Jerry Reed Biography Quotes 9 Report mistakes

Early Life and Beginnings
Jerry Reed, born Jerry Reed Hubbard on March 20, 1937, in Atlanta, Georgia, grew up with a guitar never far from reach and a fascination with the rhythmic snap of country, blues, and early rock and roll. By his teens he was writing songs and cutting lively rockabilly sides, catching the attention of Atlanta music impresario Bill Lowery, who became an early champion. Reed's quick hands, humor, and keen songwriter's ear soon translated into cuts by other artists; Brenda Lee scored with Thats All You Gotta Do in 1960, an early win that signaled Reed's knack for catchy hooks and clever turns of phrase.

After a brief stint in the U.S. Army around the turn of the 1960s, Reed set his sights on Nashville. He carried with him a clear goal: to make his living with a guitar and a pen. The move placed him in the orbit of the most influential figures in country music, and his distinctive right-hand technique and syncopated grooves stood out in the city's crowded field of pickers.

Songwriter and Session Ace
In Nashville, Reed found a crucial mentor in Chet Atkins, the producer, guitarist, and architect of the city's crossover sound. Atkins recognized Reed's originality and signed him to RCA. Reed's songs quickly reached major artists: Porter Wagoner took Misery Loves Company to the top of the charts, Johnny Cash would later make A Thing Called Love a signature piece, and Elvis Presley seized on Reed's gritty narratives, cutting Guitar Man and U.S. Male. When Presley struggled to capture the slashing feel of Guitar Man, producer Felton Jarvis brought in Reed himself; the songwriter's propulsive, gut-string attack on the session sealed both the track and Reed's reputation.

As a session player, Reed fit seamlessly into Nashville's elite circles, tracking with first-call musicians and bringing a bouncy, percussive drive that was hard to replicate. He favored a nylon-string guitar amplified to a bright, snappy edge, merging the elegance of fingerstyle with the punch of a rhythm section, a sound that became one of his trademarks.

Recording Artist and Hitmaker
Under his own name, Reed's records in the late 1960s and early 1970s announced a singular voice: country storytelling laced with funk, swamp-pop grooves, and high-wire guitar. Amos Moses broke through with its bayou narrative and slinky riff, crossing country and pop lines. When Youre Hot, Youre Hot followed with a talking-blues court scene that showcased his comic timing; it became a career-defining smash and earned him a Grammy. Lord, Mr. Ford, Ko-Ko Joe, and the breakneck instrumentals The Claw and Jerrys Breakdown further displayed the breadth of his creativity, from novelty flair to dazzling virtuosity.

Reed's hits kept arriving into the 1980s. East Bound and Down, written for the big-screen chase that turned him into a movie star, became a radio staple. Later, She Got the Goldmine (I Got the Shaft) and The Bird reaffirmed his knack for skits-in-song and impeccable timing. He straddled genres without losing his roots, an entertainer as much as a musician, yet always anchored by an unmistakable right hand and a grin you could hear.

Guitar Innovation and Collaborations
Reed's guitar style fused the thumb-driven swing of Merle Travis with offbeat syncopations, pop-savvy chord moves, and bluesy hammer-ons, a hybrid picking approach some players nicknamed the claw after one of his signature instrumentals. Chet Atkins became both collaborator and co-conspirator. Their duo albums Me & Jerry and Me & Chet distilled effortless conversation between two masters, earning Grammy recognition and cementing Reed's status as a peer among giants. His tunes and touch influenced generations of pickers; players across country, rock, and jazz studied his lines, trying to match his snap, groove, and humor.

The esteem of his peers was evident in the company he kept. Atkins produced and picked alongside him, Presley cut his songs and called on his hands, and Johnny Cash and Porter Wagoner kept his catalog in the public ear. Reed's ability to be both the songwriter behind the scenes and the showman out front made him a rare double threat in Music City.

Film and Television
Reed's screen career took off through his friendship with Burt Reynolds. He appeared with Reynolds in W.W. and the Dixie Dancekings and Gator before stealing scenes in Smokey and the Bandit as Cledus Snow, the wisecracking trucker whose CB banter and easy charm matched the film's freewheeling spirit. He not only acted but supplied East Bound and Down, a perfect musical engine for the movie's kinetic chase sequences. Sequels followed, keeping Reed in front of moviegoers even as he continued to tour and record. He also paired with Peter Fonda in the trucking caper High-Ballin and, years later, showed up for a new generation as the flinty Coach Red Beaulieu opposite Adam Sandler in The Waterboy. Between films he guested on variety and music programs, where his quick wit and blazing instrumentals made him a natural crowd-pleaser.

Personal Life
In 1959 Reed married singer Priscilla Mitchell, a respected Nashville vocalist who enjoyed her own chart success. The couple raised two daughters, Seidina and Lottie, and maintained a home life threaded through with music. Friends and colleagues often recalled Reed's warmth, work ethic, and love of simple pleasures like fishing when he was away from stage lights. Even amid the bustle of studios and film sets, he remained rooted in the collaborative spirit of Nashville, loyal to the musicians and producers who shaped his path.

Later Years, Honors, and Legacy
Reed continued to record, tour, and collaborate through the 1980s and into the 1990s, an elder statesman whose live shows still flashed the mischievous humor and crisp, impossible-to-copy right hand that first set him apart. Health challenges gradually slowed his pace. He died on September 1, 2008, in Tennessee from complications related to emphysema, closing a chapter that had touched nearly every corner of country entertainment.

Posthumous honors affirmed what fellow musicians already knew. His induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame placed him alongside the very artists who had recorded his songs, mentored him, and shared stages and studios. His recordings with Chet Atkins remain touchstones for duet guitar, his songs continue to circulate in new covers, and the feel of his playing echoes in the work of countless guitarists who chase that bright, snapping groove he seemed to conjure at will. Jerry Reed's life traced a rare arc: a kid from Atlanta who wrote hits for stars like Brenda Lee, Elvis Presley, Porter Wagoner, and Johnny Cash; who found a musical home with Chet Atkins; who became a chart-topping artist and a movie favorite with Burt Reynolds and later Adam Sandler; and who left behind a sound so distinctive that even a single measure can still tip the listener to the Guitar Man.

Our collection contains 9 quotes who is written by Jerry, under the main topics: Music - Movie - Perseverance - God - Nostalgia.