A fundraiser has been launched to pay the medical bills of Terry Reid, who is currently battling cancer. The news follows the postponement of Reid’s upcoming dates in the UK, Ireland and Norway, which were scheduled to begin in Wolverhampton on September 9.
“Over the past several months, Terry has been courageously battling cancer as well as numerous other serious health issues,” reads a statement on the GoFundMe page. “His fight has been quiet and brave, but it has also come at a great personal cost.
“He’s been in and out of the hospital, enduring rounds of treatment and uncertainty – and, most recently, was forced to cancel his long-anticipated six-week tour. The financial strain has become overwhelming, and the medical bills are mounting by the day.
“Terry would never ask for this himself — which is why we’re asking for him.
“This GoFundMe is a way for those who love him, have been moved by his music, or simply want to support a fellow human being in a difficult time, to give back. Whether you’re a lifelong fan or a friend who’s stood beside him onstage, backstage or in the audience – every donation, message, and gesture of love makes a real difference.”
Reid, who recently appeared in the widely-praised Becoming Led Zeppelin film, was famously mooted as a possible singer for Jimmy Page’s new project before suggesting that a young Robert Plant might be a better fit.
Equally famously, soul queen Aretha Franklin once said of the then 18-year-old Reid, “only three things are happening in England: the Rolling Stones, the Beatles and Terry Reid.”
At the time of writing, half of the target $70,000 has been raised.