Jerry Reed Hubbard

Jerry Reed Hubbard (March 20, 1937 – September 1, 2008), known professionally as Jerry Reed, was an American country music singer, country guitarist, session musician, songwriter, and actor who appeared in over a dozen films. As a singer, he may be best known for "(Who Was The Man Who Put) The Line In Gasoline"; "Lord, Mr. Ford (What Have You Done)"; "Amos Moses"; "When You're Hot, You're Hot," for which he received the Grammy Award for Best Male Country Vocal Performance in 1972; and "East Bound and Down", the theme song for the film Smokey and the Bandit, in which he co-starred.
Contents
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* 1 Early life
* 2 Career
o 2.1 "Guitar Man"
o 2.2 1970s
o 2.3 1980s and 1990s
o 2.4 2000s
* 3 Death
* 4 Discography
o 4.1 Albums
o 4.2 Singles
o 4.3 Guest singles
* 5 Filmography
* 6 Notes
* 7 References
* 8 External links

[edit] Early life

Reed was born in Atlanta, Georgia, 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 orphanages. 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, (O'Keefe High School, Atlanta, Georgia)[citation needed] 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 have 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 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 Nashville 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" and "Hully Gully Guitar," which found their way to Chet Atkins, who produced Reed's 1965 "If I Don't Live Up to It."
In 1967, Reed notched his first official country chart hit with "Guitar Man," which Elvis Presley soon covered. Presley had come to Nashville to record in 1967, and one of the songs he was working on was "Guitar Man," which Reed had written and recorded. "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.'"[1]

Jarvis hired Reed to play on the session. "I hit that intro, and [Elvis's] 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 "Too Much Monkey Business" (1968), recorded in the same session. After Presley recorded another of Reed's songs, "U.S. Male," the songwriter recorded an Elvis tribute, "Tupelo Mississippi Flash," which proved to be his first Top 20 hit. Reed's guitar style can also be heard on other Elvis tunes including "Big Boss Man".
Elvis also recorded two other Reed tunes; "A Thing Called Love" in 1970 and "Talk About The Good Times" in 1973 for a total of four.
After releasing the 1970 crossover hit "Amos Moses," a hybrid of rock, country, and Cajun styles, which reached #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 was also the title track of his first solo album, reaching #9 Pop and #6 on Billboard's Easy Listening charts.
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 Sunlite." That 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.[citation needed] 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.[citation needed]
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.
In 1982, Reed's career as a singles artist was revitalized by the chart-topping hit "She Got the Goldmine (I Got the Shaft)," 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.
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.[2]
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.
04, "Amos Moses" was featured on the Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas soundtrack, playing on fictional radio station K-ROSE. His latest recording was released in 2006, named Let's Git It On.[citation needed] 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. He did guest appearances on the Bill Dance Fishing show. 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.

Reed died in Nashville, Tennessee, on September 1, 2008, of complications from emphysema.[1] The Associated Press wire service and CNN, however, reported the date of his death as August 31.[3] 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."[4]
Year Title Chart Positions Label
US Country US
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 (w/ Chet Atkins) 13
1971 When You're Hot, You're Hot 2 45
Ko-ko Joe 7 153
1972 Smell the Flowers 18 196
Me & Chet (w/ Chet Atkins) 24
The Best of Jerry Reed 4 116
Jerry Reed 22
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
1978 Sweet Love Feelings 47
1979 Half Singin' and Half Pickin' 49
Live "Hot Stuff" 45
1980 Jerry Reed Sings Jim Croce 56
Texas Bound and Flyin' 43
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 (w/ 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
2007 Christmas at the Mall
2008 The Gallant Few Jerry Reed

[edit] Singles
Year Title Chart Positions Album
US Country US US AC
1967 "Guitar Man" 53 Unbelievable Guitar and Voice
"Tupelo Mississippi Flash" 15 Nashville Underground
1968 "Remembering" 14
"Alabama Wild Man" 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)" 11 Jerry Reed Explores Guitar Country
1970 "Talk About the Good Times" 14 Georgia Sunshine
"Georgia Sunshine" 16
"The Preacher and the Bear" 16
"Amos Moses" flip
1971 "When You're Hot, You're Hot" 1 9 6 When You're Hot, You're Hot
"Ko-Ko Joe" 11 51 Ko-Ko Joe
"Amos Moses" (re-release) 8 Georgia Sunshine
"Another Puff" 27 65 Ko-Ko Joe
1972 "Smell the Flowers" 24 Smell the Flowers
"Alabama Wild Man" (re-recording) 22 62 Jerry Reed
"You Took All the Ramblin' Out of Me" 18 Hot a'Mighty
1973 "Lord, Mr. Ford" 1 68 Lord, Mr. Ford
"The Uptown Poker Club" 25 The Uptown Poker Club
1974 "The Crude Oil Blues" 13 91 A Good Woman's Love
"A Good Woman's Love" 12
"Boogie-Woogie Rock and Roll" 72 single only
"Let's Sing Our Song" 18 Mind Your Love
1975 "Mind Your Love" 64
"Telephone" 65
"You've Got a Lock on Me" 60 Red Hot Picker
1976 "Gator" 54 Both Barrels
"Remembering" 57
1977 "Semolita" 19 Rides Again
"With His Pants in His Hand" 68
"East Bound and Down" 2 East Bound and Down
"(I'm Just a) Red Neck in a Rock and Roll Bar" flip Jerry Reed Rides Again
"You Know What" (w/ Seidina Reed) 20 Sweet Love Feelings
1978 "Sweet Love Feelings" 39
"I Love You (What Can I Say)" 10
"High Rollin'" flip Single only
"Gimme Back My Blues" 14 Half Singin' and Half Pickin'
1979 "Second-Hand Satin Lady (And a Bargain Basement Boy)" 18
"(Who Was the Man Who Put) The Line in Gasoline" 40 Live at Exit Inn
"Hot Stuff" 67
"Sugar-Foot Rag" 12 Texas Bound and Flyin'
1980 "Age" 36 Sings Jim Croce
"Workin' at the Carwash Blues" flip
"The Family Friendly Inn" 64 Texas Bound and Flyin'
"Texas Bound and Flyin'" 26
1981 "Caffeine, 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
"She's Got the Goldmine (I Got the Shaft)" 1 57
"The Bird" 2 The Bird
1983 "Down on the Corner" 13
"Good Ole Boys" 16 Ready
"She's Ready for Someone to Love Her" flip
"I'm a Slave" 58 Greatest Hits

[edit] Guest singles
Year Single Artist US Country Album
1980 "Lunchbox" The Chipmunks Urban Chipmunk
1983 "Hold On, I'm Comin'" Waylon Jennings 20 Waylon and Company
1985 "One Big Family" Heart of Nashville 61 single only

[edit] Filmography
Year Film Role Film gross Notes
1975 W. W. and the Dixie Dancekings Wayne
1976 Gator Bama McCall
1977 Smokey and the Bandit Cledus Snow USD$126,737,428[5]
1978 High-Ballin' Duke
1979 Concrete Cowboys J.D. Reed Made for TV movie
1979 Hot Stuff Doug von Horne
1980 Smokey and the Bandit II Cledus Snow $66,132,626
1983 Smokey and the Bandit Part 3 Cledus Snow / 'Bandit' $5,678,950 Source of an urban legend[6]
1983 The Survivors Jack Locke $14,000,000
1985 Stand Alone Paramedic
1985 What Comes Around Joe Hawkins
1988 Bat*21 Col. George Walker
1998 The Waterboy Coach Red Beaulieu $185,991,646

[edit] Notes

1. ^ a b "'Bandit' star Reed dies at 71". Tennessean. 2008-09-02. http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080902/TUNEIN/80902039.
2. ^ Bat 21 at answers.com
3. ^ "'Bandit' star Reed dies at 71". CNN. 2008-09-02. http://www.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/Music/09/02/obit.reed.ap/index.html.
4. ^ Kienzle, Rich (December 2008). "Jerry Reed, 1937-2008". Vintage Guitar Magazine 23 (2): 17.
5. ^ Smokey and the Bandit from Box Office Mojo
6. ^ "Smokey Screen" from Snopes.com

[edit] References

* Goldsmith, Thomas. (1998). "Jerry Reed." In The Encyclopedia of Country Music. Paul Kingsbury, Ed. New York: Oxford Press. pp.433-4.

[edit] External links

* AMG Entry for Jerry Reed. Retrieved Jan. 7, 2006.
* Jerry Reed at the Internet Movie Database
* "Discography". AlabamaWildman.com. Retrieved October 13, 2004.
* "R2K Records". Jerry Reed's own label
* http://www.rockabillyhall.com/JerryReed1.html
* Jerry Reed at Find a Grave
* Interview with Jerry Reed
* "Jerry Reed, Country Singer and Actor, Dies at 71" from The New York Times