Vernon Reid

Vernon Reid was born in London, England but spent most of his childhood in Brooklyn, New York, where he grew up listening to an eclectic variety of pop music ranging from Dionne Warwick's and The Beatles hits to the Temptations "Psychedelic Shack". At the age of 15, inspired by Carlos Santana, Vernon's career as a guitarist began. He attended Brooklyn Tech, and had the opportunity to study guitar privately with jazz masters Rodney Jones and Bruce Johnson. In the early 1980's while working with jazz drummer Ronald Shannon Jackson's Decoding Society, Vernon's reputation began to grow and the group Living Colour was born as a trio in 1984. Around the same time, Reid, journalist's Greg Tate, Craig Street, and artist manager Konda Mason, formed the Black Rock Coalition. In many ways, Living Colour is the embodiment of the Coalition's stated goal: a new freedom of expression for black musicians. Living Colour released four albums and sold over four million records worldwide, winning numerous awards including, two Grammy Awards, two MTV Music Video Awards, two International Rock Awards and several New York Music Awards. Vernon has appeared as a guest guitarist on the records of a many diverse artists: Jack DeJohnette, Public Enemy, B.B. King, The Ramones, Mariah Carey, Mick Jagger, Tracy Chapman, Eye & I, David Torn, Elliott Sharp, Family Stand, Carlos Santana, Jack Bruce, and others. Vernon has also composed music for the Marlies Yearby Dance Co., and choreographer Ralph Lemon, Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company, Dansziza, and The Donald Byrd Dance Co. Vernon has scored the music for a number of award winning films, including, Fresh Kills, Paid In Full, Ghosts Of Attica, Almost Home Dr. Hugo, Johnny Mnemonic, and E Minha Cara/That’s My Face, 12 Disciples Of Nelson Mandela, Mr 3000, Shadow-Dead Riot and Five Fingers . Vernon was also a featured performer in the Antoine Fuqua directed blues concert film Lightning In A Bottle. Vernon has also produced Grammy nominated Albums for
Salif Keita and James Blood Ulmer and has produced mr. Ulmer's latest work inspired by the onging tragedy of Hurricane Katrina, Bad Blood In The City, The Piety Street Sessions.