PAUL (CUD) REID

EXCERPTS FROM "SOUTH BERKELEY PIONEERS"
THE REVITALIZATION EXCHANGE
November, 1990

Mr. Paul Reid was born in 1913 and raised on Sacramento Street in South Berkeley. He is known for "bringing God into the living room of thousands in the Bay Area" in the early 1950's as a religious radio announcer. Mr. Reid began his celebrity career at radio station KRE, with a program entitled "Religious Gems" which was started by his nephew, Mel Reid. Mel Reid, founder of Reid's Records on Sacramento Street, enlisted his uncle's assistance in order to run both the radio show and the record store successfully. Mr. Reid moved from KRE to KDIA and hosted a program that blossomed from a once-a-week 30-minute program to a daily hour long program that aired for 11 years. He was a leader in Bay Area gospel singing competitions and held a celebrity-status throughout the area. When he died in 1964, his funeral was held at the Oakland Auditorium to accomodate the 7,000 plus mourners who had come to pay their last respects. His affiliation with the radio industry attracted thousands to Reid's Records, which is still at its original location on Sacramento Street. His memory is kept alive by his seven children and numerous grandchildren.

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