Eli Paperboy Reed

Born in 1983 and associated with the Boston area, Eli Paperboy Reed built his career between Massachusetts, Mississippi and Chicago. After high school he spent a year in Clarksdale, then enrolled at the University of Chicago, where he hosted the radio show We Got More Soul on WHPK and played organ and piano at Mitty Collier’s church — an experience that firmly rooted his work in soul, rhythm and blues, and gospel. Reed first released Sings "Walkin' and Talkin' for My Baby" and Other Smash Hits! in 2005, followed by Roll with You in 2008, his first album focused mainly on his own compositions. His discography continued with Come and Get It! (2010), Nights Like This (2014), My Way Home (2016), 99 Cent Dreams (2019) and Down Every Road (2022). From record to record, Eli Paperboy Reed develops an American soul shaped by the sounds of Chicago and Memphis, with spare arrangements, direct vocals and a retro aesthetic without pastiche. His path has also led him to work with producers such as Ed Valauskas, Mike Elizondo and Matt Ross‑Spang.