Dean Reed

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Dean Reed
Dean Reed in the 1960s
Dean Reed in the 1960s
Background information
Birth name Dean Cyril Reed
Also known as Mr. Simpatia, Red Elvis
Born September 22, 1938
Origin Denver, Colorado, United States of America
Died June 13, 1986 (aged 47)
Genre(s) Pop, Country, Rock'n'Roll
Occupation(s) Singer, musician, actor, writer, director
Instrument(s) Vocals, guitar
Years active 1958–1986
Label(s) Capitol Records, Melodiya
Associated acts Víctor Jara

Dean Cyril Reed (September 22, 1938 – June 13, 1986) was an American actor, singer and songwriter who lived a great part of his adult life in South America, then in the communist German Democratic Republic.

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[edit] Life and career

Dean Reed was born in Denver, Colorado and moved with his family many times, living in various cities in California and Utah, and later returning to Colorado. After a couple years at the University of Colorado, Reed moved to California after realizing he had some talent as a musician, and recorded "Once Again" for Imperial Records as a one-off single to see if reaction to it would justify a full contract. No contract was offered by Imperial, but Reed subsequently signed a long-term recording contract with Capitol Records in 1958. Capitol groomed him to be a teen idol and he produced some modestly popular singles, including I Kissed a Queen, The Search, and Our Summer Romance. He also made guest appearances on family television programs such as Bachelor Father.

[edit] International fame

While Reed never achieved any musical success in the US, Our Summer Romance proved to be so popular in South America that he stayed on in Argentina following a South American tour. His fame, and record sales there (as well as in Chile and Perú, where he also appeared on the major TV network, and sang on at least one occasion, at the special request of a member of the Peruvian oligarchy for a 16th birthday celebration), were certainly noteworthy, even exceeding those of his idol, Elvis Presley.

This particular "achievement", translated by his biographers as Reed being the "Red Elvis", or as being more popular and a hotter record seller both in South America and behind the Iron Curtain than Elvis Presley, but without the specific mention of the latter being his idol—which helps to put into perspective what that actually meant in terms of achievement, for Reed or for his fans—is somewhat misleading as there were, in addition to Reed, many other singers, local and foreign who were more popular than Presley was, even at his peak, in these two markets.

While living in South America, Reed made numerous albums, movies, toured extensively, and even appeared on his own television program in Buenos Aires. In Chile, he developed an unusually late left wing political philosophy, and began to speak out against oppression and poverty. He protested against nuclear weapons and US foreign policy, and performed shows for free in poor barrios and in prisons. Back in Buenos Aires, his politics eventually ran afoul of official Argentine government policies and he was deported in 1966.

He lived in Rome for a time, acting in TV commercials and "Spaghetti Western" movies such as Adios Sabata, and touring Central and Eastern Europe, including the Soviet Union, where he was immensely popular.

[edit] Life in the Soviet bloc

In 1973, Reed chose to settle permanently in the German Democratic Republic, where he continued to write, direct, and perform in films. Over the years, he played in 20 films, produced 13 records, and gave concerts in 32 countries.

While committed to the politics of his adopted socialist home, he did not join the ruling Socialist Unity Party (SED) and preferred to define himself as a Marxist rather than a communist. Despite his opposition to many US policies, he professed his love of America until the end of his life, and his songs often reflected his fondness for his homeland. He never renounced his US citizenship and continued to file tax returns for the IRS.

However, in a 1986 television interview on CBS's 60 Minutes, he defended the building of the Berlin Wall and the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, which angered many in the US, including family and friends. Following the interview, Reed received hate mail from the US accusing him of being a traitor.

[edit] Death and legacy

Six weeks after his appearance on 60 Minutes, Reed was found dead in a lake near his home, near East Berlin. Though it was officially ruled an accidental drowning, his friends in Germany suspected that his death was a suicide, while his family in the US claimed that he had been murdered.

For a recent biography, Rock 'n' Roll Radical: The Life & Mysterious Death of Dean Reed, author Chuck Laszewski gained access to Reed's Stasi file, which contained a suicide note and an apparent apology (written on the back of a movie script) to the East German leader, SED General Secretary Erich Honecker. This was covered up by the GDR authorities, who feared that the discovery of his suicide would disparage their state.

The University of Colorado sponsors the Dean Reed Peace Prize, an annual essay contest held in Reed's memory.

Tom Hanks has optioned a biography by Reggie Nadelson, titled Comrade Rockstar, and is planning to produce a movie on Reed's life, which is also the subject of the documentaries American Rebel: The Dean Reed Story (1985),[1] Dean Reed - Glamour und Protest (1993)[2] and Der Rote Elvis (The Red Elvis) (2007).[3][4] In 2004, the Russian Federation "Rossiya" television channel aired a documentary on Dean Reed, "Кто Вы, Мистер Рид?" ("Who Are You, Mister Reed?"), which speculated that Reed may have secretly worked for the CIA to collect information on the Soviet Union.[5]

A musical based on the life and death of Dean Reed is in development in the UK with the title Comrade Rockstar. The book and lyrics are by Julian Woolford and the music by Richard John. It is not directly based on any single source. One song from this musical, Smallville Colorado was sung by Carl Au when he won the Sondheim Student Singer of the Year at the Venue in London's Leicester Square. One hours material from the show was presented in workshop by students from London's Arts Educational School in November 2007.

[edit] References

  1. ^ American Rebel: The Dean Reed Story at the Internet Movie Database
  2. ^ Dean Reed - Glamour und Protest at the Internet Movie Database
  3. ^ Der Rote Elvis at the Internet Movie Database
  4. ^ The Red Elvis showing schedule
  5. ^ Кто Вы, Мистер Рид? Телеканал Россия, 2004, is available on DVD from http://www.videoserial.ru/dokument.html

[edit] External links