Comrade Rockstar: The Life and Mystery of Dean Reed, the All-American Boy Who Brought Rock 'n' Roll to the Soviet Union

by Reggie Nadelson

Dean Reed had one of the strangest careers in the history of popular culture. Failing to gain recognition for his music in his native United States, he achieved celebrity in South America in the early 1960s and then, unbelievably, became the biggest rock star in the Soviet Union, where he was awarded the Lenin Prize and his icons were sold alongside those of Josef Stalin. His albums went gold from Bulgaria to Berlin. He made highly successful movies and, naively earnest, was an unwitting acolyte for socialism; everywhere he went, he was mobbed by his fans. And then, in 1986, at the height of his fame, right after 60 Minutes had devoted a segment to him, finally giving him the recognition he had never attained at home, he drowned in mysterious circumstances in East Berlin. Drawn magnetically to his story, Reggie Nadelson pursued the mystery of Dean Reed's life and death across America and Eastern Europe, her own journey mirroring his. As she traveled, the Berlin Wall came down, the Soviet Union crumbled, and Reed became an increasingly alluring figure, his life an unrepeatable tale of the Cold War world. Encountering the characters― musicians and DJs, politicians and public figures, lovers and wives―who peopled Reed's life, Nadelson was drawn further and further into a seedy, often hilarious subculture of sex, politics, and rock 'n' roll. Part biography, part memoir and personal journey, Comrade Rockstar is an unforgettable chronicle of an utterly improbable life

Genres: Music, Biography, Nonfiction

352 pages, Paperback

First published May 26, 2009

About the author

Reggie Nadelson is a New Yorker who also makes her home in London. She is a journalist and documentary film-maker. She is the author of the critically acclaimed series featuring Artie Cohen, Moscow-born New Yorker and the first great post-Cold War cop.

Series:
* Artie Cohen

Reviews

[Kurt Gottschalk · Rating 1 out of 5]

All it takes is one sloppy mistake and a book can crumble like the Berlin Wall. In the case of Comrade Rockstar, that mistake has to do with the name of a Czech singer who has been a superstar for decades.

I read Reggie Nadelson's book about her search for the American-born singer Dean Reed – who rose to stardom as a party-line towing rock'n'roller behind the Iron Curtain – out of interest in learning about pop music under Soviet rule. Presumably Nadelson wrote the book out of a similar curiosity. As so often happens on researching nonfiction, however, she wasn't really able to come up with enough to tell a story. So instead she does what journalists often do - she tells the story of trying to tell the story.

I don't fault Nadelson for that. What I do fault her for is being sloppy. The Czech singer mentioned above, a close friend and sometimes co-conspirator of Reed's, is named "Václav Neckář." He has has own tales to tell about pop music under Communism but this book isn't about him. The reason he's relevant here is that throughout the book he is referred to as "Vaclav Nectar" – an obvious spellcheck flub that no one managed to catch on the way to the printing press.

And so the wall comes tumbling down.

Comrade Rockstar reads like a first draft - and not a very good one. There are occasional punctuation errors and unclear sentences. Worse, there are scenes depicted as fact which we are to accept as Nadelson seems to accept as truth whatever she's told. Sourcing is not always clear. Scene-setting descriptions are hackneyed and trite. And as a narrator she's considerably self-obsessed. But I probably wouldn't go to the trouble of holding her to the flame about any of that – I would have just clicked one star and been on my way – had she bothered to proofread her book.

For a reader interested in the subject – as I am – there are still things to be gleaned. But as journalism or even enjoyable storytelling the book is deeply flawed.

[Carla Remy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dean Reed, born in Colorado in 1938. Did he just want to be a music superstar, so much that he went to East Berlin and the Soviet Union in the 1960s (a place where he was a celebrity, a big fish in a small pond)? Was he a CIA mole (one hears that they like outlandish people as spies)? Did he die under mysterious circumstances in the. 1980s? A very well written book, really a memoir of the American author travelling to the East in the late 1980s (before the wall fell) to research the strange life of Dean Reed.

[J.P. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dean Reed was an American rock singer/actor in the early 1960s. While he was mostly overlooked in the U.S., he became a major star in South America, where his records sold millions of copies.

Seizing opportunity, Reed moved to Chile. There, he claimed, he was exposed to the wide chasm between the privileged and the poor classes of society. This experience turned Reed onto radical politics. He became a Socialist, activist and champion of "little people". He also became a harsh critic of the U.S. government, which he felt fed the corrupt governments of South America at the poor's expense.

COMRADE ROCKSTAR traces Dean Reed's life and career, from his days studying acting in Hollywood with Jean Seaberg and the Everly Brothers, through his stint in Italian "spaghetti westerns" and on to his rock concert tours of the Soviet Union, where he was the first American musician to take rock and roll behind the Iron Curtain (he was the only foreigner to ever be given the Lenin Award, Russia's answer to the Pulitzer Prize).

In doing so, author Reggie Nadelson provides readers with insights into the now mostly-vanished Communist world, including (who would've thought!) the Soviet rock scene of the 1960s-1980s. Nadelson has an informative, conversational writing style which makes COMRADE ROCKSTAR a real page-turner.

Eventually, Reed ended up in East Germany, where he continued to record popular records and act in and direct well-received films. In 1986, at age 48, he died there under mysterious circumstances, shortly after making plans to return to America (including an appearance on "60 Minutes"). Many who knew him claim Reed was murdered for political reasons. Nadelson keeps the reader in suspense right up to her book's end---then does a satisfying job of unraveling this mystery, at least to the extent that it can be unraveled.

Dean Reed was a household name from Havana to Moscow. But he was---and remains---almost unknown in his home country. Twenty-two years after his death, he has a wide and loyal following in Europe. While his politics may rub many the wrong way, Reed is a genuinely unique historical figure. Reggie Nadelson tells his story well.

[NOLaBookish aka blue-collared mind · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was not as good as it should have been, given the subject matter. So many musicians take a turn away from what seems to be their big break (and maybe find a better life instead?)- how fascinating that would be to read about.
This guy actually ended up moving to USSR and being quite famous there. The problem is there is too little information to glean a whole book from the sketchy details of his life; maybe if this was about rock in Russia and Dean's story would be the centerpiece it would work, but I lost interest halfway through and just flipped around after that.
Gave to my friend Kristen, who knows a lot more about rock-n-roll history than me, so maybe she liked it more...

[Peter · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the combination of the author telling her own life story, especially in relation to doing her research for this strange and wonderful book and telling the actual story. It resonated so much with me!
Wonderful snippets of life in various parts of the socialist world of the 70's and 60's.

[Dimitrije Vojnov · Rating 4 out of 5]

COMRADE ROCKSTAR Reggie Nadelson je biografska knjiga o Deanu Reedu, izuzetno intrigatnoj ličnosti, pevaču koji je posle slabog početka karijere u Americi i singla za Capitol, otišao u Južnu Ameriki jer mu je muzika tamo dobro prolazila na top listama, inficirao se levicom i završio kao pionir rokenrola i velika zvezda iza Gvozdene zavese u SSSRu, Čehoslovačkoj i Istočnoj Nemačkoj.

U Istočnoj Nemačkoj je na kraju dočekao svoj kraj. Udavio pod misterioznim okolnostima u blizini svoje kuće.

Sa Reggie Nadelson mogu da se identifikujem utoliko što sam se neverovatno zainteresovao za ovu priču čim sam prvi put čuo za Dean Reeda, i bio sam njome fasciniran od prvog trenutka. I dalje smatram da je dokumentarni film AMERICAN REBEL Willa Robertsa zapavo ultimativno ostvarenje o Reedu, iako bi knjiga po s om formatu trebalo da je bolja.

Međutim, ona na nivou supstance ne dodaje previše u odnosu na film, ali naravno, detaljnija je, jednim delom i u sličnim pričama koje dobijama iz više izbora. Najsupstancijalnija je u odnosu na posledice Reedove smrti iz prostog razloga što je AMERICAN REBEL izašao dok je Dean Reed bio živ.

Reggie Nadelson je prekaljena novinarka sa romansijerskim ambicijama i knjiga ima takav ton. U pojedinim deonicama možemo čak reći da i previše piri priču na okolnosti koje sa Reedom nemaju direktne veze, i ulazi u digresije u pokušajima da dočara atmosferu. Ponekad čak takve dgresije deluju kao da su nameran pokušaj da se dostigne određeni obim knjige.

Priča je pakleno intriganta a Reggie Nadelson je dovoljno pismena da čak i ta vrsta oportunizma dobro prolazi i ostaje čitka. Međutim, na kraju moram zapziti da je nekoliko važnih prilika propušteno. Dakle, napisana je čitava knjiga a i dalje nisu sistematizovane Deanova diskografija i filmografija. Lutanja kroz razne impresije na kraju stvaraju utisak da se izgubio utisak jasnog protoka vremena i rasporeda događaja. Možda je to učinilo ovaj rukopis boljom prozom ali je istovremeno i dovelo do toga da knjiga bude maltene faktografski konfuzna, iako ne možemo reći da je netačna.

Još krupniji problem jeste preskakanje Reedovog špageti perioda u Italiji kada snimio solidan broj tamošnjih vesterna, gusarskih pustolovnih i sličnih “falsifikata” američke produkcije. O tome se u knjizi govori vrlo malo, gotovo ništa a reč je o vrlo produktivnom i važnom periodu, naročito ako imamo u vidu da je ključna Reedova ambicija pred smrt bila vezana za snimanje filma.

Ono što je možda ipak najveći greh knjige jeste dosta neubedljiv pokušaj autorke da kroz svoj “zaključak” nekako zaokruži priču iznoseći svoj utisak šta se desilo Reedu, pošavši od fascinacije i misterije prema otkriću. To stavljanje sebe u prvi plan nije skroz ubedljivo i samim tim deluje pretenciozno i navino.

Sve u svemu, dok se ne pojavi nešto dobro, ova knjiga i dalje zavređuje punu pažnju. Pitanje je samo koliko ima entuzijasta za Deana Reeda koji će osetiti potrebu da je nadogrdade onim što upadljivo nedostaje.

[John Cooper · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a book I had to push through to finish, but judged to be worth the effort in the end. It's a narrative muddle — part memoir, part travelogue, part investigation, part biography, its tone shifting as if it can't decide which approach to take from day to day, chapter to chapter. Surely I would have appreciated a more straightforward biography/investigation into the mystery that was Dean Reed, the biggest American pop star almost no Westerner has heard of, while instead I often felt trapped in Reggie Nadelson's head as she struggled to understand. But this is what we have. In the last years of the Cold War, Nadelson talked to seemingly everyone who knew Dean Reed well, and a few who only knew him as a performer, and many of those people are gone now, or impossible to trace. Reed died in 1986, age 47. A few years later, the Berlin Wall fell, and retracing lives lived before that fall became a lot harder.

As I said, it's a mess, perhaps inescapably so, but the last two or three chapters pull it together, in a sad way, and make a coherent coda. In some ways, Reed's story is the story of many musicians who lived beyond their days of fame. What makes it remarkable is that it intersected, in a unique way because of Reed's status as a rather credulous Communist believer, with a particular era that seems increasingly distant. That makes this book a worthwhile reed not just for musicians and music fans, but for sociologists and historians and almost anyone left who's old enough to remember those prelapsarian times, before the wall fell and before we knew what happened next.

[Cliff Morrison · Rating 1 out of 5]

This sloppily written "biography" is notably lacking in basic research on the subject. In addition, though the book is relatively short, the author's silly musings and irritating, unnecessary injection of herself into the narrative makes it seem longer than it is. Anyone who seriously wants to know about the subject would do better to consult the Dean Reed website, the documentary "American Rebel" (available on YouTube, along with many clips of Reed performing), the book "Rock 'n' Roll Radical" by Chuck Laszewski, or the Wikipedia and IMDb entries on Reed.

[A W Main · Rating 1 out of 5]

Horrible xenophobic American exceptionalism is ignorantly on display throughout. It's verging on stereotypical cartoon territory.
If I knew it was less about Dean Reed, and more about the author doing hit and run pieces on both the places she visits and the people she meets, I'd never have entertained it.
It could realistically be a 'what I did on my holiday' essay handed in by a teenager. One that got a C-. And a note written in red saying that "there are a lot of words, but your work doesn't say much."

[Keith Rowe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very unusual biography of the biggest rock star I never heard of! It’s about his other worldly success and his ultimate demise. A Colorado grown star in communist countries aching to come home but not capable of it. The author, Reggie Nadelson, gives us more than just a picture of Dean Reed. She describes East Berlin and Moscow cultures during the Cold War and their fascination with all things American!

[D. Ennis · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was helpful to know up front that this book is just as much about the author's investigative journey as it is about Dean Reed. It is a fascinating story of fame, politics and naivety during an incredible period of history. Unfortunately, the writing is quite sloppy at times and can be a real distraction from an otherwise easy, enjoyable read.

[Jehnie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Such a weird book. This reads more like a travelogue of East Berlin in 1989. Which could be interesting in its own right. But instead it's couched in this story which relies on heavy stereotypes of Germans, Russians, and Coloradoans. Odd, odd, odd.

[Rick · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating book

[Tom Schulte · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this easy-to-read and even exciting book, Reggie Nadelson explores the life story and mysterious death of Dean Reed. Reed's singular tale is so compelling that Tom Hanks optioned it for a film. The arc of his life begins with relative obscurity in the ‘60s American music scene and then launches from a South-American-popularity springboard into rock star status behind the Iron Curtain.

The Colorado-born Reed became the Soviets’ own American superstar but was perhaps more a pawn for Communism propaganda than a rare talent. The fall from this gilded cage was a slow decay, and when it ended with Reed found dead in an East Berlin lake in 1986, there were more questions than answers.

Was Reed “dying” to return to America? Was he on the edge of his biggest artistic success ever or staring failure in the face? Was he murdered or was it suicide?

Comrade Rockstar is an attempt to understand Reed's life and a consideration of the various conspiracy theories surrounding his suspicious death during Perestroika. Wives, ex-girlfriends, Americans, and odd characters out of the cave of Communism blink rapidly in the bright glare of rock stardom that left behind a shadowy existence.

While Reggie Nadelson’s investigation may not provide the final answer, the globe-trotting chase to find the real Dean Reed is well worth the read.

[Nicholas Beck · Rating 2 out of 5]

Choppy piecemeal, with a lacklustre approach to research utilizing what seems to be Reggie Nadelson's journalistic notebooks as it's template. Dean Reed's life and career as a rockstar (I use the term loosely) behind the Iron Curtain during the Cold War is eminently intriguing and dare I say fascinating. I'd never heard of him and most of the West hadn't either until 60 minutes did a segment on him. There are also 2 documentaries on his life. Rendered more and more irrelevant by Glasnost and the influx of Western Culture, Dean Reed dies a mysterious death by drowning in the GDR. Various conspiracy theories are floated (sorry!)and Reggie Nadelson middlingly meanders her way through various lovers and acquaintances to attempt to uncover the truth.
Check out Dean Reed on Youtube apart from the execrable "Our Summer Romance" he had a serviceable voice and style and was massively popular in South America and the Eastern Bloc. His political views may have been muddled and contradictory but here was a man who stepped out of the mainstream and forged his own unique path, Unfortunately Nadelson's book does not do him justice.

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

along with alberto santos-dumont and alfred ely breach, dean reed is an improbable footnote. kind of a second rate glen campbell, reed became a hammy yet huge star in a USSR starved for american rock n roll even if it was as watered down as reeds music apparently was.
nadelson has little to go on in terms of first hand interview with reed.... more interestingly, she finds out why the ussr needed dean reed and why dean reed needed the ussr and how his mysterious suicide reflected the rise of glasnost....

[Judy Gail Krasnow · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Belgian son-in-law, Tom Christiaens,a journalist and lover of music himself, read this book and gave me his copy saying he was sure I'd never read a tale like this one. He was right. The book had me riveted, perplexed, intrigued and baffled all in one. For anyone who likes a bit of mystery, music, stories about interesting people, international and national travel scenes and something definitely refreshing, this book fulfills all.

[Frank · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is well researched but not well written. The content is fascinating and it offered important information and insights not found in the Dean Reed film, but it suffers from an undisciplined, almost stream of consciousness style heavy with superfluous detail. A good editor could have made this a great book. Too bad nobody was present to reign in Nadelson's overly expressive writing. Her keen analysis would have been far more impactful had it been presented in about eighty fewer pages.

[Alan Partlow · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a bizarre and engaging story. Dean Reed, a third-rate '50's rocker from Denver, achieves fame in South America, the Soviet Union and the GDR. His lefty politics got him deported from Argentina and he chose to spend the rest of his life in East Germany where he made films and records and reached a level of popularity that he never would have had in the United States.

[kit · Rating 3 out of 5]

pretty good for $0.85 new from a major chain. tries to be both a biography and a travelogue of the author's attempts to find out what happened, and kinda fails at both because she treats her subject as a curiosity, running around the soviet union as the wall is falling down, asking about a campy musician slash actor two decades too late.

[Lucas · Rating 4 out of 5]

I started the book expecting an ordinary biography, but I ended up encountering a well-paced detective story. I suspect that I enjoyed this book more as a personal account of discovery, than I would have if it had been a dry recitation of facts. The author has a gift for making Reed's life accessible to the casual reader.

[Chris K · Rating 4 out of 5]

Colorado Elvis/Johnny Cash wannabee fails to make it big in the US, but without ever wondering why or realizing the contradiction, he becomes the biggest rockstar on the other side of the iron curtain. Incredible true story.

[Cynthia Kane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating story and would make a great and thought=provoking film - it made me think about ideologies and the fine, fine line between what many of us think of democracy and human rights and socialism - what really is the differnce???!

[Dave · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the story of a state-sponsored rock star, American defector. It's a great *story* but the telling drags at times. There is some real heartbreak.

[Dorf · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting true tale of the Russian Elvis. Unfortunately, it's poorly written hence only three stars.