Lula Reed

A longstanding associate of pianist and producer Sonny Thompson, vocalist Lula Reed maintained a consistent recording schedule for Cincinnati-based King Records throughout the mid-'50s, having first appeared on disc in 1951 to deliver Thompson’s original rendition of the moving ballad “I’ll Drown in My Tears,” later a 1956 hit for Ray Charles under the title “Drown in My Own Tears.”

Initially functioning as Thompson’s featured singer, the attractive chanteuse had gained enough standing by 1952 to secure solo releases on King. Her range extended from urban blues, her primary style, to gospel during one 1954 date. The strident 1954 recording “Rock Love” was subsequently covered by labelmate Little Willie John. Reed spent a short period on the Chess subsidiary Argo in 1958-1959 before rejoining King’s Federal imprint in 1961, again guided by Thompson. There she cut a run of sassy duets with guitarist Freddy King in March 1962. She next shifted to Ray Charles’s Tangerine logo for 1962-1963, after which her activities remain undocumented.