Reed Waddle & 13th Street Special

It’s in the air, perhaps born of the elements - from moss filled trees and swampy landscapes, to dust covered back-country roads, to the beaches of the panhandle, where rivers flow into the Gulf: music is born. “Mother Earth she is my lady, and my God she’s so good to me, take from her valley, swim in her ocean, climb on her mountains, live by the sea…”

Reed Daniel Waddle was born in Atlanta, Georgia in 1982 and in 1988 moved to Destin, in the Florida panhandle on the Gulf of Mexico. By the age of nine, his dad, himself a musician, was introducing him to a diverse musical world, encouraging him to listen to music of all genres - from classic Beatles to the rock group of the day, Pearl Jam, and down the line to blues, folk, soul, R&B, reggae and on. He offered to teach him the guitar, but he wasn’t ready. “The music didn’t make sense to me yet; I had to wait until the music found me.” Which it did when he was thirteen, when Reed started to play guitar and an inner, driving force took root.

“What started as a way to overcome shyness became a passion for creating music. My writing developed accidentally, I had entered a talent show and did not want to sing someone else’s song - that didn’t seem to me, to take much talent.”

In the bars and honky-tonks of Destin and Gainesville, Reed began to perform acoustically or with the accompaniment of his father, and his development as an artist began to blossom. He decided to put the songs he’d been writing on tape, and in October of 2002, RUSH IN, Reed’s 10-song debut was independently recorded, released and distributed from the tiny Destin, Florida recording studio that served as home.

Combining shuddering, groove-laden, folky, handcrafted acoustic rock with a distinctively southern, soulful, versatile, expressively smooth voice, RUSH IN immediately struck a chord with audiences. In an era of little authenticity, Reed’s honesty, purity and heart (“Almost Famous” is his dad’s 50th birthday present), not to mention boy-next-door looks, took on a life of its own and reacted with people, simply because it was real.

For his father, it was a labor of love. “I worked on his songs for months on end, sometimes with Reed, often while he was in class,” says Dave. “It was created with no intention of ever being a commercial entity. As it was evolving, I realized that it was really good - I remember trying to contain my joy while I was overdubbing, convincing myself that it was just ‘fatherly pride.’ When I laid down the tracks to “I Saw Stars” on my Les Paul, I knew that he was destined for greatness. Next to the birth of my daughter it was the most emotional experience of my life.”

As word spread about an infectious new sound from a gifted young poet out of Destin, Reed’s rising star lit up the radar of industry tastemakers and talent scouts, and in subsequent months, he was invited to showcase in Los Angeles, Boston, Nashville and Orlando. Stylistic comparisons were made to Dave Matthews, John Mayer, Jack Johnson, Adam Duritz and Ben Harper, among others, and emphasis placed on a sensitive, emotional and compelling lyrical content that portrayed an artist well beyond his (then) 20 years.

Many contributed to the sound and success of the band throughout these times, as the best musicians in town would revolve in and out of Reed’s recordings or come to jam at his shows. Talents such as bassist Billy Garrett, slide guitarist Hans McMinamin and piano man Donnie Sundal gave of themselves for very little in return, in simple appreciation of the music. In January of 2003, while looking for a permanent drummer, Geoff Schiffrin was recommended. Playing since the age of 6, Geoff’s percussion education included stints at the Palm Beach County School of the Arts, the University of Miami and the University of Florida, where he was the schools Concert Jazz Band drummer (as well as with several well-known local acts, several with future bassist Iver Thue). However, it wasn't until after he left Gainesville thinking he would never return, that the best reason to stay came along. “I got a phone call from a complete stranger who ended the conversation with 'I'm going to send you a CD, come play drums with us if the music moves you.”

Later that year, in June of 2003, Reed was flown to New York City by Elektra and Island Records to showcase for their A&R staff after his performance at the Florida Music Festival; and in December of 2003, the International Songwriting Competition (11,000 international entrants) awarded him finalist and honorable mention awards for his song "I Saw Stars." With a mid-tempo, laid-back, mellow-sentimental southern pop-rock vibe, “I Saw Stars” would quickly become a staple of his set. At KISS 105.3 FM, Gainesville’s largest and most-listened to radio station, the song competed against major label releases and won Powerplay spins five nights in a row, and was subsequently placed in rotation.

As Reed’s fan base grew, so did