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.”

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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

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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

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Alex Williams is a Times reporter on the Obituaries desk.