Legendary Singer Terry Reid, Who Snubbed Led Zeppelin, Dies at 75
Kai Montgomery here. Look, I do not want to be the one to break more bad news about another rock legend passing but here we are.
English rock veteran Terry Reid, best known for turning down offers to front both Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple, has died at 75. His UK representative confirmed the news to The Guardian on August 5. Reid’s death follows a brave but private battle with cancer. Although an official cause has not been disclosed, his family hinted that his health struggles mounted after aggressive treatment earlier this year.
Reid was forced to postpone a planned autumn 2025 tour of the UK, Ireland and Norway due to “medical issues arising from recent treatment for cancer,” according to a July 2 post on his official Instagram page. Fans had been eagerly awaiting his first performances in Norway and several fresh venues on the back of a triumphant 2024 run.
A GoFundMe campaign established in June laid bare the mounting costs of Reid’s care. The page detailed how he endured multiple hospital stays and intensive therapies that drained his finances. “Terry would never ask for help himself,” the campaign noted, “so we are stepping in to honor his quietly courageous fight.”
Born in Cambridgeshire, England, Reid cut his teeth as a teen fronting Peter Jay and the Jaywalkers. At 16 he supported the Rolling Stones in Britain, which led to a 1966 invitation from Jimmy Page, then of the Yardbirds, to join the fledgling group that would become Led Zeppelin. Reid later told Classic Rock magazine, “I was torn between Keith Richards and Jimmy. In the end, I went with the Stones, and Jimmy ended up with Robert Plant and John Bonham.”
Not content with one pass, Reid also declined Ritchie Blackmore’s invitation to replace Rod Evans in Deep Purple in 1969. “It was flattering,” he admitted to The Guardian in 2024, “but I was intent on doing my own thing.” His decision helped cement what many call rock’s greatest acts, even as Reid pursued a solo career defined by his powerhouse vocals on albums like Seed of Memory.
Tributes flooded social media after news of Reid’s passing. Blues-rock guitarist Joe Bonamassa took to Instagram to call him “one of the greatest to ever do it” and praised Reid as both mentor and “Superlungs” performer. Fellow musicians and fans alike reflected on Reid’s influence and those near-misses that shaped rock history.
Reid never regretted his choices. “I contributed half the band,” he quipped about Led Zeppelin’s lineup. “That’s enough on my part.” Even now, his life serves as a lesson in following one’s own path, no matter the legendary detours offered along the way.
And that, dear reader, is why saying no can sometimes echo louder than a sold-out stadium.
Sources: Celebrity Storm and The Guardian, Classic Rock, Instagram, GoFundMe
Attribution: Creative Commons Licensed
