"Susan Reed" has been added to your list of bookmarked artists
close
Susan Reed
Biography
At one time, in the 1940s, Susan Reed bade fair to becoming a star in the world of folk music. The South Carolina-born Irish harpist/singer emerged during the second half of the 1940s to much critical and popular acclaim, doing traditional ballads accompanying herself on the zither or harp. Along with Ruth Welcome, she was even something of a beneficiary of the zither craze caused by the movie The Third Man when it opened in America in 1950. She performed at the club Cafe Society, appeared on radio and TV, and sang with the likes of Lena Horne and Josh White, and even crossed paths with Leadbelly late in the latter's career. Like various other folk artists who had the temerity to go against the grain and actually stand for something, she became a victim of the blacklist during the 1950s, thus joining the ranks of Pete Seeger and the other members of the Weavers, Jo Mapes, and various artistic personae non gratae in the mass media. As a result, however, her recording career came to a halt in the 1950s. ~ Bruce Eder, All Music Guide