‘A must-read for fans in this state.’ Hall of Fame sports columnist Billy Reed dies at 78.
Billy Reed, a Hall of Fame journalist who was one of the most famous sports columnists in Kentucky history, died Saturday. He was 78.
A veteran of the Lexington Herald-Leader and the Courier-Journal in Louisville, as well as a former senior writer at Sports Illustrated, Reed was a Kentucky sports historian who was fearless as a reporter and columnist. Reed never shied away from controversial topics, nor did he hesitate to criticize popular sports figures when he deemed it necessary.
“Billy Reed was near the top of an impressive list of sports columnists and writers in Kentucky,” said Mike Johnson, who was sports editor when Reed began writing columns for the Herald-Leader in 1987. “He could make fans smile one day and infuriate them the next. During his time at the Herald-Leader and the Courier-Journal he was a must-read for fans in this state. Whether they loved him or hated him at the time, they wanted to know what Billy had to say.”
“From the time we first met in 1966, to the last time we talked a week ago, Billy was pure Kentucky — horse racing, basketball and the enduring grace of the state he loved,” said Dave Kindred, former sports columnist at the Courier-Journal, Washington Post and Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Born July 12, 1943, Reed was a native of Mount Sterling who attended school with Kentucky senator Mitch McConnell in Louisville before his family moved to Lexington, where Reed graduated from Henry Clay High School.
“I was saddened to learn of the passing of legendary sportswriter Billy Reed, a man who delivered some of the best sports coverage in the commonwealth,” said McConnell in a statement released Sunday. “I knew Billy well since our time playing Little League baseball together and always enjoyed reading his takes on Kentucky’s sports teams. From covering more than 50 Derbys, to shadowing Muhammad Ali, to attending NCAA championships, he enjoyed every opportunity Kentucky athletics had to offer. He had an outstanding career and Kentucky sports fans will miss him dearly.”
Reed was a 1966 graduate of Transylvania University, where he served as a manager on coach C.M. Newton’s basketball teams. Reed began writing for the Lexington Herald and Leader in 1959 — his first byline appeared at the age of 15 — before departing for the Courier-Journal in Louisville in 1966.
In 1968, he was hired by Sports Illustrated, where he covered college basketball and football before returning to the Courier-Journal as special projects reporter in 1972. Reed was named general columnist at the Courier-Journal in 1974, then sports columnist and sports editor in 1977.
He rejoined the Herald-Leader as sports columnist in 1987 and was named senior writer at Sports Illustrated in 1990.
“Billy was more than a wonderful writer and reporter and storyteller,” said Curry Kirkpatrick, who worked with Reed at Sports Illustrated. “He was a valued friend and colleague but also a teacher — about journalism, basketball, the horses, racing and most of all, Kentucky.”
After leaving the Herald-Leader in 2001, Reed served as executive director of communications for Kentucky’s commerce cabinet (2004-05), special assistant to Greg Stumbo (2007-08), special assistant to the provost at Kentucky State University (2008-09), an adjunct professor at Indiana University (2009-10) and executive scholar in residence at Georgetown College (2010-12).
A winner of the prestigious National Headliner Award for column writing in 1982, Reed was named Kentucky Sportswriter of the Year eight times. He won two Eclipse Awards for writing and was a past president of the National Turf Writers Association.
Also the author of numerous books, Reed was inducted into the United States Basketball Writers Hall of Fame in 1996 and the Kentucky Journalism Hall of Fame in 1998.
“Billy was passionate about his craft, journalism and the state of Kentucky,” said former Herald-Leader sports editor Gene Abell. “He was a powerful voice in the industry and the state for many years. While he dearly loved the state, he never balked at taking on any person, program or topic. You may not have always agreed with his opinion, but he was a must-read.”
From 1966 to 2021, Reed covered 53 runnings of the Kentucky Derby, missing only in 1973 when he was accepting a national award and in 1994 when his daughter graduated from Duke.
“I was blown away by the size of the crowd, which emitted a mighty roar as jockey Don Brumfield of Nicholasville, Ky., guided Kauai King down the long stretch to the finish line and victory,” Reed wrote last year about seeing his first Kentucky Derby. “I swore that day to not miss another Derby unless it was absolutely necessary.”
“Billy loved and treasured the Kentucky Derby,” Johnson said. “He knew as much about the Derby and its history as anyone I’ve ever known. Derby Day was probably his favorite day of the year.”
Most recently, Reed wrote for the Northern Kentucky Tribune, where on the occasion of his 78th birthday last year he wrote, “I love sports, but my heroes no longer are found in arenas and stadiums. My heroes are those fighting injustice wherever they find it. They always put morals ahead of money. They still believe in and practice the ideals we learned at a young age.”
This story was originally published February 5, 2022 at 4:59 PM.
