Jerry Reed
Encyclopedia
Jerry Reed Hubbard known professionally as Jerry Reed, was an American
country music
singer, innovative guitarist, songwriter, and actor who appeared in more than a dozen films. His signature songs included "Guitar Man
," "A Thing Called Love
," "Alabama Wild Man," "Amos Moses
", "When You're Hot, You're Hot
" (which garnered a Grammy Award for Best Male Country Vocal Performance
), "Ko-Ko Joe
", "Lord, Mr. Ford
", "East Bound and Down
" (the theme song for the 1977 blockbuster Smokey and the Bandit
, in which Reed co-starred), "The Bird
," and "She Got the Goldmine (I Got the Shaft)
".
, the second child of Robert and Cynthia Hubbard. Reed's grandparents lived in Rockmart, GA and he would visit them from time to time. He was quoted as saying as a small child, while running around strumming his guitar, "I am gonna be a star. I'm gonna go to Nashville and be a star." Reed's parents separated four months after his birth, and he and his sister spent seven years in foster homes or orphanage
s. Reed was reunited with his mother and stepfather in 1944. Music and impromptu performances helped ease the stressful times the new family was under.
By high school, Reed was already writing and singing music, having picked up the guitar as a child. At age 18, he was signed by publisher and record producer
Bill Lowery
to cut his first record, "If the Good Lord's Willing and the Creek Don't Rise." At Capitol Records
, he recorded both country and rockabilly singles to little notice, until label mate Gene Vincent
covered his "Crazy Legs
" in 1958. By 1958, Lowery signed Reed to his National Recording Corporation
, and he recorded for NRC as both artist and as a member of the staff band, which included other NRC artists Joe South
and Ray Stevens
.
Reed married Priscilla "Prissy" Mitchell
in 1959. They had two daughters, Charlotte Elaine "Lottie" Reed Stewart, and Seidina Ann Reed Hinesley, born April 2, 1960. Priscilla Mitchell was a member of folk group the Appalachians ("Bony Moronie," 1963), and was co-credited with Roy Drusky
on the 1965 Country #1 "Yes Mr. Peters
."
in 1961 to continue his songwriting career, which had continued to gather steam while he was in the armed forces, thanks to Brenda Lee
's 1960 cover of his "That's All You Got to Do." He also became a popular session and tour guitarist. In 1962, he scored some success with the singles "Goodnight Irene" (as by Jerry Reed & the Hully Girlies, featuring a female vocal group) and "Hully Gully Guitar," which found their way to Chet Atkins
, who produced Reed's 1965 "If I Don't Live Up to It."
," which Elvis Presley
soon covered. Reed's next single was "Tupelo Mississippi Flash," a comic tribute to Presley. Recorded on September 1, the song became his first Top 20
hit, going to #15 on the chart. In a remarkable twist of fate, Elvis came to Nashville to record nine days later on September 10, 1967, and one of the songs he became especially excited about was "Guitar Man."
Reed recalled how he was tracked down to play on the Elvis session: "I was out on the Cumberland River fishing, and I got a call from Felton Jarvis (then Presley's producer). He said, 'Elvis is down here. We've been trying to cut 'Guitar Man' all day long. He wants it to sound like it sounded on your album.' I finally told him, 'Well, if you want it to sound like that, you're going have to get me in there to play guitar, because these guys (you're using in the studio) are straight pickers. I pick with my fingers and tune that guitar up all weird kind of ways.'"
Jarvis hired Reed to play on the session. "I hit that intro, and [Elvis'] face lit up and here we went. Then after he got through that, he cut [my] "U.S. Male" at the same session. I was toppin' cotton, son." Reed also played the guitar for Elvis Presley's "Big Boss Man" (1967), recorded in the same session.
Bass singer Ray Walker of The Jordanaires remembered that memorable session more vividly, remarking that Reed flubbed the intro to "Guitar Man" repeatedly as a result of being extremely nervous. Walker also remembered the guitarist telling Presley, "God, you're handsome!"
On January 15 and 16th, 1968, Reed worked on a second Presley session, during which he played guitar on a cover of Chuck Berry
's "Too Much Monkey Business", "Stay Away" and "Goin' Home" (two songs revolving around Elvis' film Stay Away, Joe
),as well as another Reed composition, "U.S. Male" (Reed's quoted recollection of "U.S. Male" being recorded at the same session as "Guitar Man" being incorrect).
Elvis also recorded two other Reed compositions: "A Thing Called Love" in May 1971 and "Talk About The Good Times" in December 1973 for a total of four.
Johnny Cash
would also release "A Thing Called Love" as a single in 1971, which would reach #2 on the Billboard Country Singles Chart for North America. It was also successful in Europe. It would become the title track for a studio album
that he released the following spring.
", a hybrid of rock, country, funk, and Cajun styles, which reached No. 8 on the U.S. pop charts, Reed teamed with Atkins for the duet LP Me & Jerry
. During the 1970 television season, he was a regular on The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour
, and in 1971 he issued his biggest hit, the chart-topper "When You're Hot, You're Hot
", which is a story song, with the majority of the lyrics being rapped rather than sung. The song concerns the singer's near success in a card game, a police raid and a judge who is supposedly a fishing buddy of the singer, but who nevertheless sends him down for gambling!
"When You're Hot, You're Hot" was the title track of Jerry's first solo album, reaching #9 Pop and #6 on Billboard's Easy Listening charts. The singles from the album, "Amos Moses" and "When You're Hot, You're Hot" sold over one million copies, and were awarded gold discs
by the R.I.A.A. The album also features songs such as Reed's version of "Ruby, Don't Take Your Love To Town", and John D Loudermilk's free wheeling song, "Big Daddy (Alabami Bound)".
A second collaboration with Atkins, Me & Chet
, followed in 1972, as did a series of Top 40 singles, which alternated between frenetic, straightforward country offerings and more pop-flavored, countrypolitan material. A year later, he scored his second number one single with "Lord, Mr. Ford" (written by Dick Feller
), from the album of the same name.
Atkins, who frequently produced Reed's music, remarked that he had to encourage Reed to put instrumental numbers on his own albums, as Reed always considered himself more of a songwriter than a player. Atkins, however, thought Reed was a better fingerstyle player than he himself was; Reed, according to Atkins, helped him work out the fingerpicking for one of Atkins' biggest hits, "Yakety Axe
." Reed, one of only four people to have the title of "Certified Guitar Player" (an award only bestowed to those who have completely mastered guitar), was given this title by Chet Atkins.
Reed was featured in animated form in a December 9, 1972 episode of Hanna-Barbera
's The New Scooby-Doo Movies
, "The Phantom of the Country Music Hall" (prod. #61-10). He sang and played the song "Pretty Mary Sunlight." The song is played throughout the episode as Scooby and the gang search for Reed's missing guitar.
In the mid-1970s, Reed's recording career began to take a back seat to his acting aspirations. In 1974, he co-starred with his close friend Burt Reynolds
in the film W.W. and the Dixie Dancekings
. While he continued to record throughout the decade, his greatest visibility was as a motion picture star, almost always in tandem with headliner Reynolds; after 1976's Gator, Reed appeared in 1978's High Ballin and 1979's Hot Stuff
. He also co-starred in all three of the Smokey and the Bandit
films; the first, which premiered in 1977, landed Reed a Number 2 hit with the soundtrack's "East Bound and Down."
Reed also took a stab at hosting a TV variety show, filming two episodes of The Jerry Reed Show in 1976. The show featured music performances and interview segments, but did not contain the comedy skits that usually were a part of variety shows of the '70s. Guests included Tammy Wynette
, Ray Stevens
, and Burt Reynolds
.
Scottish rockers The Sensational Alex Harvey Band released a version of "Amos Moses" in 1976.
In 1978, he appeared as himself in the television show Alice
In 1979, he released a record comprising both vocal and instrumental selections titled, appropriately enough, Half & Half. It was followed one year later by Jerry Reed Sings Jim Croce
, a tribute to the late singer/songwriter. He starred in a TV movie in that year entitled The Concrete Cowboys
.
," followed by "The Bird
," which peaked at Number 2. His last chart hit, "I'm a Slave," appeared in 1983. That same year, he co-starred with Robin Williams
and Walter Matthau
in the Michael Ritchie
comedy The Survivors. Reed guest-starred in the October 13, 1983 episode of Mama's Family
, "The Return of Leonard Oates" (Episode 13, Season 2), as Naomi Harper's ex-husband Leonard Oates.
After an unsuccessful 1986 LP, Lookin' at You, Reed focused on touring until 1992, when he and Atkins reunited for the album Sneakin' Around
before he again returned to the road. In the meantime, Reed appeared in several interviews and commercial spots for Mid-South Wrestling.
Reed had a role as a Commander/Huey Pilot for Danny Glover
's character in the 1988 movie Bat*21 starring Gene Hackman
. He also acted as executive producer and screenwriter on this film.
Reed starred in the 1998 Adam Sandler
film, The Waterboy
, as Red Beaulieu, the movie's chief antagonist and the head coach for the University of Louisiana Cougars football team.
He teamed up with country superstars Waylon Jennings
, Mel Tillis
, and Bobby Bare
in the group Old Dogs
. They recorded one album, in 1998, entitled Old Dogs, with songs written by Shel Silverstein
. (Reed sang lead on "Young Man's Job" and "Elvis Has Left The Building," the latter possibly in deference to Elvis' helping launch his career.)
In 1998, the American rock band Primus
covered the Reed song "Amos Moses" on the EP entitled Rhinoplasty
.
, playing on fictional radio station K-ROSE. His last recording was released in 2006, named Let's Git It On. In 2007, UK band Alabama 3
(Known as A3 in the USA) covered his hit "Amos Moses" on their album M.O.R.
In June 2005, American guitarist Eric Johnson
released his album Bloom, which contained a track entitled "Tribute To Jerry Reed" in commemoration of his works.
Reed has appeared as a guest on the fishing television series
Bill Dance Outdoors
. In one memorable appearance, Reed caught a particularly big largemouth bass
and planned to have it preserved and mounted by a taxidermist. Host Bill Dance objected to this plan, and freed the fish when Jerry wasn't looking. Reed became enraged when he discovered what had happened, and chased Dance off the boat and to shore. This incident was also mentioned in one of Jeff Foxworthy
's standup comedy routines. The song "Eastbound and Down" made a rather impressive setting in the movie Delta Farce, starring Larry the Cable Guy, Bill Engvall, and DJ Qualls.
"She Got The Goldmine" was used in the 2010 film, The Bounty Hunter
during the scene where Milo (Gerard Butler
)searches Nicole's (Jennifer Aniston
) apartment.
, on September 1, 2008, of complications from emphysema
. The Associated Press
wire service and CNN
, however, reported the date of his death as August 31. In a tribute in Vintage Guitar Magazine, Rich Kienzle wrote that "Reed set a standard that inspires fingerstyle players the way Merle and Chet inspired him. Reed died on Conway Twitty
's birthday."
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
singer, innovative guitarist, songwriter, and actor who appeared in more than a dozen films. His signature songs included "Guitar Man
Guitar Man (Jerry Reed song)
"Guitar Man" is a 1967 song written by Jerry Reed, who took his version of it to number 53 on the country music charts in 1967.Soon after Reed's single appeared, Elvis Presley recorded the song, and it became a minor country and pop hit...
," "A Thing Called Love
A Thing Called Love (song)
"A Thing Called Love" is a song written and originally recorded by Jerry Reed in 1968. This song has been recorded by many artists, including Jimmy Dean, Elvis Presley and Dave Dudley. In 1971, the song was recorded by Johnny Cash and it became a #1 hit in Canada...
," "Alabama Wild Man," "Amos Moses
Amos Moses
Amos Moses is the title of a song written and recorded by American country music artist Jerry Reed. It was released in October 1970 as the fourth and final single from the album, Georgia Sunshine. This record was Reed's highest-charted single on Billboard Hot 100, peaking No. 8...
", "When You're Hot, You're Hot
When You're Hot, You're Hot
"When You're Hot, You're Hot" is a 1971 crossover single written and recorded by Jerry Reed. The song was his most successful on the country charts peaking at number one for five weeks. "When You're Hot, You're Hot" also was Jerry Reed's second song to cross over to the Top 40, peaking at number...
" (which garnered a Grammy Award for Best Male Country Vocal Performance
Grammy Award for Best Male Country Vocal Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Male Country Vocal Performance was awarded between 1965 and 2011. The award has had several minor name changes:*From 1965 to 1967 the award was known as Best Country & Western Vocal Performance - Male...
), "Ko-Ko Joe
Ko-Ko Joe
Ko-Ko Joe is the title of a song written and recorded by American country artist Jerry Reed. It was released in August 1971 as the lead single from the album of the same name, Ko-Ko Joe. The song reached peaks of number 11 on the U.S...
", "Lord, Mr. Ford
Lord, Mr. Ford
"Lord, Mr. Ford" is the title of a song written by Dick Feller and recorded by Jerry Reed. It was released in May 1973 as the only single from the album of the same name, Lord, Mr. Ford. The single was Jerry Reed's second of three No. 1's on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart. "Lord, Mr...
", "East Bound and Down
East Bound and Down
"East Bound and Down" is the title of a song written by Jerry Reed and Dick Feller, and recorded by Reed for the soundtrack for the film Smokey and the Bandit. It was released in August 1977 as a single on RCA Records. The song spent sixteen weeks on the U.S. country music charts, reaching a peak...
" (the theme song for the 1977 blockbuster Smokey and the Bandit
Smokey and the Bandit
Smokey and the Bandit is a 1977 American film starring Burt Reynolds, Sally Field, Jackie Gleason, Jerry Reed, Pat McCormick, Paul Williams, and Mike Henry. It inspired several other trucking films, including two sequels, Smokey and the Bandit II, and Smokey and the Bandit Part 3...
, in which Reed co-starred), "The Bird
The Bird (Jerry Reed song)
"The Bird" is the title of a song recorded by American country music singer Jerry Reed. Written by Hal Coleman and Barry Etris, this novelty song contains impressions of Willie Nelson's "Whiskey River" and "On the Road Again;" and George Jones' "He Stopped Loving Her Today." It was released in...
," and "She Got the Goldmine (I Got the Shaft)
She Got the Goldmine (I Got the Shaft)
"She Got the Goldmine " is the title of a song written by Tim DuBois and recorded by American country music singer Jerry Reed. It was released in June 1982 as the third and final single from the album, The Man with the Golden Thumb. A satire on divorce, the song became Reed's third and final No...
".
Early life
Reed was born in Atlanta, GeorgiaAtlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
, the second child of Robert and Cynthia Hubbard. Reed's grandparents lived in Rockmart, GA and he would visit them from time to time. He was quoted as saying as a small child, while running around strumming his guitar, "I am gonna be a star. I'm gonna go to Nashville and be a star." Reed's parents separated four months after his birth, and he and his sister spent seven years in foster homes or orphanage
Orphanage
An orphanage is a residential institution devoted to the care of orphans – children whose parents are deceased or otherwise unable or unwilling to care for them...
s. Reed was reunited with his mother and stepfather in 1944. Music and impromptu performances helped ease the stressful times the new family was under.
By high school, Reed was already writing and singing music, having picked up the guitar as a child. At age 18, he was signed by publisher and record producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
Bill Lowery
Bill Lowery
Bill Lowery was an American music entrepreneur.-Early successes:Lowery was born in Leesville, Louisiana. He studied radio dramatics at Taft Junior College and went on to a number of radio-announcing jobs...
to cut his first record, "If the Good Lord's Willing and the Creek Don't Rise." At Capitol Records
Capitol Records
Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
, he recorded both country and rockabilly singles to little notice, until label mate Gene Vincent
Gene Vincent
Vincent Eugene Craddock , known as Gene Vincent, was an American musician who pioneered the styles of rock and roll and rockabilly. His 1956 top ten hit with his Blue Caps, "Be-Bop-A-Lula", is considered a significant early example of rockabilly...
covered his "Crazy Legs
Crazy Legs
Richard Colón better known by his stage name Crazy Legs is a b-boy from the Bronx, New York City, USA. He featured in the earliest stories on hip hop dancing to appear in mainstream press, and as president of the Rock Steady Crew brought the form to London and Paris in 1983...
" in 1958. By 1958, Lowery signed Reed to his National Recording Corporation
National Recording Corporation
-Early years:National Recording Corporation was incorporated in Atlanta in 1958. Founders were Bill Lowery, at the time the number one Country Music disc jockey and already a successful music publisher, and Boots Woodall, whose band recorded for Capitol, King, and Bullet Records and performed on...
, and he recorded for NRC as both artist and as a member of the staff band, which included other NRC artists Joe South
Joe South
Joe South is a multi-talented American singer-songwriter and guitarist.-Career:...
and Ray Stevens
Ray Stevens
Ray Stevens is an American country music, pop singer-songwriter who has become known for his novelty songs.-Early career:...
.
Reed married Priscilla "Prissy" Mitchell
Priscilla Mitchell
Priscilla Mitchell was an American country music singer.-Biography:Priscilla Mitchell began as a Rock 'n' Roll singer in the 1950s and became most popular as a duet performer when she cut a string of duet recordings, in the 1960s, with country singer Roy Drusky...
in 1959. They had two daughters, Charlotte Elaine "Lottie" Reed Stewart, and Seidina Ann Reed Hinesley, born April 2, 1960. Priscilla Mitchell was a member of folk group the Appalachians ("Bony Moronie," 1963), and was co-credited with Roy Drusky
Roy Drusky
Roy Frank Drusky Jr., was an American country music singer popular from the 1960s through the early 1970s. Known for his baritone voice, he was known for incorporating the Nashville sound. His highest-charting single was the No. 1 "Yes Mr. Peters", a duet with Priscilla Mitchell.-Early life and...
on the 1965 Country #1 "Yes Mr. Peters
Yes Mr. Peters
"Yes Mr. Peters" is the title of a song written by Steve Karliski and Larry Kolber, and recorded by American country music artists Roy Drusky and Priscilla Mitchell as a duet. It was released in May 1965 as the lead single from the album, Love's Eternal Triangle...
."
Career
In 1959, Reed hit the Billboard "Bubbling Under The Top 100" and Cashbox Country chart with the single "Soldier's Joy." After serving two years in the military, Reed moved to NashvilleNashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
in 1961 to continue his songwriting career, which had continued to gather steam while he was in the armed forces, thanks to Brenda Lee
Brenda Lee
Brenda Mae Tarpley , known as Brenda Lee, is an American performer who sang rockabilly, pop and country music, and had 37 US chart hits during the 1960s, a number surpassed only by Elvis Presley, The Beatles, Ray Charles and Connie Francis...
's 1960 cover of his "That's All You Got to Do." He also became a popular session and tour guitarist. In 1962, he scored some success with the singles "Goodnight Irene" (as by Jerry Reed & the Hully Girlies, featuring a female vocal group) and "Hully Gully Guitar," which found their way to Chet Atkins
Chet Atkins
Chester Burton Atkins , known as Chet Atkins, was an American guitarist and record producer who, along with Owen Bradley, created the smoother country music style known as the Nashville sound, which expanded country's appeal to adult pop music fans as well.Atkins's picking style, inspired by Merle...
, who produced Reed's 1965 "If I Don't Live Up to It."
"Guitar Man"
In July 1967, Reed had his best showing so far on the country charts (#53) with his self-penned "Guitar ManGuitar Man (Jerry Reed song)
"Guitar Man" is a 1967 song written by Jerry Reed, who took his version of it to number 53 on the country music charts in 1967.Soon after Reed's single appeared, Elvis Presley recorded the song, and it became a minor country and pop hit...
," which Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
soon covered. Reed's next single was "Tupelo Mississippi Flash," a comic tribute to Presley. Recorded on September 1, the song became his first Top 20
Top 20
20 #1's Now is a 2007 compilation album by various artists and presented by reggaeton production duo Luny Tunes, released on November 20, 2007, by Machete Music.-Tracklist:# Welcome to My Crib – Randy "Nota Loka"...
hit, going to #15 on the chart. In a remarkable twist of fate, Elvis came to Nashville to record nine days later on September 10, 1967, and one of the songs he became especially excited about was "Guitar Man."
Reed recalled how he was tracked down to play on the Elvis session: "I was out on the Cumberland River fishing, and I got a call from Felton Jarvis (then Presley's producer). He said, 'Elvis is down here. We've been trying to cut 'Guitar Man' all day long. He wants it to sound like it sounded on your album.' I finally told him, 'Well, if you want it to sound like that, you're going have to get me in there to play guitar, because these guys (you're using in the studio) are straight pickers. I pick with my fingers and tune that guitar up all weird kind of ways.'"
Jarvis hired Reed to play on the session. "I hit that intro, and [Elvis'] face lit up and here we went. Then after he got through that, he cut [my] "U.S. Male" at the same session. I was toppin' cotton, son." Reed also played the guitar for Elvis Presley's "Big Boss Man" (1967), recorded in the same session.
Bass singer Ray Walker of The Jordanaires remembered that memorable session more vividly, remarking that Reed flubbed the intro to "Guitar Man" repeatedly as a result of being extremely nervous. Walker also remembered the guitarist telling Presley, "God, you're handsome!"
On January 15 and 16th, 1968, Reed worked on a second Presley session, during which he played guitar on a cover of Chuck Berry
Chuck Berry
Charles Edward Anderson "Chuck" Berry is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter, and one of the pioneers of rock and roll music. With songs such as "Maybellene" , "Roll Over Beethoven" , "Rock and Roll Music" and "Johnny B...
's "Too Much Monkey Business", "Stay Away" and "Goin' Home" (two songs revolving around Elvis' film Stay Away, Joe
Stay Away, Joe
Stay Away, Joe is a 1968 comedy-drama western film with musical interludes set in modern times and starring Elvis Presley, Burgess Meredith and Joan Blondell. The film was based on the 1953 novel by Dan Cushman, a satirical farce...
),as well as another Reed composition, "U.S. Male" (Reed's quoted recollection of "U.S. Male" being recorded at the same session as "Guitar Man" being incorrect).
Elvis also recorded two other Reed compositions: "A Thing Called Love" in May 1971 and "Talk About The Good Times" in December 1973 for a total of four.
Johnny Cash
Johnny Cash
John R. "Johnny" Cash was an American singer-songwriter, actor, and author, who has been called one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century...
would also release "A Thing Called Love" as a single in 1971, which would reach #2 on the Billboard Country Singles Chart for North America. It was also successful in Europe. It would become the title track for a studio album
A Thing Called Love
A Thing Called Love is an album by country singer Johnny Cash, released on Columbia Records in 1972 . The title song, written by Jerry Reed, was released successfully as a single , reaching No. 2 on the country charts; two more singles charted as well, while the album itself also reached No...
that he released the following spring.
1970s
After releasing the 1970 crossover hit "Amos MosesAmos Moses
Amos Moses is the title of a song written and recorded by American country music artist Jerry Reed. It was released in October 1970 as the fourth and final single from the album, Georgia Sunshine. This record was Reed's highest-charted single on Billboard Hot 100, peaking No. 8...
", a hybrid of rock, country, funk, and Cajun styles, which reached No. 8 on the U.S. pop charts, Reed teamed with Atkins for the duet LP Me & Jerry
Me & Jerry
Me & Jerry is the title of the first duet recording by Chet Atkins and Jerry Reed. Consisting of pop, country and standards, this collaboration won the 1970 Grammy Award for Best Country Instrumental Performance...
. During the 1970 television season, he was a regular on The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour
The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour
The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour was an American network television music and comedy variety show hosted by singer Glen Campbell from January 1969 through June 1972 on CBS. He was offered the show after he hosted a 1968 summer replacement for The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour...
, and in 1971 he issued his biggest hit, the chart-topper "When You're Hot, You're Hot
When You're Hot, You're Hot
"When You're Hot, You're Hot" is a 1971 crossover single written and recorded by Jerry Reed. The song was his most successful on the country charts peaking at number one for five weeks. "When You're Hot, You're Hot" also was Jerry Reed's second song to cross over to the Top 40, peaking at number...
", which is a story song, with the majority of the lyrics being rapped rather than sung. The song concerns the singer's near success in a card game, a police raid and a judge who is supposedly a fishing buddy of the singer, but who nevertheless sends him down for gambling!
"When You're Hot, You're Hot" was the title track of Jerry's first solo album, reaching #9 Pop and #6 on Billboard's Easy Listening charts. The singles from the album, "Amos Moses" and "When You're Hot, You're Hot" sold over one million copies, and were awarded gold discs
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
by the R.I.A.A. The album also features songs such as Reed's version of "Ruby, Don't Take Your Love To Town", and John D Loudermilk's free wheeling song, "Big Daddy (Alabami Bound)".
A second collaboration with Atkins, Me & Chet
Me & Chet
Me & Chet is the title of the follow-up to Me & Jerry, the successful duet recording by Chet Atkins and Jerry Reed. It was nominated for the 1972 Grammy Award for Best Country Instrumental Performance but did not win. Chet's solo release Chet Atkins Picks on the Hits was also nominated in the same...
, followed in 1972, as did a series of Top 40 singles, which alternated between frenetic, straightforward country offerings and more pop-flavored, countrypolitan material. A year later, he scored his second number one single with "Lord, Mr. Ford" (written by Dick Feller
Dick Feller
Richard Dean "Dick" Feller is an American country musician and songwriter.-Biography:Feller was born on January 2, 1943 in Bronaugh, Missouri. On his twelfth birthday, Feller got his first guitar from his grandfather that was bought at a garage sale. Although it only had one string, young Feller...
), from the album of the same name.
Atkins, who frequently produced Reed's music, remarked that he had to encourage Reed to put instrumental numbers on his own albums, as Reed always considered himself more of a songwriter than a player. Atkins, however, thought Reed was a better fingerstyle player than he himself was; Reed, according to Atkins, helped him work out the fingerpicking for one of Atkins' biggest hits, "Yakety Axe
Yakety Sax
"Yakety Sax" is a piece of music written by James Q. "Spider" Rich and popularized by saxophonist Boots Randolph.The composition includes pieces of assorted fiddle tunes such as "Chicken Reel", and was written for a performance at a venue called The Armory in Hopkinsville, Kentucky...
." Reed, one of only four people to have the title of "Certified Guitar Player" (an award only bestowed to those who have completely mastered guitar), was given this title by Chet Atkins.
Reed was featured in animated form in a December 9, 1972 episode of Hanna-Barbera
Hanna-Barbera
Hanna-Barbera Productions, Inc. was an American animation studio that dominated North American television animation during the second half of the 20th century...
's The New Scooby-Doo Movies
The New Scooby-Doo Movies
The New Scooby-Doo Movies is the second incarnation of the Hanna-Barbera Saturday morning cartoon Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!. It premiered on September 9, 1972 and ran for two seasons on CBS as the only hour-long Scooby-Doo series...
, "The Phantom of the Country Music Hall" (prod. #61-10). He sang and played the song "Pretty Mary Sunlight." The song is played throughout the episode as Scooby and the gang search for Reed's missing guitar.
In the mid-1970s, Reed's recording career began to take a back seat to his acting aspirations. In 1974, he co-starred with his close friend Burt Reynolds
Burt Reynolds
Burton Leon "Burt" Reynolds, Jr. is an American actor. Some of his memorable roles include Bo 'Bandit' Darville in Smokey and the Bandit, Lewis Medlock in Deliverance, Bobby "Gator" McCluskey in White Lightning and sequel Gator, Paul Crewe and Coach Nate Scarborough in The Longest Yard and its...
in the film W.W. and the Dixie Dancekings
W.W. and the Dixie Dancekings
W.W. and the Dixie Dancekings is a 1975 film directed by John G. Avildsen and written by Thomas Rickman. The 20th Century Fox film took place in 1957 and featured the first acting appearances of Jerry Reed and Brad Dourif....
. While he continued to record throughout the decade, his greatest visibility was as a motion picture star, almost always in tandem with headliner Reynolds; after 1976's Gator, Reed appeared in 1978's High Ballin and 1979's Hot Stuff
Hot Stuff (1979 film)
Hot Stuff is a 1979 comedy film that starred Dom DeLuise, Suzanne Pleshette, Jerry Reed and Ossie Davis. Along with acting in the title, Dom DeLuise also directed the movie...
. He also co-starred in all three of the Smokey and the Bandit
Smokey and the Bandit
Smokey and the Bandit is a 1977 American film starring Burt Reynolds, Sally Field, Jackie Gleason, Jerry Reed, Pat McCormick, Paul Williams, and Mike Henry. It inspired several other trucking films, including two sequels, Smokey and the Bandit II, and Smokey and the Bandit Part 3...
films; the first, which premiered in 1977, landed Reed a Number 2 hit with the soundtrack's "East Bound and Down."
Reed also took a stab at hosting a TV variety show, filming two episodes of The Jerry Reed Show in 1976. The show featured music performances and interview segments, but did not contain the comedy skits that usually were a part of variety shows of the '70s. Guests included Tammy Wynette
Tammy Wynette
Virginia Wynette Pugh, known professionally as Tammy Wynette , was an American country music singer-songwriter and one of the genre's best-known artists and biggest-selling female vocalists....
, Ray Stevens
Ray Stevens
Ray Stevens is an American country music, pop singer-songwriter who has become known for his novelty songs.-Early career:...
, and Burt Reynolds
Burt Reynolds
Burton Leon "Burt" Reynolds, Jr. is an American actor. Some of his memorable roles include Bo 'Bandit' Darville in Smokey and the Bandit, Lewis Medlock in Deliverance, Bobby "Gator" McCluskey in White Lightning and sequel Gator, Paul Crewe and Coach Nate Scarborough in The Longest Yard and its...
.
Scottish rockers The Sensational Alex Harvey Band released a version of "Amos Moses" in 1976.
In 1978, he appeared as himself in the television show Alice
Alice (TV series)
Alice is an American sitcom television series that ran from August 31, 1976 to July 2, 1985 on CBS. The series was based on the 1974 film Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore. The show stars Linda Lavin in the title role, a widow who moves with her young son to start her life over again, and finds a job...
In 1979, he released a record comprising both vocal and instrumental selections titled, appropriately enough, Half & Half. It was followed one year later by Jerry Reed Sings Jim Croce
Jim Croce
James Joseph "Jim" Croce January 10, 1943 – September 20, 1973 was an American singer-songwriter. Between 1966 and 1973, Croce released five studio albums and 11 singles...
, a tribute to the late singer/songwriter. He starred in a TV movie in that year entitled The Concrete Cowboys
The Concrete Cowboys
Concrete Cowboys is a 1979 American TV Movie directed by Burt Kennedy and starring Jerry Reed and Tom Selleck. It was also a short-lived 1981 TV series with Jerry Reed reprising his role as J.D...
.
1980s and 1990s
In 1982, Reed's career as a singles artist was revitalized by the chart-topping hit "She Got the Goldmine (I Got the Shaft)She Got the Goldmine (I Got the Shaft)
"She Got the Goldmine " is the title of a song written by Tim DuBois and recorded by American country music singer Jerry Reed. It was released in June 1982 as the third and final single from the album, The Man with the Golden Thumb. A satire on divorce, the song became Reed's third and final No...
," followed by "The Bird
The Bird (Jerry Reed song)
"The Bird" is the title of a song recorded by American country music singer Jerry Reed. Written by Hal Coleman and Barry Etris, this novelty song contains impressions of Willie Nelson's "Whiskey River" and "On the Road Again;" and George Jones' "He Stopped Loving Her Today." It was released in...
," which peaked at Number 2. His last chart hit, "I'm a Slave," appeared in 1983. That same year, he co-starred with Robin Williams
Robin Williams
Robin McLaurin Williams is an American actor and comedian. Rising to fame with his role as the alien Mork in the TV series Mork and Mindy, and later stand-up comedy work, Williams has performed in many feature films since 1980. He won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance...
and Walter Matthau
Walter Matthau
Walter Matthau was an American actor best known for his role as Oscar Madison in The Odd Couple and his frequent collaborations with Odd Couple star Jack Lemmon, as well as his role as Coach Buttermaker in the 1976 comedy The Bad News Bears...
in the Michael Ritchie
Michael Ritchie (film director)
Michael Brunswick Ritchie was an American film director.Ritchie was born in Waukesha, Wisconsin, the son of Patricia and Benbow Ferguson Ritchie...
comedy The Survivors. Reed guest-starred in the October 13, 1983 episode of Mama's Family
Mama's Family
Mama's Family is an American television sitcom that premiered on NBC on January 22, 1983. It was cancelled in May 1984, but NBC would continue to air reruns until September 1985. In September 1986, Mama's Family returned in first-run syndication, where it aired for an additional four seasons,...
, "The Return of Leonard Oates" (Episode 13, Season 2), as Naomi Harper's ex-husband Leonard Oates.
After an unsuccessful 1986 LP, Lookin' at You, Reed focused on touring until 1992, when he and Atkins reunited for the album Sneakin' Around
Sneakin' Around
-Track listing:# "Summertime" # "Cajun Stripper" # "Vaudville Daze"# "Here We Are"# "The Claw" # "First Born" # "Major Attempt At A Minor Thing"# "Gibson Girl"...
before he again returned to the road. In the meantime, Reed appeared in several interviews and commercial spots for Mid-South Wrestling.
Reed had a role as a Commander/Huey Pilot for Danny Glover
Danny Glover
Danny Lebern Glover is an American actor, film director, and political activist. Glover is perhaps best known for his role as Detective Roger Murtaugh in the Lethal Weapon film franchise.-Early life:...
's character in the 1988 movie Bat*21 starring Gene Hackman
Gene Hackman
Eugene Allen "Gene" Hackman is an American actor and novelist.Nominated for five Academy Awards, winning two, Hackman has also won three Golden Globes and two BAFTAs in a career that spanned five decades. He first came to fame in 1967 with his performance as Buck Barrow in Bonnie and Clyde...
. He also acted as executive producer and screenwriter on this film.
Reed starred in the 1998 Adam Sandler
Adam Sandler
Adam Richard Sandler is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, musician, and film producer.After becoming a Saturday Night Live cast member, Sandler went on to star in several Hollywood feature films that grossed over $100 million at the box office...
film, The Waterboy
The Waterboy
The Waterboy is a 1998 American comedy film directed by Frank Coraci. It stars Adam Sandler alongside Henry Winkler, Kathy Bates, Jerry Reed, and Fairuza Balk. Lynn Swann, Lawrence Taylor, Jimmy Johnson, Bill Cowher, Paul Wight, and Rob Schneider have cameos...
, as Red Beaulieu, the movie's chief antagonist and the head coach for the University of Louisiana Cougars football team.
He teamed up with country superstars Waylon Jennings
Waylon Jennings
Waylon Arnold Jennings was an American country music singer, songwriter, and musician. Jennings began playing at eight. He began performing at twelve, on KVOW radio. Jennings formed a band The Texas Longhorns. Jennings worked as a D.J on KVOW, KDAV and KLLL...
, Mel Tillis
Mel Tillis
Lonnie Melvin Tillis , known professionally as Mel Tillis, is an American country music singer. Although he recorded songs since the late 1950s, his biggest success occurred in the 1970s, with a long list of Top 10 hits....
, and Bobby Bare
Bobby Bare
Robert Joseph Bare is an American country music singer and songwriter. He is the father of Bobby Bare, Jr., also a musician.-Early career:...
in the group Old Dogs
Old Dogs
Old Dogs was an American country music supergroup composed of singers Waylon Jennings, Mel Tillis, Bobby Bare, and Jerry Reed. Signed in 1998 to Atlantic Records, Old Dogs recorded a self-titled studio album for the label that year. The album's content was written primarily by author, poet, and...
. They recorded one album, in 1998, entitled Old Dogs, with songs written by Shel Silverstein
Shel Silverstein
Sheldon Allan "Shel" Silverstein , was an American poet, singer-songwriter, musician, composer, cartoonist, screenwriter and author of children's books. He styled himself as Uncle Shelby in his children's books...
. (Reed sang lead on "Young Man's Job" and "Elvis Has Left The Building," the latter possibly in deference to Elvis' helping launch his career.)
In 1998, the American rock band Primus
Primus (band)
Primus is an American rock band based in San Francisco, California, currently composed of bassist/vocalist Les Claypool, guitarist Larry "Ler" LaLonde and drummer Jay Lane. Primus originally formed in 1984 with Claypool and guitarist Todd Huth, later joined by Lane, though the latter two departed...
covered the Reed song "Amos Moses" on the EP entitled Rhinoplasty
Rhinoplasty (album)
-Critical reception:In his review for Allmusic, Stephen Thomas Erlewine describes the EP as "another small treasure for fans." He notes that "the band hasn't chosen any surprising covers" but "makes up for it with great performances" and "startling arrangements that are often unpredictable",...
.
2000s
In October 2004, "Amos Moses" was featured on the Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas soundtrackGrand Theft Auto: San Andreas soundtrack
The soundtrack of the computer and video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, which is set in 1992 in the fictional U.S. West Coast state of San Andreas, required that the game's radio stations reflect the music tastes of the time and area, in addition to covering current events in the state of San...
, playing on fictional radio station K-ROSE. His last recording was released in 2006, named Let's Git It On. In 2007, UK band Alabama 3
Alabama 3
Alabama 3 are a British band mixing rock, dance, blues, country, and gospel styles, founded in Brixton, London, in 1995. In the United States, they are known as A3, allegedly to avoid any possible legal conflict with the country music band Alabama...
(Known as A3 in the USA) covered his hit "Amos Moses" on their album M.O.R.
In June 2005, American guitarist Eric Johnson
Eric Johnson
Eric Johnson is an American guitarist. Though he is best known for his success in the instrumental rock format, Johnson regularly incorporates jazz, fusion, gospel and country and western music into his recordings...
released his album Bloom, which contained a track entitled "Tribute To Jerry Reed" in commemoration of his works.
Reed has appeared as a guest on the fishing television series
Fishing television series
Fishing television series are a genre of television programs revolving around recreational and sport fishing. Shows usually share a similar format and features with hunting television shows, and could be considered a sub-genre of sports television...
Bill Dance Outdoors
Bill Dance Outdoors
Bill Dance Outdoors is a fishing television series hosted by retired professional tournament angler Bill Dance. Each episode focuses on various aspects of recreational fishing techniques, usually targeting black bass species such as Largemouth and Smallmouth bass, though does occasionally focus on...
. In one memorable appearance, Reed caught a particularly big largemouth bass
Largemouth bass
The largemouth bass is a species of black bass in the sunfish family native to North America . It is also known as widemouth bass, bigmouth, black bass, bucketmouth, Potter's fish, Florida bass, Florida largemouth, green bass, green trout, linesides, Oswego bass, southern largemouth...
and planned to have it preserved and mounted by a taxidermist. Host Bill Dance objected to this plan, and freed the fish when Jerry wasn't looking. Reed became enraged when he discovered what had happened, and chased Dance off the boat and to shore. This incident was also mentioned in one of Jeff Foxworthy
Jeff Foxworthy
Jeffrey Marshall "Jeff" Foxworthy is an American comedian, television and radio personality and author. He is a member of the Blue Collar Comedy Tour, a comedy troupe which also comprises Larry the Cable Guy, Bill Engvall and Ron White. Known for his "you might be a redneck" one-liners, Foxworthy...
's standup comedy routines. The song "Eastbound and Down" made a rather impressive setting in the movie Delta Farce, starring Larry the Cable Guy, Bill Engvall, and DJ Qualls.
"She Got The Goldmine" was used in the 2010 film, The Bounty Hunter
The Bounty Hunter (2010 film)
The Bounty Hunter is a 2010 American action comedy film directed by Andy Tennant, starring Jennifer Aniston and Gerard Butler. The story centers on a bounty hunter hired to retrieve his ex-wife who has skipped bail...
during the scene where Milo (Gerard Butler
Gerard Butler
Gerard James Butler is a Scottish actor who has appeared on film, stage, and television. A trained lawyer, Butler turned to acting in the mid-1990s with small roles in productions such as the James Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies , which he followed with steady work on television, most notably in...
)searches Nicole's (Jennifer Aniston
Jennifer Aniston
Jennifer Joanna Aniston is an American actress, film director, and producer, best known for her role as Rachel Green on the television sitcom Friends, a role which earned her an Emmy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Award.Aniston has also enjoyed a successful film career,...
) apartment.
Death
Reed died in Nashville, TennesseeNashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
, on September 1, 2008, of complications from emphysema
Emphysema
Emphysema is a long-term, progressive disease of the lungs that primarily causes shortness of breath. In people with emphysema, the tissues necessary to support the physical shape and function of the lungs are destroyed. It is included in a group of diseases called chronic obstructive pulmonary...
. The Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
wire service and CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
, however, reported the date of his death as August 31. In a tribute in Vintage Guitar Magazine, Rich Kienzle wrote that "Reed set a standard that inspires fingerstyle players the way Merle and Chet inspired him. Reed died on Conway Twitty
Conway Twitty
Conway Twitty , born Harold Lloyd Jenkins, was an American country music artist. He also had success in early rock and roll, R&B, and pop music. He held the record for the most number one singles of any act with 55 No. 1 Billboard country hits until George Strait broke the record in 2006...
's birthday."
Albums
| Year | Title | Chart Positions | Label | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country |
US Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
|||
| 1967 | The Unbelievable Guitar and Voice of Jerry Reed | — | — | RCA |
| 1968 | Nashville Underground | 31 | — | |
| Alabama Wild Man | 31 | — | ||
| 1969 | Better Things in Life | — | — | |
| Jerry Reed Explores Guitar Country | 41 | — | ||
| 1970 | Cookin | 33 | 194 | |
| Georgia Sunshine | 10 | 102 | ||
| Me & Jerry Me & Jerry Me & Jerry is the title of the first duet recording by Chet Atkins and Jerry Reed. Consisting of pop, country and standards, this collaboration won the 1970 Grammy Award for Best Country Instrumental Performance... (with Chet Atkins Chet Atkins Chester Burton Atkins , known as Chet Atkins, was an American guitarist and record producer who, along with Owen Bradley, created the smoother country music style known as the Nashville sound, which expanded country's appeal to adult pop music fans as well.Atkins's picking style, inspired by Merle... ) |
13 | — | ||
| 1971 | When You're Hot, You're HotA | 2 | 45 | |
| Ko-ko Joe | 7 | 153 | ||
| 1972 | Smell the Flowers | 18 | 196 | |
| Me & Chet Me & Chet Me & Chet is the title of the follow-up to Me & Jerry, the successful duet recording by Chet Atkins and Jerry Reed. It was nominated for the 1972 Grammy Award for Best Country Instrumental Performance but did not win. Chet's solo release Chet Atkins Picks on the Hits was also nominated in the same... (with Chet Atkins) |
24 | — | ||
| The Best of Jerry Reed | 4 | 116 | ||
| Jerry Reed | 22 | 201 | ||
| 1973 | Hot a' Mighty! | 9 | — | |
| Lord, Mr. Ford | 4 | 183 | ||
| The Uptown Poker Club | 13 | — | ||
| 1974 | A Good Woman's Love | 28 | — | |
| 1975 | Mind Your Love | — | — | |
| Red Hot Picker | 33 | — | ||
| 1976 | Both Barrels | 40 | — | |
| 1977 | Jerry Reed Rides Again | 41 | — | |
| East Bound and Down | 10 | 203 | ||
| Smokey and the Bandit | — | |||
| 1978 | Sweet Love Feelings | 47 | — | |
| 1979 | Half Singin' and Half Pickin | 49 | — | |
| Live "Hot Stuff" | 45 | — | ||
| 1980 | Jerry Reed Sings Jim Croce Jerry Reed Sings Jim Croce Jerry Reed Sings Jim Croce is an album by American country music singer Jerry Reed, released in 1980. The album is a tribute album for Jim Croce who died in 1973 in a plane crash during the peak of his career. Seven of the ten songs were singles released by Croce. The album peaked at number 56 on... |
56 | — | |
| Texas Bound and Flyin | 43 | 208 | ||
| 1981 | Dixie Dreams | — | — | |
| 1982 | The Man with the Golden Thumb | 10 | — | |
| The Bird | 20 | — | ||
| 1983 | Ready | 34 | — | |
| 1984 | Greatest Hits | — | — | |
| 1985 | What Comes Around | — | — | Capitol |
| 1986 | Lookin' at You | — | — | |
| 1991 | Sneakin' Around Sneakin' Around -Track listing:# "Summertime" # "Cajun Stripper" # "Vaudville Daze"# "Here We Are"# "The Claw" # "First Born" # "Major Attempt At A Minor Thing"# "Gibson Girl"... (with Chet Atkins) |
68 | — | Columbia |
| 1995 | The Essential Jerry Reed | — | — | RCA |
| Flyin' High | — | — | Southern Tracks | |
| 1998 | Pickin | — | — | |
| 2000 | Finger Dancing | — | — | R2K |
| Jerry Reed Visits Hit Row | — | — | ||
| 2005 | Jerry Reed, Live Still! | — | — | |
| 2006 | Let's Git It On | — | — | |
| 2008 | The Gallant Few | — | — | Jerry Reed |
- AWhen You're Hot, You're Hot also peaked at #33 on the RPMRPM (magazine)RPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,...
Top Albums chart in Canada.
1950s-1960s
| Year | Single | Peak chart positions | Album | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country Hot Country Songs Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales... |
||||||
| 1959 | "Soldier's Joy" | — | Singles only | |||
| 1962 | "Goodnight Irene" | — | ||||
| "Hully Gully Guitar" | — | |||||
| 1965 | "Fightin' For the U.S.A." | — | ||||
| "If I Don't Live Up to It" | — | |||||
| 1967 | "Guitar Man Guitar Man (Jerry Reed song) "Guitar Man" is a 1967 song written by Jerry Reed, who took his version of it to number 53 on the country music charts in 1967.Soon after Reed's single appeared, Elvis Presley recorded the song, and it became a minor country and pop hit... " |
53 | Unbelievable Guitar and Voice | |||
| "Tupelo Mississippi Flash" | 15 | Nashville Underground | ||||
| 1968 | "Remembering" [A] | 14 | ||||
| "Alabama Wild Man Alabama Wild Man Alabama Wild Man is the title of a song written and recorded by American country artist Jerry Reed. It was released in July 1972 as the only single from the album, Jerry Reed. The song reached peaks of number 22 on the U.S. country chart and number 12 on the Canadian RPM Country Tracks chart.-Chart... " |
48 | Alabama Wild Man | ||||
| "Oh What a Woman!" | 60 | Better Things in Life | ||||
| 1969 | "There's Better Things in Life" | 20 | ||||
| "Are You from Dixie ('Cause I'm from Dixie Too) Are You from Dixie ('Cause I'm from Dixie Too) "Are You From Dixie " is the title of a song written by Jack Yellen and George Cobb, and recorded by American country music artist Jerry Reed. It was released in August 1969 as the only single from his album, Jerry Reed Explores Guitar Country. The song reached a peak of #2 on the U.S. Billboard... " |
11 | Jerry Reed Explores Guitar Country | ||||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | ||||||
1970s
| Year | Single | Peak chart positions | Album | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country Hot Country Songs Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales... |
US Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
CAN Country |
CAN |
CAN AC |
|||
| 1970 | "Talk About the Good Times" | 14 | — | — | — | — | Georgia Sunshine |
| "Georgia Sunshine" | 16 | — | — | — | — | ||
| "The Preacher and the Bear" | 16 | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Amos Moses Amos Moses Amos Moses is the title of a song written and recorded by American country music artist Jerry Reed. It was released in October 1970 as the fourth and final single from the album, Georgia Sunshine. This record was Reed's highest-charted single on Billboard Hot 100, peaking No. 8... " |
16 | 8 | — | 2 | — | ||
| 1971 | "When You're Hot, You're Hot When You're Hot, You're Hot "When You're Hot, You're Hot" is a 1971 crossover single written and recorded by Jerry Reed. The song was his most successful on the country charts peaking at number one for five weeks. "When You're Hot, You're Hot" also was Jerry Reed's second song to cross over to the Top 40, peaking at number... " [B] |
1 | 9 | 1 | 4 | 18 | When You're Hot, You're Hot |
| "Ko-Ko Joe Ko-Ko Joe Ko-Ko Joe is the title of a song written and recorded by American country artist Jerry Reed. It was released in August 1971 as the lead single from the album of the same name, Ko-Ko Joe. The song reached peaks of number 11 on the U.S... " |
11 | 51 | 3 | 33 | 26 | Ko-Ko Joe | |
| 1972 | "Another Puff Another Puff Another Puff is the title of a song co-written and recorded by American country artist Jerry Reed. It was released in January 1972 as the second and final single from the album, Ko-Ko Joe. The song reached peaks of number 27 on the U.S. country chart and number 65 on the Billboard Hot 100.-Chart... " |
27 | 65 | 19 | 83 | — | |
| "Smell the Flowers" | 24 | — | 45 | — | — | Smell the Flowers | |
| "Alabama Wild Man Alabama Wild Man Alabama Wild Man is the title of a song written and recorded by American country artist Jerry Reed. It was released in July 1972 as the only single from the album, Jerry Reed. The song reached peaks of number 22 on the U.S. country chart and number 12 on the Canadian RPM Country Tracks chart.-Chart... " (re-recording) |
22 | 62 | 12 | 79 | — | Jerry Reed | |
| "You Took All the Ramblin' Out of Me You Took All the Ramblin' Out of Me You Took All the Ramblin' Out of Me is the title of a song written and recorded by American country artist Jerry Reed. It was released in December 1972 as the only single from the album, Hot a'Mighty. The song reached peaks of number 18 on the U.S. country chart and number 8 on the Canadian RPM... " |
18 | — | 8 | — | — | Hot a'Mighty | |
| 1973 | "Lord, Mr. Ford Lord, Mr. Ford "Lord, Mr. Ford" is the title of a song written by Dick Feller and recorded by Jerry Reed. It was released in May 1973 as the only single from the album of the same name, Lord, Mr. Ford. The single was Jerry Reed's second of three No. 1's on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart. "Lord, Mr... " |
1 | 68 | 2 | — | 25 | Lord, Mr. Ford |
| "The Uptown Poker Club" | 25 | — | 16 | — | — | The Uptown Poker Club | |
| 1974 | "The Crude Oil Blues The Crude Oil Blues The Crude Oil Blues is the title of a song written and recorded by American country artist Jerry Reed. It was released in February 1974 as the lead single from the album, A Good Woman's Love. The song reached peaks of number 13 on the U.S. country chart and number 91 on the Billboard Hot 100.-Chart... " |
13 | 91 | 17 | 91 | — | A Good Woman's Love |
| "A Good Woman's Love" | 12 | — | 17 | — | — | ||
| "Boogie-Woogie Rock and Roll" | 72 | — | — | — | — | single only | |
| "Let's Sing Our Song" | 18 | — | 21 | — | — | Mind Your Love | |
| 1975 | "Mind Your Love" | 64 | — | — | — | — | |
| "Telephone" | 65 | — | 47 | — | — | ||
| "You've Got a Lock on Me" | 60 | 104 | — | — | — | Red Hot Picker | |
| 1976 | "Gator" | 54 | — | — | — | — | Both Barrels |
| "Remembering" | 57 | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1977 | "Semolita" | 19 | — | 21 | — | — | Rides Again |
| "With His Pants in His Hand" | 68 | — | — | — | — | ||
| "East Bound and Down East Bound and Down "East Bound and Down" is the title of a song written by Jerry Reed and Dick Feller, and recorded by Reed for the soundtrack for the film Smokey and the Bandit. It was released in August 1977 as a single on RCA Records. The song spent sixteen weeks on the U.S. country music charts, reaching a peak... " |
2 | 103 | 2 | — | — | East Bound and Down | |
| "The Legend" | — | — | — | — | — | Smokey and the Bandit | |
| "You Know What" (with daughter Seidina Reed) | 20 | — | 35 | — | — | Sweet Love Feelings | |
| 1978 | "Sweet Love Feelings" | 39 | — | — | — | — | |
| "I Love You (What Can I Say) I Love You (What Can I Say) "I Love You " is the title of a song written by Dick Feller and recorded by American country music artist Jerry Reed. It was released in May 1978 as the third and final single from his album, Sweet Love Feelings. The song reached a peak of #10 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles chart and #7... " |
10 | — | 7 | — | — | ||
| "Gimme Back My Blues" | 14 | — | 21 | — | — | Half Singin' and Half Pickin | |
| 1979 | "Second-Hand Satin Lady (And a Bargain Basement Boy)" | 18 | — | 17 | — | — | |
| "(Who Was the Man Who Put) The Line in Gasoline" | 40 | — | 65 | — | — | Live at Exit Inn | |
| "Hot Stuff" | 67 | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Sugar-Foot Rag Sugar-Foot Rag "Sugar-Foot Rag" is the title of a song written by Hank Garland and Vaughn Horton. It was originally recorded by Garland and released in 1949, selling over a million records. It was then recorded by American country music artist Red Foley in 1950... " |
12 | — | 13 | — | — | Texas Bound and Flyin | |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | |||||||
1980s
| Year | Single | Peak chart positions | Album | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country Hot Country Songs Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales... |
CAN Country |
||||||
| 1980 | "Age Age (song) Age is a song written and recorded by Jim Croce and his wife Ingrid. The song was first recorded in 1969 on their self-titled album. Jim Croce would record the song again, this time without Ingrid, for his final album I Got a Name in 1973... " |
36 | — | Sings Jim Croce | |||
| "The Family Friendly Inn" | 64 | — | Texas Bound and Flyin | ||||
| "Texas Bound and Flyin'" | 26 | 29 | |||||
| 1981 | "Caffein, (sic) Nicotine, Benzedrine (And Wish Me Luck)" | 80 | — | ||||
| "The Testimony of Soddy Hoe" | 87 | — | Dixie Dreams | ||||
| "Good Friends Make Good Lovers" | 84 | — | |||||
| "Patches" | 30 | — | The Man with the Golden Thumb | ||||
| 1982 | "The Man with the Golden Thumb" | 32 | 41 | ||||
| "She Got the Goldmine (I Got the Shaft) She Got the Goldmine (I Got the Shaft) "She Got the Goldmine " is the title of a song written by Tim DuBois and recorded by American country music singer Jerry Reed. It was released in June 1982 as the third and final single from the album, The Man with the Golden Thumb. A satire on divorce, the song became Reed's third and final No... " [C] |
1 | 3 | |||||
| "The Bird The Bird (Jerry Reed song) "The Bird" is the title of a song recorded by American country music singer Jerry Reed. Written by Hal Coleman and Barry Etris, this novelty song contains impressions of Willie Nelson's "Whiskey River" and "On the Road Again;" and George Jones' "He Stopped Loving Her Today." It was released in... " |
2 | 1 | The Bird | ||||
| 1983 | "Down on the Corner Down on the Corner "Down on the Corner" is a song by the American band Creedence Clearwater Revival. It appeared on their fourth studio album, Willy and the Poor Boys . The song chronicles the tale of the fictional band Willy and the Poor Boys, and how they play on street corners to cheer people up and ask for nickels... " |
13 | 11 | ||||
| "Good Ole Boys" | 16 | 31 | Ready | ||||
| "I'm a Slave" | 58 | — | Greatest Hits | ||||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | |||||||
Guest singles
| Year | Single | Artist | Chart positions | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country | CAN Country | ||||
| 1967 | "Chet's Tune" | Some of Chet's Friends | 38 | — | single only |
| 1980 | "Lunchbox" | The Chipmunks The Chipmunks Alvin and the Chipmunks is an American animated music group created by Ross Bagdasarian, Sr. in 1958. The group consists of three singing animated anthropomorphic chipmunks: Alvin, the mischievous troublemaker, who quickly became the star of the group; Simon, the tall, bespectacled intellectual;... |
— | — | Urban Chipmunk Urban Chipmunk Urban Chipmunk was the first country album by Alvin and the Chipmunks, released on February 4, 1981. The title parodies the 1980 movie Urban Cowboy.-Side one:#"Thank God I'm a Country Boy" – 1:43... |
| 1983 | "Hold On, I'm Comin'" | Waylon Jennings Waylon Jennings Waylon Arnold Jennings was an American country music singer, songwriter, and musician. Jennings began playing at eight. He began performing at twelve, on KVOW radio. Jennings formed a band The Texas Longhorns. Jennings worked as a D.J on KVOW, KDAV and KLLL... |
20 | 7 | Waylon and Company Waylon and Company Waylon and Company is an album by Waylon Jennings, released on RCA Records in 1983 and featuring duets with a large number of influential artists, including Hank Williams, Jr., Jessi Colter, Willie Nelson, Ernest Tubb, Mel Tillis, Jerry Reed, Emmylou Harris, Tony Joe White and actor James Garner... |
| 1985 | "One Big Family" | Heart of Nashville | 61 | — | single only |
B-Sides
| Year | B-Side | Chart positions | Original A-Side | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country | CAN Country | |||
| 1970 | "The Preacher and the Bear" | flip | — | "Amos Moses" |
| 1977 | "(I'm Just a) Red Neck in a Rock and Roll Bar" | flip | — | "East Bound and Down" |
| 1978 | "High Rollin'" | flip | — | "I Love You (What Can I Say)" |
| 1980 | "Workin' at the Carwash Blues" | flip | 40 | "Age" |
| 1983 | "She's Ready for Someone to Love Her" | flip | — | "Good Ole Boys" |
Music videos
| Year | Video | Director |
|---|---|---|
| 1992 | "The Claw" (w/ Chet Atkins Chet Atkins Chester Burton Atkins , known as Chet Atkins, was an American guitarist and record producer who, along with Owen Bradley, created the smoother country music style known as the Nashville sound, which expanded country's appeal to adult pop music fans as well.Atkins's picking style, inspired by Merle... ) |
Deaton-Flanigen |
Filmography
| Year | Film | Role | Film gross | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 1975 in film The year 1975 in film involved some significant events, with Steven Spielberg's thriller Jaws topping the box office.-Events:*March 26 - The film version of The Who's Tommy premieres in London.... |
W.W. and the Dixie Dancekings W.W. and the Dixie Dancekings W.W. and the Dixie Dancekings is a 1975 film directed by John G. Avildsen and written by Thomas Rickman. The 20th Century Fox film took place in 1957 and featured the first acting appearances of Jerry Reed and Brad Dourif.... |
Wayne | ||
| 1976 1976 in film The year 1976 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*March 22 - Filming begins on George Lucas' Star Wars science fiction film... |
Gator Gator (film) Gator is a 1976 action film starring and directed by Burt Reynolds. It is a sequel to White Lightning. Reynolds honored his favorite professor from college, Watson B... |
Bama McCall | ||
| 1977 1977 in film The year 1977 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*In the Academy Awards, Peter Finch, Faye Dunaway and Beatrice Straight win Best Actor and Actress and Supporting Actress awards for Network.... |
Smokey and the Bandit Smokey and the Bandit Smokey and the Bandit is a 1977 American film starring Burt Reynolds, Sally Field, Jackie Gleason, Jerry Reed, Pat McCormick, Paul Williams, and Mike Henry. It inspired several other trucking films, including two sequels, Smokey and the Bandit II, and Smokey and the Bandit Part 3... |
Cledus Snow | USD United States dollar The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies.... $126,737,428 |
|
| 1978 1978 in film The year 1978 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* February 1 - Bob Dylan's film Renaldo and Clara, a documentary of the "Rolling Thunder Revue" tour premieres in Los Angeles, California.... |
High-Ballin' High-ballin' High-Ballin is a Canadian film about truckers released in 1978, directed by Peter Carter. Jerry Reed plays the "Iron Duke", an independent trucker who stands up to the local trucker boss, King Carroll, who tries to drive independent truckers out of business. Duke's friend Rane, played by Peter... |
Duke | ||
| 1979 1979 in film The year 1979 in film involved some significant events.- Major events :* March 5 - Production begins on Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back.* May 25 - Alien, a landmark of the science fiction genre, is released.... |
Concrete Cowboys | J.D. Reed | Made for TV Television movie A television film is a feature film that is a television program produced for and originally distributed by a television network, in contrast to... movie |
|
| 1979 1979 in film The year 1979 in film involved some significant events.- Major events :* March 5 - Production begins on Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back.* May 25 - Alien, a landmark of the science fiction genre, is released.... |
Hot Stuff Hot Stuff (1979 film) Hot Stuff is a 1979 comedy film that starred Dom DeLuise, Suzanne Pleshette, Jerry Reed and Ossie Davis. Along with acting in the title, Dom DeLuise also directed the movie... |
Doug von Horne | ||
| 1980 1980 in film - Events :* May 21 - Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back is released and is the biggest grosser of the year .... |
Smokey and the Bandit II Smokey and the Bandit II Smokey and the Bandit II is a comedy film released on August 15, 1980 in the United States. It is the sequel to the 1977 film Smokey and the Bandit. The film stars Burt Reynolds, Sally Field, Jerry Reed, Jackie Gleason, and Dom DeLuise... |
Cledus Snow | $66,132,626 | |
| 1983 1983 in film -Events:*February 11 - The Rolling Stones concert film Let's Spend the Night Together opens in New York*May 25 - Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, the final film in the original Star Wars trilogy, is released. Like the previous films, it goes on to become the top grossing picture of... |
Smokey and the Bandit Part 3 Smokey and the Bandit Part 3 Smokey and the Bandit Part 3 is the sequel to Smokey and the Bandit and Smokey and the Bandit II starring Jackie Gleason, Jerry Reed, Paul Williams, Pat McCormick, Mike Henry and Colleen Camp... |
Cledus Snow / 'Bandit' | $5,678,950 | Source of an urban legend Urban legend An urban legend, urban myth, urban tale, or contemporary legend, is a form of modern folklore consisting of stories that may or may not have been believed by their tellers to be true... |
| 1983 | The Survivors | Jack Locke | $14,000,000 | |
| 1983 | Stroker Ace Stroker Ace Stroker Ace is a 1983 action comedy film, filmed in North Carolina and Georgia, about a NASCAR driver, the eponymous Stroker Ace, played by Burt Reynolds.... |
Himself | Cameo in End Credits | |
| 1985 1985 in film -Events:* 3 December - Roger Moore steps down from the role of James Bond after twelve years and seven films. He is replaced by Timothy Dalton.* The Academy Award for Best Picture was won by Out Of Africa, while the highest grossing film was Back to the Future.* Bliss wins AFI Award for best Movie... |
Stand Alone | Paramedic | ||
| 1985 | What Comes Around | Joe Hawkins | ||
| 1988 1988 in film -Top grossing films :- Awards :Academy Awards:* Act of Piracy* Action Jackson, starring Carl Weathers, Craig T. Nelson, Vanity, Sharon Stone* The Adventures of Baron Munchausen* Akira* Alice... |
Bat*21 | Col. George Walker | $3,184,348 | |
| 1998 1998 in film -Events:* February 14 - Sharon Stone marries Phil Bronstein.* Former child star Gary Coleman is charged with assaulting a young female bus driver at a California shopping mall.-Top grossing films:... |
The Waterboy The Waterboy The Waterboy is a 1998 American comedy film directed by Frank Coraci. It stars Adam Sandler alongside Henry Winkler, Kathy Bates, Jerry Reed, and Fairuza Balk. Lynn Swann, Lawrence Taylor, Jimmy Johnson, Bill Cowher, Paul Wight, and Rob Schneider have cameos... |
Coach Red Beaulieu | $185,991,646 | |
Further reading
- Goldsmith, Thomas. (1998). "Jerry Reed." In The Encyclopedia of Country Music. Paul Kingsbury, Ed. New York: Oxford Press. pp. 433–4.
External links
- [ AMG Entry for Jerry Reed]. Retrieved Jan. 7, 2006.
- "Discography". AlabamaWildman.com. Retrieved October 13, 2004.
- "R2K Records". Jerry Reed's own label
- http://www.rockabillyhall.com/JerryReed.html
- "Jerry Reed, Country Singer and Actor, Dies at 71" from The New York TimesThe New York TimesThe New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...