Vernon Reid
| Vernon Reid | |
|---|---|
Vernon Reid, 2016
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Vernon Alphonsus Reid |
| Born |
22 August 1958 London, England |
| Genres | Alternative metal, funk metal, heavy metal |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, songwriter, producer |
| Instruments | Guitar |
| Years active | 1979–present |
| Associated acts | Living Colour, Spectrum Road, Masque, Free Form Funky Freqs, Yohimbe Brothers, Defunkt, Ronald Shannon Jackson, Burnt Sugar, Jack Bruce, James Blood Ulmer, Pharoahe Monch, Immortal Technique, Kashif. |
| Website | www |
| Notable instruments | |
| ESP Mirage, Parker Vernon Reid Dragonfly | |
Vernon Alphonsus Reid (born 22 August 1958) is an English-born American guitarist, songwriter, composer, bandleader, and photographer. Best known as the founder and primary songwriter of the rock band Living Colour, Reid was named No. 66 on Rolling Stone magazine's 2004 list of the 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time, although he was not included on the revised 2011 list.
Critic Steve Huey writes, "[Reid's] rampant eclecticism encompasses everything from heavy metal and punk to funk, R&B and avant-garde jazz, and his anarchic, lightning-fast solos have become something of a hallmark as well."
Reid was born in London, England, to Caribbean parents, but he was raised in New York City. He attended the prestigious math-science-engineering Brooklyn Technical High School, then New York University.
He first came to prominence in the 1980s in the band of drummer Ronald Shannon Jackson. 1984's Smash & Scatteration was a duo record with guitarist Bill Frisell. In 1985, Reid co-founded the Black Rock Coalition with journalist Greg Tate and producer Konda Mason.
Reid is best known for leading Living Colour. Early versions of the group formed in New York City in 1983, but the personnel solidified in 1985–86, and Reid led the group for about another decade.
Among the highlights: a double Platinum-selling debut album Vivid, released in 1988; its gold-certified successor, Time's Up, released 1990; two consecutive Grammy Awards in the category of Best Hard Rock Performance; opening for the Rolling Stones' 1989 "Steel Wheels" tour; and appearing on the first Lollapalooza tour in the summer of 1991. Living Colour broke up in 1995 but eventually reformed in 2000. Since then, they have released two more albums: Collideøscope in October 2003 on Sanctuary Records and The Chair in the Doorway in September 2009 on Megaforce Records.
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