jim henson

Country singer-songwriter-musician and actor Jerry Reed died of complications from emphysema on Monday the first in Nashville, Tennessee, at the age of 71.

- A great profile page at The Rockabilly Hall of Fame details Reed's earliest ventures in the music industry in the latter half of the 1950's.

His efforts as a recording artist at that time were somewhat abortive, though he had a bit more luck as a songwriter.

From those early days, listen to:
Jerry Reed - Your Money Makes You Purty

Reed's early career was put on hold in '58 for a two-year stint in the military.
In the early '60's he began to get back on track selling songs and playing session gigs in Nashville.
Things really started to take off around 1965 under the mentorship of producer Chet Atkins, and under contract as a solo recording artist with RCA records.

See also:
"Jerry Reed Brought Country Music to a Wider Audience", an obituary at CMT News.

Below: ▼ A guest appearance on The Porter Wagoner Show, performing 'Wabash Cannonball'. Looks like late '60's-early '70's-?



Below: ▼ Circa 1982, performing 'She Got The Goldmine (I Got the Shaft)'