Mike Reid (singer)

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Mike Reid (born May 24, 1947) is an American country music artist, songwriter, and former NFL player. He grew up in Altoona, Pennsylvania, and attended Penn State, where he played football and wrestled. He starred on Penn State’s undefeated 1968 and 1969 teams, earning major awards such as the Outland Trophy (1969), the Maxwell Award, and he finished fifth in Heisman Trophy voting. He was a unanimous All-American in 1969.

Reid was drafted in the first round of the 1970 NFL draft by the Cincinnati Bengals and played five seasons as a defensive tackle. He earned Pro Bowl selections in 1972 and 1973 and was known as a strong pass rusher. He retired after the 1974 season due to injuries to focus on his music career.

In Nashville, Reid became a successful songwriter and performer. He co-wrote many hit songs, including Ronnie Milsap’s "Stranger in My House," which won the Grammy for Best Country Song in 1984. He also co-wrote "I Can’t Make You Love Me" with Allen Shamblin, famously covered by Bonnie Raitt. Reid wrote numerous No. 1 country singles in the 1980s and 1990s and released his own music on Columbia Records, with the lead single "Walk on Faith" reaching No. 1 on the country chart from the album Turning for Home.

Reid also wrote music for musical theatre, creating works such as A House Divided, Quilts, Different Fields, Eye of the Blackbird, Tales of Appalachia, and The Ballad of Little Jo, which won the Richard Rodgers Award for Musical Theater in 1997. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1987 and the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2005.