged 75.
Last month, Reid, who earned the nickname ‘Superlungs due to his vocal prowess, was forced to cancel a number of shows “due to medical issues arising from recent treatment for cancer”. It has now been confirmed he’s died due to his battle with cancer.
The extensive tour was scheduled to begin in Wolverhampton on September 11th and conclude in Trondheim a month later.
Tributes have already begun to pour in, with Joe Bonamassa writing on social media, “One of the greatest to ever do it and a beautiful person and soul.”
Reid’s music career began at age 15 when he left school to join Peter Jay’s Jaywalkers. He then thrust himself into a lifelong love affair with rock ‘n’ roll, which would continue to burn bright for 60 years.
He was a pivotal part of the London scene in the 1960s, and was close friends with Jimi Hendrix. The pair often jammed at The Revolution Club, and Hendrix regularly sought sanctuary at Reid’s home when he wanted to escape the constant partying at his property.
During an interview with Far Out in 2021, Reid recalled watching Hendrix make one of his first performances on British soil in 1966 at the Scotch of St James in London, sharing, “All of a sudden, about halfway through the evening at about nine o’clock, all these people came in. Paul McCartney, Keith Richards , Brian Jones, you name it, they were there.”
He continued: “Pete Townshend was there, everybody was there, and everybody was riveted. It was just like cardboard cut-outs. Nobody moved.”
Later, Jimmy Page attempted to recruit Reid for Led Zeppelin, but he instead wanted to focus on his own solo career, and recommended Robert Plant for the role along with drummer John Bonham. Reid also shunned Ritchie Blackmore’s offer to front Deep Purple.
Throughout his esteemed career, Reid released seven studio albums, including the 1976 masterpiece Seed of Memory. For a Far Out feature, Jake Bugg selected the record as one of his nine all-time favourite albums, labelling Reid as “an absolutely amazing songwriter with a great voice.”
In the late 1960s, Reid toured with the likes of The Rolling Stones, Cream, Fleetwood Mac and Jethro Tull. His final show took place at The Half Moon in London last September.
Despite his own career never hitting the same commercial heights as Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple, Reid never looked back with an ounce of regret. He embarked upon his desired path, and etched his name into the rock ‘n’ roll history books on his own terms without compromise.
His last album, The Other Side of the River, was released in 2016. It was his first studio effort in 25 years.
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