The rain was relentless in Broadbeach, but it didn’t matter. Under the shimmer of stage lights and a sky gone wild Eli “Paperboy” Reed delivered a performance soaked in soul, grit, and a kind of magic that doesn’t mind getting wet.
That kind of raw, honest energy doesn’t just happen. It comes from somewhere deep – Mississippi deep.
“I grew up with so much amazing soul music,” Reed reflects. “Living in Mississippi, I saw a lot of local guys who showed me how that music is supposed to exist, and the place it comes from. That’s where I learned to be a performer.”
Long before the international tours and late-night TV appearances, Reed’s journey began with a harmonica. “That was my first instrument,” he recalls. “I was playing Sonny Boy Williamson and Little Walter tunes when I was 13 or 14.” But it was a particular record that changed everything. “When I first heard the Ray Charles Atlantic recordings when I was about 14 or 15 that really changed my life and inspired me to do what I’m doing.”
What he’s “doing” is more than just making music. Over the past two decades, Reed has carved out a space that is fiercely his own—a blend of soul, blues, country, and gospel, always anchored by emotional truth. “For better or worse, I can’t do anything other than be myself,” he says with a laugh. “If I could’ve, I probably would’ve a long time ago. But I can only sound like me.”
That authenticity has served him well. With a 20-year career that has taken him from small-town stages to the Grand Ole Opry, Reed remains grounded, grateful, and energized for what’s next. Up first: a 20th anniversary reissue of his debut album from 2005, never before released digitally or on vinyl, and now accompanied by unreleased material. “It’s pretty cool to do this 20th anniversary thing,” he says. “But yes, I’m going to make a new record of original material this summer, and with any luck it’ll be out in 2026.”
As for how his songs come to life, Reed says he finds inspiration in the most regular of places. “As a songwriter, you’re always listening. Conversations, phrases, the way people talk – that’s where great songs live. In the ordinary.”
And while the day-to-day sparks inspiration for Reed, his songwriting style has evolved over the years. “I’m older now; I’ve got kids. And the way I make music, and the way I think about things is different. I just try to reflect that. I don’t want to be too serious, but I want the music to show where I’m at in my life.”
That self-awareness shone through in his 2022 Merle Haggard tribute album, a pandemic-era project that brought him to the hallowed stage of the Grand Ole Opry, a surreal experience for Reed. “I visited the Opry when I was ten, and getting to play on that stage? Bananas. Merle was someone whose songwriting really resonated with me – emotional, in-the-moment songs. Just like the best soul music.”
Reed’s musical DNA is wide-ranging. “Country, gospel, blues, it’s all there,” he says. “But If I sit down to play piano, guitar, or harmonica, blues is what I go back to. It’s where my fingers go.”
And while he doesn’t identify as religious, for Reed gospel music continues to speak to something deep within him. “The power of faith and the emotional intensity of gospel is undeniable.”
After years of working with legends like Barbara Lynn, Otis Clay, and Roscoe Robinson, Reed is focused on the next chapter. “I’d like to produce more records,” he says. “There are so many great young artists I’d love to work with like Angela Autumn, andJoshua Hedley. I’d love to take some of that and bring it into my world. I’ve done some producing, but I want to do more.”
He’s still learning too, often from those who’ve lived longer, sung more, and seen greater. “Roscoe Robinson has been a mentor to me. He’s about to turn 96, and we still talk regularly. He always tells me things you wouldn’t otherwise think of. He keeps me humble.”
Asked what advice he’d pass on, Reed doesn’t hesitate. “Listen. Pay attention to what you like and don’t like. Ask yourself why. Don’t be passive about it. Have opinions. That’s how you find your sound.”
And maybe that’s the secret to Eli “Paperboy” Reed’s staying power: not just making music, but listening – really listening – to what’s honest, what’s soulful, and what’s real.
