Jerry Reed

Although he was known as an actor and entertainer later in his career, Jerry Reed – born Jerry Reed Hubbard in Atlanta, Georgia on March 20, 1937 – was an influential country music guitarist, singer, and songwriter who began his music career in the mid-1950s. His 1959 single “Soldier’s Joy” was his first charting hit, although it fell outside the Hot 100. After serving two years in the US Army, Jerry Reed moved to Nashville, Tennessee to further his songwriting career. While working as a songwriter and session guitarist, he released two singles in 1962 that landed inside the Hot 100: “Goodnight Irene” (number 79) and “Hully Gully Guitar” (number 99). After more session work, he returned with several more singles including “Guitar Man,” which reached number 53 in 1967 and was recorded by Elvis Presley that same year (with Jerry Reed playing on Elvis’ version). “Tupelo Mississippi Flash,” another 1967 single, was a tribute to Elvis and was his first Top 20 hit. The following year, the single “Remember” went all the way to number 14. “Are You from Dixie (‘Cause I’m from Dixie Too)” (1969) just missed the Top 10 and climbed no higher to number 11. Jerry Reed’s singles leaned towards the novelty side of country music, and he scored with “Amos Moses” (number 8 on the Hot 100) before hitting number 1 on the Country Music Singles chart with 1971’s “When You’re Hot, You’re Hot.” More country hits followed including “Smell the Flowers” (1972), “Alabama Willd Man” (1972), and the number 1 “Lord, Mr. Ford.” By the mid-1970s, he began to focus on his acting career and appeared in films such as W.W. and the Dixie Dancekings (1975), Gator (1976), High-Ballin’ (1978), Hot Stuff (1979), as well as three Smokey and the Bandit films (1977, 1980, and 1983). His single from the first Smokey and the Bandit film – “East Bound and Down” (1977) – rose to number 2 on the Country Music Singles chart. He continued releasing charting singles and making films and even scored two big country music hits in 1982: “She Got the Goldmine (I Got the Shaft)” (number 1) and “The Bird” (number 2). By the late 1980s, his recording career had stalled, and he focused on playing live and acting. Jerry Reed died of complications from emphysema on September 1, 2008, at the age of 71.