Cooperative Living March 2022 - 13

COOPERATIVEFOCUS
" Will Reid is a local
solo artist, who plays
country covers and
originals with a voice
that will make your
head turn to see if
Travis Tritt is sitting
in your pub. "
- Devils Backbone
Brewing Company,
Lexington, Va.
Reid competed at the Gaff-n-Go
Lineworker's Rodeo, sponsored by
the Virginia, Maryland &Delaware
Association ofElectric Cooperatives,
three years in a row, starting in 2017.
At the rodeo, lineworkers from up
and down the East Coast compete in
action-packed events based on
traditional tasks and skills. Hundreds of
friends, family members and spectators
watch with bated breath as lineworkers,
like Reid, ply their trade in a competitive
yet friendly environment.
In 2019, Reid earned top apprentice
honors with a stellar performance
across five events, including first place
in a written test and third in the pole
top rescue.
FOR THE LOVE OF MUSIC
After long days ofline work, Reid
Virginia Tech. " After the first year
at Dabney, they required us to do a
summer internship. I knew some folks
working at BARC, our local electric
cooperative, so I asked ifI could intern
there, " Reid says.
After a summer ofinterningwith
a crew in the right-of-way department,
Reid was offered a full-time position at
the cooperative. A year and a halfin,
he entered the apprenticeship program.
Four years later, he proudly earned the
title ofjourneyman.
You can sense the pride in Reid's
voice when he speaks about the work he
does. " I enjoy the camaraderie and the
pride that we take in doing our job and
doing it safely. You can be on storm
trouble in other states where you don't
know a soul, and yet, ifyou're both
linemen, you can talk to each other for
days as though you've known each other
your entire life, " he says.
Reid earned top apprentice honors at
the 2019 Gaff-n-Go Lineworker's Rodeo.
co-opliving.com
steals away to his garage and lets his
voice dance in the quiet evening air.
Strumming away on his guitar, his tired
eyes close.
For Reid, the lyrics are at the heart
ofthe process; it's how he connects with
his audience. " I was always interested in
meaningful lyrics. I wanted my songs to
tell a story, " he explains. " I'm extremely
picky when I write. "
Sometimes, lyrical magic even
happens in his truck while traveling
between BARC's district offices. " 'I
Can't Tell' - I wrote it in 40 minutes
between BARC's two offices traveling
by myselfin my truck, " he says.
Bluegrass and country-not to
" I enjoy the camaraderie
and the pride that we
take in doing our job and
doing it safely. "
mention artists like Vern Gosdin,
Charlie Pride and Conway Twitty-
influence his music.
NASHVILLE BOUND
It was Feb. 20, 2021. As a small
crowd looked on, Reid was in his
element, playing his guitar and singing
his heart out to a captivated audience
in a dimly lit restaurant. He'd been asked
to play alongside the man on the stool
next to him.
" Me and some friends were hanging
out at The Palms, in Lexington, that
night. I'd seen Bruce Allen around, knew
his name and what he did for a living.
He asked me to come up and play a song,
and I did, " Reid says.
Bruce Allen: CEO ofJordash
Records, based in Nashville, Tenn.
An accomplished producer, promoter,
writer and performer, Allen has worked
alongside the likes ofVince Gill and
Randy Travis.
" I was there that evening hosting a
live music event.Will's friend had told
me about him earlier in the evening,
said I just had to hear this guy sing.
(continued onpage 12)
March 2022 ● Cooperative Living ●
11
PHOTO BY EMILY PLECKER PHOTOGRAPHY
http://www.co-opliving.com
Cooperative Living March 2022

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