@jhilker & everyone . . .
Here's an incredible, world-class Musician, Husband & Father; as well as a world-class Songwriter, Concert Pianist, Composer & Country Music Singer, from Altoona, Pennsylvania, that most people have probably never heard of!
And, before he explored and built his very successful musical career, he was a defensive tackle for five seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League!
Michael Barry Reid — is an American Country Music Artist, Composer, Songwriter, Concert Pianist, and former Professional NFL Football Player. *All info in list from Wiki:
⦁ Graduated from Pennsylvania State University, where he played college football & varsity wrestled for the Penn State Nittany Lions
⦁ College Heavyweight Wrestling Champ
⦁ College Football Hall of Fame
⦁ Selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the 1st round of the 1970 NFL draft - with the seventh overall pick
⦁ 2x All-Pro NFL Defensive Lineman
⦁ NFL First-team All-Pro (1972)
⦁ NFL Second-team All-Pro (1973)
⦁ NFL 2× Pro Bowl (1972, 1973)
⦁ NFL Maxwell Award (1969)
⦁ NFL Outland Trophy (1969)
⦁ NFL Unanimous All-American (1969)
⦁ NFL Second-team All-American (1968)
⦁ Retired from the NFL after the 1974 season
⦁ Nashville Songwriter Hall of Fame
⦁ Co-wrote several hit singles for country music artists, including Ronnie Milsap's,
Stranger in My House, which won a Grammy Award for Best Country Song (1984)
⦁ Writer & singer of his own No. 1 country hit, '
Walk on Faith' (1990)
⦁ Composed & co-wrote Bonnie Raitt's hit single,
I Can't Make You Love Me (1991); No. 8 on the British music magazine, Mojo — on its list of the 100 Greatest Songs of All Time!
⦁ Wrote Collin Raye's 1992 hit,
In This Life
⦁ Concert Pianist —Performed in several Symphony Orchestra's —performed as a pianist for the Utah Symphony Orchestra, Dallas Symphony Orchestra, and Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra
⦁ Composer —Orchestration, Songwriter, Musical Theater; composer of musicals, dance and chamber pieces, an opera, even a musical adaptation of poet Billy Collins'
'The Night House'
⦁ Mike Reid later began a solo recording career, releasing two studio albums for Columbia Records. He charted seven singles on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks (now Hot Country Songs) chart as a singer, including:
l 'll Stop Loving You, and his number one hit,
Walk on Faith, both on his Turning For Home album
, as well as many other great songs like,
Till You Were Gone &
Your Love Stays With Me &
Turning For Home &
This Road &
As Simple As That &
I Got a Life, &c, to name a few!
An apt quote, I think, from a commenter on one of Mike Reid's YouTube pages:
"I don't know what else....maybe he [also] helped split the atom???"
Mike Reid's - Amazon Music Bio:
"A former defensive tackle for the NFL's Cincinnati Bengals, Mike Reid was one of the most sensitive writers of romantic songs in contemporary country music. He was born in Altoona, Pennsylvania, the son of a railroad worker. Although he was a piano player from age six, Reid's real passion was sports; in 1969 he won the Outland Trophy as the best collegiate defensive lineman in the country. Reid also began to develop his musical talents, playing with local bands and graduating with a degree in music. He was drafted in the first round, and became the league's Defensive Rookie of the Year in 1970.
In addition to playing football, Reid also played music with local bands. While recovering from an injury, he met Larry Gatlin, who encouraged Reid's music and admired his song "Time Runs Away." In the off-season, Reid performed as a classical pianist with symphony orchestras in Dallas, Cincinnati, and Utah. In 1975, after undergoing knee surgery, Reid left football, joined the Apple Butter Band, and began playing Colorado ski resorts. As a songwriter, he was inspired by Leonard Cohen and Randy Newman. One of his songs was recorded by Jerry Jeff Walker in 1978, spurring him to pursue a solo career. He signed to ATV Publishing in 1980 and remained there for a year and a half. After meeting the head of Milsap Music, Rob Galbraith, Reid moved to the label and penned a few songs which appeared on Ronnie Milsap's 1982 album Inside, providing Milsap with a number one single, "Stranger in My House." Sylvia also scored a major hit with one of Reid's songs. He continued as a successful songwriter for other artists as well, including Mark Gray, Marie Osmond, Tanya Tucker, and Conway Twitty, who had a major hit with "Fallin' for You for Years."
Through the '80s, Reid penned 11 number one hits. In 1990, he began his recording career, signing to Columbia and releasing Turning for Home, which contained the number one hit "Walk on Faith." Reid appeared on the charts three more times in 1991 with songs such as "As Simple as That." His most successful year was 1992, when he wrote several number one hits for others, including Collin Raye's "In This Life." ~ Sandra Brennan"
Edited: list additions
What does it typically cost to stream Tidal's HQ options?
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