Lula Reed facts for kids

Lula Reed was an American singer who made music in the 1950s and 1960s. She sang R&B and gospel songs. Her real name was Lula Marietta McClelland. She had two popular R&B songs in 1952. She sang with bandleader Sonny Thompson and later with guitarist Freddy King. Sometimes people called her Lulu Reed.

Early Life and Music Beginnings

Lula Reed was born in Mingo Junction, Ohio. When she was a child, her family moved to Port Clinton, Ohio. There, she sang in her church choir. A blind gospel singer named Professor Harold Boggs helped her learn.

Lula then tried out for Sonny Thompson's band in Toledo, Ohio. She won the spot over 50 other singers! She started recording music with Sonny Thompson in 1951. Her first song was "I'll Drown in My Tears." It became a hit in 1952. Later, Ray Charles also recorded this song.

Rising to Fame

Lula's next song with Sonny Thompson was "Let's Call It A Day." This song also became very popular. Most of her later songs were released under her own name. However, she continued to record with Sonny Thompson. They even got married in 1954!

Lula was a very talented singer. She could sing many types of songs. She sang both gospel music and blues and R&B. Her song "Rock Love" was later sung by another artist, Little Willie John. In 1954, she was voted one of the top R&B singers. She kept recording for King Records until 1956.

Later Career and Legacy

After King Records, Lula and Sonny Thompson recorded for other labels. They made music for Argo Records from 1958 to 1960. Then, they returned to Cincinnati. In 1961, they started recording for Federal Records. Lula released several songs on Federal. Many of these featured the famous guitarist Freddy King. They also released an album together called Boy-Girl-Boy in 1962.

Lula then joined Tangerine Records, a company started by Ray Charles. She recorded more songs there in the early 1960s. Her last song was released in 1967. After that, she stopped making music. She felt that her last record company did not promote her enough.

Lula Reed passed away in Detroit, Michigan in 2008. She was 82 years old. She often talked about her singing career with her family. She hoped her granddaughters would follow in her musical footsteps.

You can still listen to her music today! Several collections of her songs have been released. One of them is called I'll Drown in My Tears – The King Anthology.