Terry Reid should have been the biggest rock star in the world. That he wasn’t is one of those music industry stories that gets retold. Ultimiately, he went his own way and made records of startling beauty. One of the people who cared most was Guillaume, a Paris-based musician who records as Indolore. In 2009 he tracked Reid down and got him into a basement studio in Ménilmontant. A friendship and a collaboration followed. Then, sixteen years on, a song. ‘Terry (song for Terry Reid)’ was recorded and sent to Reid while he was ill. Terry wanted to work together again but he didn’t get the chance. Below, Guillaume tells the story.
Early July 2025, I sent this song to my idol and friend, British rock legend Terry Reid, along with these words:
“Dear Terry, Meeting you changed my life. I can never thank you enough for having influenced and encouraged me so much. Recently, a melody and lyrics of gratitude came to me, in the form of a letter – a letter of admiration and affection. Naturally, I asked my friends, who are also yours, to join me in the studio to record this song, simply titled ‘Terry’. More than a gift for you, it is a gift for ourselves. Just like your eternal presence in our lives. I love you, Terry. We all love you.”
How did I meet Terry Reid? You might ask.
Thanks to a combination of luck, boldness and deep respect. I fell in love with his voice and his presence whilst watching (by chance) the documentary ‘Glastonbury Fayre’. After that epiphany, nothing could stop my determination to meet him and work with him. And that’s exactly what happened in 2009, in Paris, when Terry turned up at my band’s studio, a makeshift space in a basement in the Ménilmontant neighbourhood. What followed was a wonderful musical and personal adventure that marked the beginning of a long and wonderful friendship.
Back to the summer of 2025. Barely a day after I sent the song, and whilst Terry was battling cancer, his wife Annette honoured me with this reply:
“Hi Guillaume, wow, we’ve fallen in love with this song, you made us cry. We love you all so much. Music is the best healer. Terry wants to work with you again when he’s better.”
I cried with them. Terry Reid passed away on 4 August 2025.
And the song says
🎶 I need to say the words, and send ’em to the world, I love you 🎶
For me and for so many others, Terry Reid was and will remain the greatest vocalist in the history of rock, as powerful as it was moving, and his magnificent and unique body of work will live on.
Wonderful story. A beautiful song with a beautiful melody. Indolore’s song Terry is a gentle heartfelt tribute to a great man and a great friend. So moving….