Dan dropped the acting and concentrated on music. In 1979, Dan Reed met Dan Pred at a music store - Engle's Music in Aberdeen and they formed a band - NIGHTWING - and won the annual talent contest at high school. Nightwing continued to perform in pool halls and at high school proms. But Dan was serious about his music and knew he had to get out of South Dakota to pursue it.

He left for the West Coast in 1981 but had to leave college because of the pressure of gigging every night and studying during the day.

Dan then moved to Portland, Oregon, with the sort of music he wanted to play in his mind - "A lot of R&B but with raging guitars like AC/DC, Van Halen and Kiss".

All he had to do was find musicians that fitted into that scheme. Dan hung out at music stores, playing guitar and meeting other musicians, eventually joining the bar band Nimble Darts as a keyboard and guitar player. Nimble Darts performed on the college and club scene. Through that, Dan put together a mailing list - The Dan Reed Network - to let people know where they were playing.

After the Nimble Darts disbanded in 1984, Dan formed his own group with Dan Pred, who had moved to Portland, and Brion James - a guitarist he met in Seattle and convinced to move to Portland.

Dan Reed Network was born. The first line-up was completed by Melvin Brannon on bass, who kept bugging the guys for an audition, and Jeff Siri on keyboards.

And here, Dan's biography becomes that of the Dan Reed Network - more of that in the Dan Reed Network section and the Dan Reed Network timeline.

We'll catch up with Dan at the end of the Network's days....