Terry Reid, the British singer and guitarist whose soaring vocals and uncompromising independence earned him the nickname “Superlungs,” has died at the age of 75. His U.K. publicist confirmed to The Guardian on August 5 that Reid had been undergoing treatment for cancer in recent months.
Born November 13, 1949, in Cambridgeshire, Reid showed early musical promise, playing with the Redbeats as a teenager before joining Peter Jay and the Jaywalkers. By 16, he was touring with the Rolling Stones, Ike & Tina Turner, and the Yardbirds.
As a solo artist, Reid again supported the Stones on their 1969 tour. That same year, Jimmy Page invited him to join a new band forming from the ashes of the Yardbirds — a band that would become Led Zeppelin. Reid declined, committed to his own touring schedule, and instead recommended Robert Plant and John Bonham. “I contributed half the band – that’s enough on my part!” he told The Guardian in 2024. He similarly turned down an offer from Ritchie Blackmore to front Deep Purple.
Reid’s debut album, Bang Bang, You’re Terry Reid (1968), featured “Without Expression,” a song he’d written at 14 that was later covered by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, John Mellencamp, and REO Speedwagon. After a hiatus, he returned with River (1973) and subsequent albums, later lending his voice and guitar to sessions with Bonnie Raitt, Don Henley, and Jackson Browne.
Over the years, Reid toured with Cream, Fleetwood Mac, and Jethro Tull, and counted Jimi Hendrix as a friend. His final studio album, The Driver, appeared in 1991.
Reid played his last show in September 2024 at London’s Half Moon. A GoFundMe campaign launched this year reflected the deep affection of his fans. He is remembered as a singular voice in British rock — and as an artist who always followed his own path.