Dean Reed
Dean Reed | |
|---|---|
Reed in 1975 | |
| Background information | |
| Also known as | Mr. Simpatia, Red Elvis |
| Born | Dean Cyril Reed September 22, 1938 |
| Origin | Denver, Colorado, U.S. |
| Died | June 13, 1986 (aged 47) |
| Genres | Pop, country, rock and roll |
| Occupations | Singer, musician, actor, writer, director |
| Instruments | Vocals, guitar |
| Years active | 1958–1986 |
| Labels | Capitol Records, Melodiya, Amiga, Supraphon |
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Dean Cyril Reed (September 22, 1938 – June 13, 1986) was an American actor, singer-songwriter, director, and social activist who lived a great part of his adult life in South America and then in East Germany.
Nicknamed the Red Elvis, Reed was the best-selling Western performer in communist countries, with his songs often topping the local charts, and millions of his records were sold in the Eastern Bloc and elsewhere mostly under the Soviet Melodiya label. He never renounced his U.S. citizenship, despite often denouncing the policy of the U.S. government, and was seen by the Western media as a threat and as a revolutionary artist.