Musical Journey Highlights

Abe Reid is a second-generation Piedmont bluesman who studied directly under legendary Carolina folk and blues artists such as Guitar Gabriel and Cootiea Stark in North Carolina and with other bluesmen across the Southeast...traveling to Mississippi and New Orleans at a young age to learn blues the hard way.

Abe was a founding member of the energetic Asheville based Sub Pop roots and rockin’ ragtime band, The Blue Rags, but left the group to pursue his solo and acoustic blues work. Over the years, the bandmates have come together for surprise reunion shows in the city that was known to call them their own…

He made history as the first solo performer to win the prestigious International Blues Challenge in Memphis, representing the Piedmont Blues Preservation Society!  In a series of solo performances, he advanced over ALL performers…even FULL Bands…in a year before The Foundation divided competitions into solo/duo and band categories.

As both a singer and songwriter, Abe was the visionary and driving force behind his SpikeDriver sound. Today, he continues to lead this blues ~ rock genre, cranking out raw, old-school foot-stomping music mixed with original murder ballads and a blend of classic blues styles.  While he frequently appears solo, he is often joined by exceptional “SpikeDriver“ blues and blues-rock artists he has performed with over the years.