Jerry Reed–country star of the ’70s and 80′s, songwriter, and occasional film star–died Sunday at the age of 71. Like several country stars of the era known for only for their hit singles, Reed had a successful run behind the scenes as a songwriter and session guitarist, with over 300 to his credit and appearances on records with Elvis Presley, Ringo Starr and Waylon Jennings. Still, Reed is probably best known for his role as Cledus Snow in the Smokey and the Bandit films, and the No. 2 pop hit “East Bound and Down” from the first film’s soundtrack. “East Bound and Down” was one of the few songs my father and I could agree upon when I was a kid, and will always be one of my favorites. Reed was an entertainer before anything else who had a part in bringing country music into the mainstream, and will be missed. [CMT]
Jerry Reed, R.I.P.
September 4th, 2008 // 6 Comments
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I’m an “Amos Moses” man myself. RIP
The recounting of the recording of the “Guitar Man” sessions in Peter Guralnick’s Elvis biography is one of the few lighthearted sections in what became an increasingly depressing, yet fascinating, book.
First Don LaFontaine and now Jerry Reed? This week can’t get any worse if it tried.
One of my earliest memories:
Jerry’s death has brought a lot of his tunes back to radio this week, including some particularly awesome tracks with Chet Atkins. It’s been great to hear these tunes all over again. I have a new appreciation for driving around with my father, listening to his Chet & Jerry “Sneakin’ Around” cassette back in the day. And thanks for the blast from the past, Nicolars!
Not long ago, I heard on Sirius a song by someone else about having married a woman who talks like Jerry Reed, which features Jerry Reed or someone who does a spot-on impression of him. It’s worth seeking out for the laughs.