Ola Belle Reed

Biography

Ola Belle Campbell Reed (August 18, 1916 – August 16, 2002) was an American folk singer, songwriter and banjo player. Born in Lansing, North Carolina, Reed's songs often speak of Appalachian life and traditions. Her best known songs have been recorded by mainstream bluegrass and country artists. High on a Mountain, has been recorded by Del McCoury, Tim O'Brien, and Marty Stuart. I've Endured, has been recorded by Del McCoury as well as Tim O'Brien. The annual Ola Belle Reed Music Festival in La...

Ola Belle Campbell Reed (August 18, 1916 – August 16, 2002) was an American folk singer, songwriter and banjo player.

Born in Lansing, North Carolina, Reed's songs often speak of Appalachian life and traditions. Her best known songs have been recorded by mainstream bluegrass and country artists. High on a Mountain, has been recorded by Del McCoury, Tim O'Brien, and Marty Stuart. I've Endured, has been recorded by Del McCoury as well as Tim O'Brien. The annual Ola Belle Reed Music Festival in Lansing, NC celebrates her life and music.
In 1986, Reed was awarded an NEA National Heritage Fellowship.
In 2010, Smithsonian Folkways released Rising Sun Melodies, a collection of 11 songs that appeared on her previous Folkways recordings, plus eight previously unreleased tracks that were recorded at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival in the 1970s. Among the musicians accompanying her on the album were her brother Alex Campbell, her husband Bud Reed, her son Dave Reed, and the husband and wife team of John Coffey and Betsy Rutherford.
In January 2011, Ola Belle Reed's Rising Sun Melodies won The 10th Annual Independent Music Awards in the Reissue category.

Ola Belle Campbell Reed (1915-2002) was an American mountain music matriarch whose music, singing and songwriting has influenced Del McCoury, Tim O'Brien, Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer, The Blood Oranges, Marty Stuart, Demolition String Band, Ollabelle (the band), Uncle Earl and many others who have all recorded and performed her material.

Ola Belle Reed was born Ola Wave Campbell in the mountains of northwestern North Carolina. She learned to pick the banjo at an early age and began writing songs about her life in the mountains.

During the Depression, she moved to Baltimore with her brother Alex, where she performed on radio stations across the state. In 1951, together with her husband Bud and brother Alex, along with his wife Lucy, founded the popular music venue, "The New River Ranch".

Ola Belle has written over two hundred songs, including, "High on a Mountain", "I've Endured", and "The Leading Role". She is the recipient of the National Endowment for the Arts National Heritage Award.

Ola Belle Reed was recently inducted into the WAMA Hall of Fame, The Washington Area Music Awards. This prestigious award recognizes significant career achievements by area musicians. Nominations and balloting come from the WAMA membership. Past show participants include Emmylou Harris, Joan Jett, The Clovers, Bo Diddley, Jorma Kaukonen, Mary Chapin Carpenter,
and Jimmy Dean.

This honorable award was presented to the family of Ola Belle Reed at the 20th Annual Washington Area Music Awards in 2006.

In August 2005 the First Annual Ola Belle Reed Homecoming Festival was presented in Lansing, NC where she had lived growing up. Below is the festival's mission statement


Ola Belle Campbell Reed (1915-2002), legendary country singer, was a strong force for good who touched countless lives. The Ola Belle Campbell Reed Homecoming Festival is an opportunity to celebrate the life and music of this remarkable woman in the locale where her life's journey began, the small community of Lansing, along the New River in the mountains of North Carolina.

The Festival will feature the music of Ola Belle's husband and sons, musicians who played with her over the years, newer groups that are carrying on her tradition, and local talent. It will also celebrate the life and philosophy of a woman who spent a lifetime "tearing down the fences that fence us all in."

"High on a mountain, wind blowing free", join Ola Belle's family and friends and the people of Lansing, North Carolina for a weekend of music and fellowship. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.