Jerry Reed

[mickey]

This is a Jerry Reed video I had never seen before today.





Jerry died of COPD in 2008.

Thom told me about making the video back in 2008 but that he didn't feel right about putting it up on youtube
so soon after Jerry's death. I see he actually waited until 2011 before posting it.
Jerry had quit smoking several years before making the video.

[mickey]

Just for grins........

[toomanycats]

That video was made in 2008? The set, the texture of the video, and the song itself has the feel of something that would have aired on television in the early 80s.

[mickey]

That video was made in 2008? The set, the texture of the video, and the song itself has the feel of something that would have aired on television in the early 80s.

Both of those were made prior to 2008, Thom mentioned it in 2008.
I thinking the "PMS, I guess" was made in the 80's or 90's. I've had a copy for 20+ years.
The anti-smoking video was made around 2000. And I first saw it today.

[ronnx]

That was great Micky. Jerry Reed was one of the very few performers I've ever see in person. Great guitar player and very funny guy.

[nomadh]

What a neat guy. If I had to pick 1 star to hang with or come to your party it seems he would be the guy. It was years before I realized he wasn't just a cool personality but an A1 killer guitarist.

[redman]

This is my favorite Jerry Reed song in fact one of my favorites of all time.

[mickey]

Jerry Reed wasn't just a red hot picker, he was also one of the best composers of guitar music of the 20th century.
He died back in 2008 of COPD thanks to being a lifelong smoker (as most folks were in the 20th century.)
Jerry was also one of Nashville's session pickers & he never forgot that. His best friends were always Nashville's session pickers.
When Jerry died they held a "wake" for him at a little dive on Franklin Road.
Richard Smith & Dr. John Knowles organized it. There was no advertising. But the dive held about 600 people according to the Fire Marshall.
But we had around 1800 people in there the night of 15 September 2008.
I got an email from Richard Smith about it and cut a trail from Florida up to Nashvegas to be there.
It cranked up at 6pm and went until they ran us out & locked the doors at midnight.
I ended up sitting between Richard Smith's wife and Thom Bresh.
Thom made a video of the program and told me he intended to release it on DVD "If I can get all the lawyering done in a timely fashion."
That is more complicated than it sounds.

1.- The venue has to sign a release.
2.- Every person who's face is identifyable has to sign a release
3.- The copyright owner of each & every piece of music has to sign a release.
That takes a lot more time than you would think & Thom failed to do it in time to make it a commercial product.

Everyone who was on the show that night was a friend of Jerry's.
This meant a lot to them. For example, the late Chip Young came from having chemotherapy at Vanderbilt Hospital to perform.
(The cancer won, not the chemo. Chip doesn't perform too well, but you can hear him as the opening guitar on Dolly's original recording of "Jolene.")

All the music performed was written by Jerry (unless otherwise specified.)
As I have said, everyone on the program was a friend of Jerry's & each has a Jerry Reed story to tell (at least one.)
Actually, some were family because Jerry's son-in-law & grandson were there.

The following is an ad for the DVDs that Thom made but never got to officially release.




Incidentally, in his later years Jerry suffered from what the medics call "essential tremor" (which of course, Jerry called "nonessential tremors")
and this meant he couldn't even make a chord on a guitar.

The best (to me) Jerry story of the night was that Elvis called Jerry and said he was in the studio recording Jerry's "Guitar Man"
but they couldn't get the lead guitar right and asked if Jerry had any suggestions?
To which Jerry replied "Hire me."
[*click*]

[ID10t]

That's a lot @mickey, thanks.
Too bad that project wasn't competed.

[OMB]

He was a huge talent.