February 2003 ~ Featuring Harold Reed
Our industry has always experienced change in personnel within group, and here lately there seems to have been a lot of changes taking place. Many young guys come and go from traveling, and it's often hard to find young people that have been involved in Southern Gospel Music for over a decade, much less in the same group for that period of time. That has been the case for the Dixie Melody Boys' tenor singer Harold Reed. Harold began traveling full time in Southern Gospel Music in 1989, directly out of high school. To my knowledge, other than the legendary Archie Watkins, no other tenor singer traveling today has been with the same group as long as Harold has been with the Dixie Melody Boys. That's quite impressive considering he is still a young man with many years ahead of him in Gospel Music. This month I would like to share a little with you about one of my favorite tenor singers and best friends, Harold Reed.

Harold Reed is the son of Bill and Sandra Reed. He was born on February 28, 1971. He has two older sisters, Amy and Tari. He is originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, but now resides in Kinston, North Carolina, where the group is based. He was saved when he was eighteen years old at his pastors home. He attends Tanglewood Church in Kinston, NC.

Harold says that his only hobby is trying to keep up with his wife Melissa. They were married on July 2, 2002. One of his collections includes Nascar memorabilia. Harold was exposed to Southern Gospel Music at an early age and says that he was hooked. His biggest influence was the Kingsmen Quartet. He saw them in concert when he was young and from that moment on, he knew that singing Southern Gospel Music is what he wanted to do. He credits Squire Parsons as the most influential individual. After Harold graduated high school, he traveled with Squire Parsons for a year, and says that Squire was very helpful to him with advice and vocal tips.

After traveling with Squire, Harold joined the Melodyaires and spent three years with the South Carolina based group. While he was singing with the Melodyaires, they had the Dixie Melody Boys booked at their Homecoming in South Carolina. Eric Ollis asked Harold if he was looking to sing full time. Harold told him that he was and gave Eric a video and cd for him to pass along. Two weeks later, McCray Dove called and asked if Harold was still interested in the job. Ed O'Neal had told McCray to call and setup a tryout. Harold went for an audition and knew all of the DMB material. At that time, Rodney Griffin was singing baritone for the Dixie Melody Boys, and Ed told Rodney to get some songs together for Harold to learn. A week later, Ed called and offered Harold the job. Harold's first official date with the Dixie Melody Boys was on December 30, 1993 at the age of twenty-two.

On the road, Harold's job is to set up and run the sound system and he sits up at night to help keep Eric awake while he drives the bus. Harold says that he loves traveling with the Dixie Melody Boys and he couldn't ask for a greater guy to work for than Ed O'Neal.

Harold says that the one thing that he has enjoyed most about traveling and being a part of Southern Gospel Music is the friendships that he has made. He believes that some of the most talented people in music are involved in Southern Gospel Music. Harold has become one of the favorite tenor singers in Southern Gospel Music and has one of the highest and most recognizable tenor voices. I enjoy listening to Harold and the rest of the group. I think that they have one of the best quartets on the road today! Harold has one of those fun personalities that draws people to him.

For more photos and information about Harold Reed and the Dixie Melody Boys, visit their website at: www.dixiemelodyboys.com. The Dixie Melody Boys are one of my favorite groups to listen to and work with. I am glad to call all of these guys good friends. In the near future I'll be writing about some of the other guys in the group. Ed O'Neal has an excellent group today and if you haven't had the pleasure of seeing them in person, then I urge you to go see them and buy some of their music. If you are a fan of traditional male quartet singing, you won't be disappointed.