The first years
American singer Dean Reed during a concert, 1977
Klaus Winkler/ullstein bild/Getty Images
Dean Reed was involved in athletics, basketball and horse riding at school, and also studied at the student school for a year. He first picked up a guitar at the age of 12. In 1956, Reed attended the University of Colorado to work as a meteorologist, simultaneously performing rock and roll and country music in bars. Two years later, the artist left school and went to Hollywood.
Reed was noticed during screen tests at Warner Bros. and was offered to study at the studio’s school. He has worked with actress Jean Seberg and singer Phil Everly. Reed was introduced to leftist views in the lessons of teacher Peyton Price. Biographer Fyodor Razzakov in his book “Dean Reed: The Tragedy of the Red Ranger” said that for two years the singer lived with a teacher, his senior friend.
American singer Dean Reed at the Palace of Pioneers on Lenin Heights in Moscow, 1979
Boris Kavashkin/TASS
“Price was known as a pacifist, and he managed to instill his views on this subject in his student. And although Dean could never understand and accept one of Price’s actions (during the war, he refused to serve in the American army, which entered the war against fascism and for which he eventually went to prison), but in everything else he is his unquestionable teacher, whom he supports. “In fact, Price helped Dean look at many events in American history from a new perspective,” he says in the book.
Also in 1958, the artist came to the Capitol Records studio with a demo version of the song “Once Again”. Executives liked him and Reed signed a long-term contract with the company. Producers tried to make him a teen idol. “The Search” became his only entry on the Billboard chart, peaking at number 96. However, the song “Our Summer Romance” turned out to be very popular in South America. In March 1962, Capitol Records sent Reed on a forty-day tour of Brazil, Chile, and Peru.
in south america
American singer Dean Reed speaking at the World Meeting “For Peace and Life Against Nuclear War,” 1983
Yuri Abramochkin/RIA Novosti
Realizing that his career in the United States had stalled, Reed moved to South America. There he gained great popularity along with Elvis Presley and Paul Enka. He recorded albums, acted in films and hosted television programs in Argentina. During this period, the films “Summer in Guadalajara” (1965) and “First Love” (1965) were released with Reed’s participation.
At the same time, the singer actively demonstrated his civic position. While in Chile, he supported left-wing political views and opposed nuclear weapons, the Vietnam War, oppression and poverty. She gave free concerts in poor neighborhoods and prisons. During his tour of South America, Reed sent letters to the press in Chile and Peru, urging citizens to send messages to President John Kennedy asking him to stop nuclear weapons testing. On May 22, 1962, the Los Angeles Times reported:
“The Hollywood singer performs not on the rock and roll stage, but on the political podium, intervening in the government’s nuclear policy issues. Such news came from Santiago de Chile and Lima, the capital of Peru. They excited both Hollywood and Washington. The singer’s name is Dean Reed and he has a contract with Capitol Records.”
The authorities did not like Reed’s left-wing activities; Moreover, he became friends with Soviet football player Lev Yashin during the 1962 FIFA World Cup in Chile. American Ambassador to Chile Charles Cole, who saw their photo together in one of the newspapers, was very angry.
“What does this entertainer think of himself? This is necessary: openly fraternize with the Reds while shooting Soviet civilians!” — Quoting Cole Razzakov.
The ambassador was referring to the tragic consequences of the Novocherkassk rebellion, which took place in the Rostov region in June 1962 and was already known in the United States.
in europe
American singer Dean Reed with a bear cub in Karelia, 1974
Maisterman Semyon/ITAR-TASS
In July 1965, Reed traveled to Europe for the first time and spoke at the World Peace Congress in Helsinki. There he was noticed by one of the Soviet officials and he was invited to go on tour to the USSR. The tour took place in 1966.
“Perhaps the biggest surprise during my trip to the Soviet Union was to discover that in communist countries like Russia and Czechoslovakia, they had more freedom from fear of the future, freedom from fear of old age, freedom from fear of death. The illness was due to a lack of work, Reed said.
The singer later returned to Argentina, but was soon deported from there following the military coup in the country. The singer moved to Italy with his wife and daughter, where he starred in “spaghetti westerns”, Italian-made films about the Wild West. Reed appeared in 12 films in total in Italy. In 1970, a week before the Chilean presidential election, she was arrested for publicly washing the US flag in front of the American Consulate in Santiago. Politician and poet Pablo Neruda helped him get out of prison. Reed returned to Chile in 1971, where he was rearrested for 21 days. Later, his wife filed for divorce and went to the USA with her daughter. In total, the singer was married three times and had two daughters.
American singer Dean Reed with his wife Renata Blume in Moscow, 1981
Alexander Konkov/TASS
In 1971, Reed wrote an open letter to Alexander Solzhenitsyn accusing him of slandering the USSR. Two years later, he decided to settle permanently in East Germany, where he continued writing screenplays and acting in films. During the years he spent in East Germany, he acted in 20 films, produced 13 records and gave concerts in 32 countries. Many of Reed’s songs during this period were unsanctioned covers of hits by Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley, The Beatles, and others. In 1978, he starred in the biographical film “El Cantor” (“The Singer”), about his friend, the popular Chilean musician Victor Jara.
at BAM
American singer Dean Reed (right) during a marathon lap on the BAM highway, 1979
Evgeniy Koktysh/RIA Novosti
In 1974, BAM (Baikal-Amur Main Line) was declared an All-Union Komsomol shock construction site. This year, construction crews moved towards each other from Lake Baikal and the Pacific Ocean, laying thousands of kilometers of railway over 10 years, meeting in the middle at the Balbukhta pass in the Chita region.
Many artists came to tour the crowded areas of BAM, including Lev Leshchenko, Joseph Kobzon, Valentina Tolkunova, Edita Piekha and others. In 1979, Reed toured the “construction site of the century” with the Belarusian band “Verasy” and was the headliner of the “Mainline Lights” festival. He dedicated several songs to BAM and also released a film about the construction site called “I Wish You Happiness”. During the tour, he shot a video for the song “This Train” while walking with his guitar on the roof of a moving train. Gennady Starikov, a member of the Verasy group, remembered Reed in his comment to Belarus Today:
“His best gambling qualities were revealed at BAM. He loved everything that moved. When he saw a horse, he immediately jumped into the saddle and started galloping. No wonder he wears a rodeo hat and cowboy boots. When he saw the GAZ-69, he shouted: “Jeep! Jeep! Soviet jeep! – and immediately asked to let him lead. “I took turns on a motorcycle and sang on the roof of a moving train.”
He noted that 12 thousand people attended Reed’s concert in Ust-Ilimsk in the Irkutsk region. According to Starikov, “a universal roar of admiration” was heard when the presenter announced that the singer had been imprisoned five times.
Valentina Patsera, the organizer of concerts and festivals at BAM, also reminded the American singer’s visit in her comment. “Amurskaya Pravda”. He said that during a concert at the Yunost cultural center in Tynda, people who did not have enough space gathered inside and asked Reed to open the doors so everyone could listen to his performance.
“I will always remember how Dean Reed addressed the audience. He said: “It’s wonderful, you live in a free country. You could live better, richer, but you are generous, kind and generous, you saved millions of hungry children in Africa, all progressive humanity loves you! Thank you and greetings!” After these words, the entire hall stood up,” said Patsera.
In Tynda, Reed also gave a concert to BAM builders on the “festival” hill, where, according to local residents, the whole city gathered – “there was nowhere to stand.”
last years
American singer Dean Reed on the set of the movie “Whale and Co”, 1974
Semyon Maisterman/TASS
While living in East Germany, Reed did not join the ruling Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED). According to one version, he retained his love for America, which he reflected in his songs, while criticizing the US government and economic policies. The singer also never renounced her American citizenship and continued to file returns with the IRS.
He also said in a 1986 television interview with CBS’s “60 Minutes” that he supported the USSR’s involvement in the Afghan conflict and the construction of the Berlin Wall. The singer also compared 40th US President Ronald Reagan to Joseph Stalin, angering many Americans, including Reed’s family and friends. He was accused of treason. Six weeks after this interview, Reed died; his body was found in a pond. It was later revealed that he took his own life.
Source: Gazeta
Brandon Hall is an author at “Social Bites”. He is a cultural aficionado who writes about the latest news and developments in the world of art, literature, music, and more. With a passion for the arts and a deep understanding of cultural trends, Brandon provides engaging and thought-provoking articles that keep his readers informed and up-to-date on the latest happenings in the cultural world.