Terry Reid, Rock Singer Known as 'Superlungs,' Dies at 75

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Terry Reid, Rock Singer Known as ‘Superlungs,’ Dies at 75

He missed his chance to be Led Zeppelin’s lead vocalist, but his solo work — and his otherworldly voice — drew raves from Aretha Franklin and others.


Terry Reid in performance in 1973. During his prime, in the late 1960s and the ’70s, his powerful vocal stylings were compared favorably to the likes of Rod Stewart. Michael Putland/Getty Images

By Alex Williams
Aug. 10, 2025

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.”


From left, the drummer Keith Webb, Mr. Reid and the keyboardist Bill Bonham on the cover of Mr. Reid’s first album, released in 1968. Epic

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.”

{snip}


Mr. Reid was burdened for life with questions about his decision not to become the lead singer of Led Zeppelin. Robert Plant, who took the job instead, called Mr. Reid “probably the best singer of that period.”Michael Putland/Getty Images

{snip}


Mr. Reid in 1964, around the time he left school to join a band that would later open for the Rolling Stones. via Reid family

{snip}

Alex Williams is a Times reporter on the Obituaries desk.

[Eliot Rosewater]

1. What a voice. RIP

[Bristlecone]

2. Bummer. Dean is a fantastic song.

There’s a live version of it at Glastonbury on the web off and on.

[highplainsdem]

3. Sad news. Such great talent, hobbled by bad luck. There's an extremely long article in Classic Rock

magazine, written in 2015 by his friend and road manager Simon Sessler, about how his career went, and the magazine republished it on the 5th, the day after Terry.died.

https://www.loudersound.com/bands-artists/terry-reid-story

It was during the summer of 1968 that The Yardbirds split up. With a short tour of Scandinavia already booked, bassist Chris Dreja and guitarist Jimmy Page decided to fulfil their obligation by hiring new members just for the shows but Dreja pulled out, leaving Page, who was now not allowed to use the name, told that he could bill the band as The New Yardbirds. So all he needed was that band.

Because they were both involved with Mickie Most, and represented by his partner, Peter Grant, Terry was asked if he was interested in standing in as the singer for the dates. Although it would have been fun, the timing was less than perfect. Work had already begun on his new album and the dates clashed with The Doors/Jefferson Airplane tour on which he was already booked, so he was left with no alternative but to refuse.

Soon after that, however, he bumped into two old friends, Robert Plant and John Bonham from the Band Of Joy, who had played on the same bill as Terry many times in London’s Kings Cross. Apparently, their band had recently split and Plant was now fronting the gloriously named Hobbstweedle, while Bonham, he says, was disillusioned and talking about giving up altogether.

Terry took them to a local café and told them about a new band being put together for which they would be perfect. He then took them straight round to the RAK office to introduce them personally. The rest is history. Terry never, in fact, turned down Led Zeppelin. There was no Led Zeppelin. He simply turned down nine shows with The New Yardbirds. If anything, Terry should get the credit for his major role in the band’s creation.

That's what Sessler was told by Terry.

Sessler goes on to write that "it was Jimmy’s band and Jimmy’s vision, and he wanted a frontman. Terry, a great guitar player in his own right, would never have been content to be the singer alone." He doesn't think Zeppelin could have existed without the four men who formed the band. I don't know if this was also Terry's opinion, because Sessler doesn't indicate if it was. But Terry did want people to know he hadn't turned down Led Zeppelin. He had turned down 9 shows with the New Yardbirds.

He had such bad luck getting his albums released. This article goes into that in great detail. But Sessler wanted people to focus on Terry's triumphs - the albums, the songs, the live performances. Terry was still doing live shows in 2015, and Sessler urged people to.go see him.

[highplainsdem]

4. Different article, this one on what Robert Plant said about Terry:

https://rewindstl.com/2025/08/06/robert-plant-remembers-terry-reid-the-man-who-nearly-fronted-led-zeppelin/

This article mention that there are differences in the stories of why Terry turned Jimmy Page down - one version mentioning a tour with the Stones, the other saying it was Jefferson Airplane.

[steelyboo]

5. Sorry to hear this, just became familiar with him in the last few years

The "Seed of Memory" has been in my rotation for ever since I first heard it. Incredible singer.

?si=QHlwLqJxSFCuc3az