Kathryn Ann "Katie" Reider (May 23, 1978 – July 14, 2008) was an American singer-songwriter from

Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wit ...

, Ohio. Reider described her own music as "

Folk Folk or Folks may refer to: Sociology *Nation *People * Folklore ** Folk art ** Folk dance ** Folk hero ** Folk music *** Folk metal *** Folk punk *** Folk rock ** Folk religion * Folk taxonomy Arts, entertainment, and media * Folk Plus or Fol ...

/pop/rock fused together into some sort of 'genre-less' category." Reider released four albums, won five Cincinnati music awards and had her songs featured on television programming by

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...

, Lifetime, and on the WB's ''

Dawson's Creek ''Dawson's Creek'' is an American teen drama television series about the lives of a close-knit group of friends in the fictional town of Capeside, Massachusetts, beginning in high school and continuing into college that ran from 1998 to 2003. T ...

'' before health problems emerged in 2006 that ultimately led to her death two years later.Bishop, Lauren
"Musician Katie Reider dies"
''

Cincinnati Enquirer ''The Cincinnati Enquirer'' is a morning daily newspaper published by Gannett in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States. First published in 1841, the ''Enquirer'' is the last remaining daily newspaper in Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky, alt ...

'', July 14, 2008 Shortly after her death, the ''

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...

'' stated that Reider was "a singer-songwriter with a huge following back home and a growing national fan base, who seemed on the cusp of much larger success when her life was destroyed by a rare tumor that ate into her jaw and face, stole her voice, left her blind in one eye and finally killed her (in July 2008) at the age of 30."Applebome, Peter
"A Charmed Life’s Cruel End Brings a Test of Faith for Survivors"
''

'', July 24, 2008 (accessed August 13, 2008)

Biography

Early life

Reider was born in

, Ohio on May 23, 1978, to Gaile and Rob Reider and grew up as one of six children in nearby Montgomery. Reider grew up surrounded by music. Her father, Rob Reider, was a singer and band leader on the syndicated entertainment program '' The Bob Braun Show'' during the 1970s and early '80s. Her grandmother, Ann (Beasley) Reider, was a singer and popular television host on

WBNS-TV WBNS-TV (channel 10) is a television station in Columbus, Ohio, United States, affiliated with CBS. It is owned by Tegna Inc. alongside the company's sole radio properties, WBNS (1460 AM) and WBNS-FM (97.1). The stations share studios on Twi ...

Columbus Columbus is a Latinized version of the Italian surname "''Colombo''". It most commonly refers to: * Christopher Columbus (1451-1506), the Italian explorer * Columbus, Ohio, capital of the U.S. state of Ohio Columbus may also refer to: Places ...

, Ohio. Reider's parents gave her first guitar when she was in

fifth grade Fifth grade (called Grade 5 in some regions) is a year of education in many nations, and some other regions call it Year 5. In the United States, the fifth grade is the fifth and last year of elementary school in most schools. In other schools, it ...

. It was a red

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.Bishop, Lauren
"Singer Katie Reider grew up with music"
''

'', July 15, 2008Fitzgerald, Beth
"Katie Reider, 30, mom and rock star"
''

The Star-Ledger ''The Star-Ledger'' is the largest circulated newspaper in the U.S. state of New Jersey and is based in Newark. It is a sister paper to ''The Jersey Journal'' of Jersey City, ''The Times'' of Trenton and the '' Staten Island Advance'', all of wh ...

'', July 28, 2008 Reider's parents were supportive of her interest in music. Reider would later recall, "I started out singing in front of my family in front of the fireplace. I would take out a poker from next to the fireplace and use it as a microphone."Aust, Steve
"Katie Reider turns to family and friends for inspiration and support"
'' CityBeat'', May 4, 2000

1990s

Reider began performing her own songs publicly in the early 1990s while still a high school student at

Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy (CHCA) is a private, PK2 – Grade 12, college preparatory, non-denominational Christian school located on four campuses in Cincinnati, Ohio. Three of its campuses (Edyth B. Lindner Campus, Founders' Campus, and ...

. She started singing in local

coffeehouse A coffeehouse, coffee shop, or café is an establishment that primarily serves coffee of various types, notably espresso, latte, and cappuccino. Some coffeehouses may serve cold drinks, such as iced coffee and iced tea, as well as other non-ca ...

s and later at the Crossroads Community Church in Oakley. Janet Pressley saw Reider perform at the Blue Jordan Coffeehouse in Cincinnati's

Northside Northside or North Side may refer to: Music * Northside (band), a musical group from Manchester, England * NorthSide, an American record label * NorthSide Festival (Denmark), a music festival in Aarhus, Denmark * "Norf Norf", a 2015 song by Vinc ...

in 1993. Pressley recalled, "She had the pipes back then." In the summer of 1995, just before her senior year of high school, Reider met Karen Boone and Dan Stroeh while in a Christian theater group. Over the course of several years Reider and Boone became lovers and partners. Stroeh presided over a backyard wedding and Boone took Reider's last name. They remained a couple until Reider's death. Karen gave birth to two children, whom they parented together.Bishop, Lauren
"Katie Reider still connects: Singer remembered for her strong faith"
''

'', July 26, 2008 (accessed August 13, 2008) Reider lived in

Columbus, Ohio Columbus () is the state capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio. With a 2020 census population of 905,748, it is the 14th-most populous city in the U.S., the second-most populous city in the Midwest, after Chicago, and t ...

throughout the late 1990s and early 2000s while majoring in family studies at the

Ohio State University The Ohio State University, commonly called Ohio State or OSU, is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio. A member of the University System of Ohio, it has been ranked by major institutional rankings among the best publ ...

, but she did not frequently perform there. She primarily returned to Cincinnati to perform gigs during her early career.Bird, Rick, "No angst from Katie Reider in her debut album, ''Wonder''", ''

The Cincinnati Post ''The Cincinnati Post'' was an afternoon daily newspaper published in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States. In Northern Kentucky, it was bundled inside a local edition called ''The Kentucky Post''. The ''Post'' was a founding publication and onetime ...

'', January 14, 1999, FINAL p.T27Smith, Stephanie
"OSU student sings her way to hit TV show"
''

The Lantern ''The Lantern'' is an independent daily newspaper in Columbus, Ohio, by students at Ohio State University. It is one of the largest campus newspapers in the United States, reaching a circulation of 15,000. Copies of the paper are free and avail ...

'', November 2, 2000 Reider joined the artist

cooperative A cooperative (also known as co-operative, co-op, or coop) is "an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly owned and democratically-control ...

label co-founded by Janet Pressley, Blue Jordan Records, and released her first album, ''Wonder,'' in late 1998. According to Reider, the title contained a double meaning: "I wonder about a lot of things, and then I wonder about it all and how wonderful it is." The album was described in the ''

Cincinnati Post ''The Cincinnati Post'' was an afternoon daily newspaper published in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States. In Northern Kentucky, it was bundled inside a local edition called ''The Kentucky Post''. The ''Post'' was a founding publication and onetime ...

'' as "an incredibly mature project – both musically and lyrically – for someone so young. Her songs mainly deal with the aches of lost and found love, but in a way that is far more seasoned than the angst-filled, angry lyrics of such artists as

Alanis Morissette Alanis Nadine Morissette ( ; born June 1, 1974) is a Canadian-American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known for her emotive mezzo-soprano voice and confessional songwriting, Morissette began her career in Canada in the early 1990s with tw ...

." Locally, the album was a major success, and Reider won more awards than any other performer at the 1999 Cincinnati Area Pop Music Awards (known in Cincinnati as "Cammy Awards"). She gained recognition as Best Folk/Bluegrass Vocalist, Best New Artist, and Songwriter of the Year.Knippenberg, Ji
"Student grabs 3 Cammys"
''

'' (accessed August 13, 2008)

2000s

In October 2000, two songs from Reider's debut album, "What You Don't Know" and "Piece of Soul," were featured on episodes of the WB show, ''

''.Knott, Sarah
"Rhythm in the City: Katie Reider is ready for anything"
''

'', March 29, 2001 (accessed August 13, 2008) "What You Don't Know" was played for three minutes on the show. Reider said she experienced being "outside of herself" for a moment: "I had some friends over and we watched it. I'm telling the truth when I say I never watched ''Dawson's Creek'' before that. It was surreal and overwhelming how cool it was." She told the ''Cincinnati Post'' that traffic on her website increased by 1,200 hits the next day.Bird, Rick, "Live CD shows power of Katie Reider's voice", ''The Cincinnati Post'', January 18, 2001, p.T23
link via HighBeam
In December 2000, Reider released the live album, ''No Retakes''. The album featured the same musicians that appeared on her first studio album, Dave Eberhardt (electric guitar), Greg Hansen (bass), Josh Seurkamp (drums) and Reider's brother Robbie on guitar. Reider's father, Rob, helped engineer the project and suggested the title. The tracks feature a mix of new songs and songs that appeared on ''Wonder''. The recordings were from performances at the York Street Cafe and the

Aronoff Center The Aronoff Center is a large performing arts center in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio. Events that can typically be found at the Aronoff Center include: plays, ballet, popular music concerts, stand-up comedy shows, and musicals. The center was design ...

. According to the ''Cincinnati Post'': "Throughout the set we hear how Ms. Reider's voice is growing more powerful and sensual as her band soars on her deliciously subtle hooks and melodies." Reider released her second studio album in December 2001, ''I Am Ready.'' Just a couple weeks later, the ''Cincinnati Post'' named it one of the top ten local albums of the year, calling it "more musically diverse, showing mature song crafting and confident, gutty vocals way beyond her 23 years."Bird, Rick, "Top-10 list of albums cut by local musicians", ''The Cincinnati Post'', December 27, 2001, final p.T27 Reider was again nominated for best folk/bluegrass vocalist at the Cammy Awards in 2002 and 2003. At the time, she regularly played gigs at the York Street Cafe in

Newport, Kentucky Newport is a list of Kentucky cities, home rule-class city at the confluence of the Ohio River, Ohio and Licking River (Kentucky), Licking rivers in Campbell County, Kentucky, Campbell County, Kentucky. The population was 15,273 at the 2010 United ...

, the Barrel House in Cincinnati and at Club 202 in Columbus.Nager, Larry
"Cammys’ tower of power: Jillian’s will rock with second showcase of award nominees"
''Cincinnati Enquirer'', February 22, 2002 (accessed August 8, 2008)
Cincinnati.com (accessed August 13, 2008) Reider's music continued to gain exposure from television programs. On December 8, 2002, her recording of "

Silent Night "Silent Night" (german: "Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht", links=no, italic=no) is a popular Christmas carol, composed in 1818 by Franz Xaver Gruber to lyrics by Joseph Mohr in the small town of Oberndorf bei Salzburg, Austria. It was declared an ...

" from ''No Retakes'' aired on an episode of the Lifetime series ''

Strong Medicine ''Strong Medicine'' is an American medical drama with a focus on feminism, feminist politics, health issues and class conflict that aired on the Lifetime Television, Lifetime network from 2000 to 2006. It was created and produced in part by Who ...

''. Less than a month later, the WB launched a Web site that allowed fans of ''Dawson's Creek'' to order a custom compilation CD containing their favorite songs from the show. The promotion featured the 80 most requested songs from the approximately 700 songs that were featured in the series during its six-year run. Both of Reider's songs were included. Reider's music also entered into rotation on

Sirius Satellite Radio Sirius Satellite Radio was a satellite radio (SDARS) and online radio service operating in North America, owned by Sirius XM Holdings. Headquartered in New York City, with smaller studios in Los Angeles and Memphis, Tennessee, Memphis, Sirius ...

Channel No. 30 ( The Coffee House).www.sirius.com/thecoffeehouse
site for The Coffee House,

Channel 30 Reider died on July 14, 2008, from a

cerebral hemorrhage Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), also known as cerebral bleed, intraparenchymal bleed, and hemorrhagic stroke, or haemorrhagic stroke, is a sudden bleeding into the tissues of the brain, into its ventricles, or into both. It is one kind of bleed ...

. In addition to her music, Reider was known for her activism. Reider spoke out about

gay rights Rights affecting lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people vary greatly by country or jurisdiction—encompassing everything from the legal recognition of same-sex marriage to the death penalty for homosexuality. Notably, , 3 ...

issues and was a performer at gay pride celebrations. Turner, Ann
"Fans mourn as lesbian singer Katie Reider dies age 30"
''

Pink News ''PinkNews'' is a UK-based online newspaper marketed to the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community (LGBT) in the UK and worldwide. It was founded by Benjamin Cohen in 2005. It closely follows political progress on LGBT rights aro ...

'', July 18, 2008, 16:05

Awards

* Cincinnati Area Pop Music Awards (Cammy Awards)The Cammy Awards: Past Winners
Cincinnati.com (accessed August 13, 2008) :*1999 – Best folk/bluegrass vocalist :*1999 – Songwriter of the year :*1999 – Best new artist :*2000 – Best folk/bluegrass vocalist :*2000 – Best solo act * Reider was also nominated in 1999 for a Cincinnati Entertainment Award in the new artist of the year/critical achievement category, an award that went to the band, All Weather Girl.
official web site (accessed August 13, 2008) Reider was again nominated for best folk/bluegrass vocalist at the Cammy awards in 2002 and 2003.

Albums

* ''Wonder'' (1998, Blue Jordan) * ''No Retakes'' (2001, Blue Jordan) * ''I Am Ready'' (2002, Blue Jordan) * ''Simplicity'' (2004, KRM)