mˈiːd wʌz bˈɔːɹn tʊ ɐ fˈɑːɹmɪŋ fˈæmɪli ɪn ˈɔɪl spɹˈɪŋz, kɛntˈʌki, kɛntˈʌki wˈɛst ʌv pˈeɪntzvɪl, ðə nˈaɪnθ tʃˈaɪld ʌv hɪz mˈʌðɚ.
Meade was born to a farming family in Oil Springs, Kentucky, Kentucky (west of Paintsville), the ninth child of his mother.