Billy Reid

William Gordon Reid (19 September 1902 – 12 December 1974) was an English songwriter, bandleader, pianist and accordionist. He was the first British songwriter to reach the top of the US music chart, with The Ink Spots' 1946 recording of "The Gypsy", and was known for his close association with the singer Dorothy Squires, for whom he wrote that and many other songs.

Biography Born in Coronation Terrace, Southampton, England, Reid worked as a riveter in the docks in the city. which became popular and recorded extensively through the 1930s for the Regal Zonophone and Decca labels, sometimes billed simply as Billy Reid and His Accordion Band.

In 1938, he successfully auditioned a young Welsh singer, Dorothy Squires. and Reid took the opportunity to write songs especially for her.