Sometimes, the road to stardom can be a circuitous one.
For singer Brook Reed, that journey took her to Miami, then Atlanta, where she ended up broke and homeless.
That should have been a dream-killer.
In July, however, Reed met Ryan "Ghost" Bowser when he paid a visit to the Atlanta Children's Shelter, which provides support services to homeless families and free early childhood education to their children.
Bowser, who co-produced Nelly and Kelly Rowland's Grammy-winning "Dilemma," was once homeless as a teen. He was there to share his story with ACS clients and encourage them to pursue their dreams.
Reed told him she wanted to be a singer. Bowser challenged her to sing a cappella on the spot. Her soulful sound blew him away.
“I said, ‘What is this voice, coming out of this women in a shelter?’” recalled Bowser, who lives in St. Louis but spends part of his time in Atlanta, and has worked with artists like Toya (“I Do”).
“I couldn’t believe that here was this voice in Atlanta with all these music people here,” he said. “I knew I wanted to work with her. I didn’t know in what capacity, but I knew she had something and I could bring it out.”
Soon, they were in a studio recording “Survivor,” a song Bowser wrote about overcoming struggles and depending on faith.
The song is now available for purchase on iTunes.
Reed, a native of Baltimore, was apprehensive at first. Others in the industry had made promises and failed her.
“I didn’t know if he was serious, because others had not really kept their word,” she said. “When he did, I was shocked.”
The two debuted the song at ACS’ 13th annual Achievers’ Celebration in October.
“God gave me this talent,” said Reed, 25, whose mother was a professional jazz singer in Baltimore. “I think he wants me to touch people’s hearts and that’s what I’m going to do.”
She said it doesn’t matter if she ever reaches the fame of a Beyonce or Adele.
“I don’t have to be a mega star, as long as someone hears me,” she said.
Reed grew up listening to her mother sing and watching her prepare to go to clubs to work. At 16, she knew she wanted to follow in her footsteps, but the family fell on hard times.
Reed and her siblings went in the foster care system. At 18, Reed decided to leave and found herself homeless for the first time.
She held various jobs, performed here and there, but her singing career never gained any traction. She decided to leave Maryland, first to stay with an uncle in Miami and later with a manager and his family in Atlanta.
She thought Atlanta would be different. Everyone talked about the city and the big role music was playing here.
“She’s very sincere when it comes to music,” Bowser said. “Listening to her is like listening to heaven on the microphone.”
With a little fine-tuning, he believes she has a bright future in music. She would be best as a pop performer, he said, but she can “definitely pull off R&B.”
“She has the voice, she has the dedication and she has the drive. I think that’s what’s important.”
Perhaps this time, Reed will get a chance to show the world what she’s got.
“Really, I feel great about my career,” she said. “I want to get my life back on track and I want to be in a house for the holidays, not a shelter. I’m close, but not as close as I need to be.”
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