Born on a tobacco farm in Moore Springs, North Carolina and reared in Danbury, NC, it should occasion little surprise that bluegrass music holds an important place in Lou’s recollections of early childhood. He recalls watching Lester Flatt and fellow North Carolinian, Earl Scruggs, on their weekly TV show in the early ‘60s and recounts, with enthusiasm, the first time his parents took him to see Flatt and Scruggs in concert at the Sandy Ridge, NC elementary school.

Lou’s parents introduced him to bluegrass and they have supported his fascination with music from the time he first started singing along with a sausage commercial on TV. His father bought him a guitar and an instructional book at an early age and showed Lou some chords to get him started on the path to stardom.

Lou started playing guitar at the age of seven and soon became equally proficient on the banjo, fiddle, guitar, mandolin and bass. He can truly play every instrument in a bluegrass band. IIIrd Tyme Out’s Russell Moore says that “In my mind, Lou Reid is a ‘do it all’ type of musician and singer. I’ve been aware of, and have been listening to, Lou since 1979 when Quicksilver released their first LP. He’s got great vocal range and pitch control, can easily switch from one bluegrass instrument to another (and I think he can play them all), knows a good song when he hears it, and always gives 100% when performing.”

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