Ola Belle Reed
| Ola Belle Reed | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Ola Wave Campbell August 18, 1916 Grassy Creek, Ashe County, North Carolina U.S. |
| Died | August 16, 2002 (aged 85) |
| Occupation |
Singer-songwriter Banjo player |
| Spouse(s) | Bud Reed |
| Children | 2 |
Ola Belle Reed (August 18, 1916 – August 16, 2002) was an American folk singer, songwriter and banjo player.
Reed was born Ola Belle Campbell in the unincorporated town of Grassy Creek, Ashe County, North Carolina, to Arthur Campbell and Ellen Campbell (née Osborne). She was the fourth of thirteen children.
As a young child, Reed learned the clawhammer-style banjo and along with her musical family, sang old-time songs from the mountain region where they lived.
When she was young, Reed's family moved to Southern Pennsylvania. In the mid-1930s, Reed joined The North Carolina Ridge Runners. She later formed the band, The New River Boys and Girls, with her brother, Alex Campbell, which went on to open the New River Ranch in Rising Sun, Maryland, a music park that hosted many well known performers until being destroyed in 1958. They went on to be the "house band" and broadcast live shows at another music park called Sunset Park in West Grove, Pennsylvania.
Reed's songs often speak of Appalachian life and traditions. Her best-known songs have been recorded by mainstream bluegrass and country artists. High on a Mountain has been recorded by Del McCoury, Tim O'Brien, and Marty Stuart.I've Endured, has been recorded by Del McCoury as well as Tim O'Brien.
The annual Ola Belle Reed Music Festival in Lansing, North Carolina, celebrates her life and music.
In 1949, Reed married to Ralph "Bud" Reed. They had two sons named Ralph and David Reed. She died on August 16, 2002, after a 1987 stroke that had left her unable to continue to perform music. She is buried in West Nottingham Cemetery in West Nottingham, Maryland.
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