Billy Reid
William Gordon Reid (19 September 1902 – 12 December 1974) was an English songwriter, bandleader, pianist and accordionist. He was the first British songwriter to reach the top of the US music chart, with The Ink Spots' 1946 recording of "The Gypsy", and was known for his close association with the singer Dorothy Squires, for whom he wrote that and many other songs. |
Birth and Death Data: Died 1974
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1935 - 1955
Roles Represented in DAHR: composer, lyricist, accordion
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings
| Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Victor | E0VB-3669 | 10-in. | 6/15/1950 | Snowy white snow and jingle bells | Moon Maids ; Vaughn Monroe's Orchestra | Male vocal solo, with female vocal quartet and instrumental ensemble | composer, lyricist | |
| Victor | F4PB-2579 | 10-in. | 3/25/1955 | The gypsy | Bill Kenny | composer | ||
| Victor | D6VB-1322 | 10-in. | 3/8/1946 | The Gypsy | Mary Marlow ; Swing and Sway with Sammy Kaye | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | composer | |
| Victor | D6VB-2157 | 10-in. | 9/12/1946 | It's a pity to say goodnight | Four King Sisters | Female vocal quartet, with jazz/dance band | composer | |
| Victor | D6VB-3379 | 10-in. | 12/6/1946 | I'll close my eyes | Johnny Desmond ; Page Cavanaugh Trio | Male vocal solo, with piano, bass, and guitar | composer | |
| Victor | D9VB-1040 | 10-in. | 5/18/1949 | My first love, my last love, for always | Nancy Evans ; King's Jesters ; Wayne King Orchestra | Female vocal solo, with vocal group and jazz/dance band | composer | |
| Victor | D9VB-2492 | 10-in. | 11/9/1949 | Too-whit! Too-whoo! (Bring my loved one to me) | Mindy Carson ; Henri René ; Three Beaus and a Peep | Female vocal solo, with vocal group and instrumental ensemble | lyricist, composer | |
| Gramophone | 0EA12634 | 10-in. | before March 11th 1948 | A tree in the meadow | Joe Loss Orchestra ; Howard Jones | Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | composer | |
| Roost | 1241 | 10-in. | approximately 1950 | I'll close my eyes | (Little) Jimmy Scott | composer | ||
| Decca | TB 1733 | 10-in. | March 1935 | Accordion Joe | Billy Reid | instrumentalist, accordion |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Reid, Billy," accessed December 26, 2025, http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/339613.
Reid, Billy. (2025). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved December 26, 2025, from http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/339613.
"Reid, Billy." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2025. Web. 26 December 2025.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Reid, Billy, 1902-1974 - https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n2011073699
Wikidata: Billy Reid - https://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q4913224
VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/87208489
MusicBrainz: Billy Reid - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/d1df7704-378a-4ae2-9f1b-a956823443d6
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