1 ), ▁and ▁" B right ▁L ights , ▁Big ▁City " ▁( 1 9 6 1 ) ▁appeared ▁on ▁both ▁Billboard ▁magazine ' s ▁rh ythm ▁and ▁bl ues ▁and ▁Hot ▁ 1 0 0 ▁singles ▁charts . ▁ ▁Re ed ▁influenced ▁other ▁mus icians , ▁such ▁as ▁El vis ▁Pres ley , ▁H ank ▁Williams ▁Jr ., ▁and ▁the ▁Rol ling ▁St ones , ▁who ▁recorded ▁his ▁songs . ▁ ▁Music ▁critic ▁Cub ▁K oda ▁describes ▁him ▁as ▁" per haps ▁the ▁most ▁influ ential ▁bl ues man ▁of ▁all ," ▁due ▁to ▁his ▁easily ▁accessible ▁style . ▁ ▁Biography ▁Re ed ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁Dun le ith , ▁Mississippi , ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 5 . ▁ ▁He ▁learned ▁the ▁harm onica ▁and ▁guitar ▁from ▁his ▁friend ▁Edd ie ▁Taylor . ▁After ▁several ▁years ▁of ▁bus king ▁and ▁performing ▁there , ▁he ▁moved ▁to ▁Chicago , ▁Illinois , ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 3 . ▁He ▁was ▁then ▁draft ed ▁into ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Navy ▁and ▁served ▁in ▁World ▁War ▁II . ▁He ▁was ▁dis charg ed ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 5 ▁and ▁returned ▁briefly ▁to ▁Mississippi , ▁marry ing ▁his ▁girl friend , ▁Mary ▁( h ence for th ▁known ▁as ▁M ama ▁Re ed ). ▁He ▁then ▁moved ▁to ▁Gary , ▁Indiana , ▁to ▁work ▁at ▁an ▁Arm our ▁meat - pack ing ▁plant . ▁M ama ▁Re ed ▁was ▁an ▁un cred ited ▁background ▁singer ▁on ▁many ▁of ▁his ▁record ings , ▁not