Dean Reed

Dean Reed
Reed in 1975
Background information
Birth name	Dean Cyril Reed
Also known as	Mr. Simpatia, Red Elvis
Born	September 22, 1938
Origin	Denver, Colorado, U.S.
Died	June 13, 1986 (aged 47) Zeuthen, East Germany
Genres	Pop, country, rock and roll
Occupation(s)	Singer, musician, actor, writer, director
Instrument(s)	Vocals, guitar
Years active	1958–1986
Labels	Capitol Records, Melodiya, Amiga, Supraphon

Dean Cyril Reed (September 22, 1938 – June 13, 1986) was an American actor, singer-songwriter, director, and social activist who lived a great part of his adult life in South America and then in East Germany. Nicknamed the Red Elvis, Reed was the best-selling Western performer in communist countries, with his songs often topping the local charts, and millions of his records were sold in the Eastern Bloc and elsewhere mostly under the Melodiya label. He never renounced his U.S. citizenship, despite often denouncing the policy of the U.S. government, and was seen by the Western media as a threat and as a revolutionary artist.^[1]