Jerry Reed, Singer & Actor
Smokey and the Bandit star and country music singer Jerry Reed died on Monday, September 1, 2008 at the age of 71 due to complications from emphysema. The star became a recognizable good ol’ boy and music legend during the 1960s and 1970s.
Reed was born in Atlanta, learned to play the guitar as a child and dropped out of high school to tour with Ernest Tubb and Faron Young. He signed his first record deal at the age of 17 and moved to Nashville where he started writing songs for some big names, including Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash and Dean Martin. Some even attribute the power of Reed’s songwriting to Elvis’ 1960s comeback on the music scene.
Reed did it all – he hit the country music charts with hits such as “Amos Moses,” “East Bound and Down,” and “She Got the Goldmine (I Got the Shaft).” He also stared in some popular 1970s movies like “Smokey and the Bandit” with Burt Reynolds and “Gator.” He also had a small role in “The Waterboy” with Adam Sandler as a hateful coach.
Many who knew Reed considered him an extraordinary talent and an amazing man. You can read more about Reed’s life and career at MSNBC or CMT.
Tags: celebrity death, Elvis songwriting, emphysema, Jerry Reed, obituary
September 6th, 2008 at 2:23 pm
On behalf of my husband and myself, we would like to send our deepest sympathy to the family members of Mr. Reed. He was a real talent and will be greatly missed in this world. Brian & Sharon Webb (Toronto, Canada).