Turning for Home (1991)

Few people are lucky enough to enjoy two successful careers, but Reid seems destined to have three. The former all-pro football player for the Cincinnati Bengals turned to songwriting more than a decade ago, eventually writing two Grammy-winning songs for Ronnie Milsap (including ''Lost in the Fifties'') and ''Born to Be Blue'' for the Judds. Now comes his debut vocal album, Turning for Home, one of the best surprises of the new year. Reid is an all-around winner: His upbeat songs (''Walk on Faith'') work as both thoughtful and intimate vignettes and as snappy radio rotation. And as a singer, he's alternately gruff and sensitive, with a gift for emotional directness. Reid also seems real — you can't imagine there's a contrived bone in his body, and his overall performance matches what he calls his songwriting credo: ''Simplification to the point of elegance.''