Cooperative Living March 2022 - 14

COOPERATIVE FOCUS
Gaffs & Guitars
(continued from page 11)
Reid thought he would end up
working in the forestry industry,
but he's now a journeyman at
BARC Electric Cooperative.
So I asked him to get up and perform
and he did, " says Allen.
Allen has developed an ear finely
tuned to recognizing marketable talent.
" I produce a lot of albums, so I get to
listen to a lot of artists. When I hear
someone with the right sound for radio,
I just know. Will came off as a genuine
person, a gft ed singer and songwriter -
and the crowd loved him. They became
a fan that night, same as I did. He's a
cooperative lineman and you just would
never think this guy could sing the way
he does, " says Allen.
Allen explains that for aspiring
artists, the allure of fame and fortune
ft en overshadows the amount of hard
work and dedication involved in
achieving success in the industry.
" I don't waste my time on people
who don't want to do the hard work that
comes with it. Will wants it bad, and he's
willing to work for it. He is humble and
grounded; he listens and takes advice -
and he's got the talent and drive to go
far and do well. "
When the night was over, Allen took
to the microphone. " I said to him over
the microphone, 'Will, I'm taking you
to Nashville.' When I say that, I don't
say it lightly, " he says.
Reid remained skeptical, even when
physically on his way to Nashville several
months later with some other local
musicians. " I didn't really think anything
would come from it. But the next
rea ly hink
morning in Nashville, I started talking
some ofth
mor
in
sh ille,
uy
ith in
th
star
ta
some ofthe guys ... and I was starstruc
I realized it was the real deal, " he says.
my
had
th
ng to
and wa starst uck.
" For Bruce Allen to have that kind of
faith in me and mymusic, it meant a llot. "
Reid recalls the exact moment it su
inin that he had a record deal that could
eid recalls the exact moment it sunk
take his music to new heights.
" It was three of us guys in the car -
Cody Minter, Jess Pritt and I. We were
on our way to represent BARC and
12 ● Cooperative Living ●
March 2022
co-opliving.com
" I just feel so grateful and
blessed and hope people
take the time to listen to
my music. "
compete in the 2021 International
Lineman's Rodeo in Kansas. We'd been
driving through West Virginia into
Kentucky and we stopped at a gas
station to fi l up, " he explains.
At that gas station, ff a winding
Kentucky road, Reid first heard his song
played on a local radio station. Upon
hearing his voice blaring through the
vehicle's speakers, the young men
erupted into cheers.
" We all freaked out and started
screaming. We were giving high-fives
and we couldn't believe that had just
happened. It was such an incredible
feeling, " Reid remembers.
RIGHT TURN A
ALBUQUERQUE
It was the first of many magical moments
to come for the musically gifted
lineworker.
After recording multiple tracks with
Allen's record label, Reid' fi rst single
was chosen well. Th catchy song,
" Albuquerque, " quickly began to climb
the charts.
" I wrote 'Albuquerque' in my garage
one night. I remember thinking to
myself that I wanted to write a song
about a cool town that I wanted to try
and relate to, something easy to rhyme
with. It wasn't necessarily the easiest to
rhyme with, but it worked out, " Reid
explains, with a laugh.
Reid's greatest inspiration has been
his mother, Tammy Reid. " She's really
pushed me to go further and think
bigger, " he says. " She's always believed in
me. " His fiancé, Ashley Woodson, is also
a huge source of support. Ashley and
Will got engaged at a Cody Johnson
concert.
Reid acknowledges the role his faith
has played in his musical journey. " God
is absolutely the biggest part of this
journey for me. I never, in a million
years, could have believed I would be
given the blessings He has given me. "
With a bright future, this talented
lineworker will continue to stay
grounded. " I don't know how to feel
sometimes, " he says. " I always used to
say that it would be the best feeling
in the world to have my music played
in Chicago or Dallas. Now, it's being
played in cities all across the country
and the world. It's still so surreal. I just
feel so grateful and blessed and hope
people take the time to listen to
my music. " 
Reid's music is available on all streaming
platforms, including Apple Music, Spotify,
Amazon Music and YouTube.
PHOTO BY EMILY PLECKER PHOTOGRAPHY
http://www.co-opliving.com
Cooperative Living March 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Cooperative Living March 2022
