Reed was born on the 20th March 1937 in Atlanta, Georgia, the second child of Robert and Cynthia Hubbard. 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.
By high school (O'Keefe High School, Atlanta, Georgia) Reed was already writing and singing music, having picked up the guitar as a child. At the age of eighteen he was signed by publisher and record producer Bill Lowery to make his first record, "If the Good Lord's Willing and the Creeks Don't Rise". At Capitol Records, he recorded both country and rockabilly singles with little success, 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 Mitchell in 1959. They have two daughters, Charlotte Elaine Reed Stewart, and Seidina Ann Reed Hinesley.
After a two-year stint 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 had his first chart hit with "Guitar Man", which Elvis Presley soon covered. Presley had gone to Nashville to record in 1967, and one of the songs he was working on was "Guitar Man," which Reed had written and recorded. Jarvis hired Reed to play on the session. Reed also played the guitar for Presley's "Too Much Monkey Business" (1968), recorded at the same session. After Presley recorded another of Reed's songs, "U.S. Male", the songwriter recorded an Elvis tribute, "Tupelo Mississippi Flash", which became his first top-twenty hit.
After releasing the 1970 crossover hit "Amos Moses", a hybrid of rock, country, and Cajun styles, which reached number eight on the U.S. pop charts, Reed teamed up 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, "When You're Hot, You're Hot", which was also the title track of his first solo album and reached number nine on the pop charts.
A second collaboration with Atkins, Me & Chet, followed in 1972, as did a series of top-forty singles, which alternated between frenetic, straightforward country offerings and more pop-flavoured 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.
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". He sang and played the song "Pretty Mary Sunlite", which 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 film star, almost always in tandem with headliner Reynolds; after 1976's Gator, Reed appeared in 1978's High Ballin and 1979's Hot Stuff, which won the Best Picture award from the Pawn Shop Association of America. He also co-starred in all three of the Smokey and the Bandit films; the first, which premiered in 1977, landed Reed a number-two hit with the soundtrack's "East Bound and Down".
Reed also hosted a television variety show, filming two episodes of The Jerry Reed Show in 1976. 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 1970s. Guests included Tammy Wynette, Ray Stevens, and Burt Reynolds.
Reed died on the 31st August 2008 in Nashville, Tennessee, of complications from emphysema.
Legend
Jerry Reed Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And John Henry just to mention some names
Well there's a truck drivin' legend in the south today
A man called Bandit from Atlanta GA
Every gear jammer knows his name
They swear he's got ice water runnin' in his veins
A foot like lead and nerves like steel
Ah honey hush
Well he left Atlanta back in '63
Haulin' him a load up to Tennessee
He hit Monteagle and it started to rain
So hard he couldn't even see the passin' lane
Well he started down the grade when he lost a gear
He reached for the brakes found he had no air
The Monteagle grade is steep and long
And everybody that seen it thought the Bandit was gone
Listen now
Well his truck jack-knifed turned completely round
He was comin' down backwards bout the speed of sound
A lot of folks seen him and they all say
He had his head out the window yellin' clear the way
Well he got to the bottom safe and sound
Everybody asked Bandit how he made it down
He said folks when the truck picked up too much speed
I just run along beside it and drug my feet
You heard the legend of Jesse James...
Every gear jammer knows his name...
The song "Legend" by Jerry Reed pays tribute to a truck driver known as "Bandit" from Atlanta, Georgia, who is considered a legend in the south. The lyrics compare him to other legendary figures such as Jesse James and John Henry. The song describes Bandit as a fearless driver with nerves of steel and an accelerator foot that never slows down. Every trucker knows his name and respects him for his skills.
The song recounts a specific incident that occurred in 1963 when Bandit was hauling a load from Atlanta to Tennessee. He got caught in a heavy rainstorm while driving down the steep and dangerous Monteagle grade. Bandit lost a gear and discovered that his brakes had no air. While driving down the grade, his truck jack-knifed and turned completely around. Instead of panicking, Bandit kept his head out the window and yelled for other drivers to clear the way. He somehow managed to make it down to the bottom of the grade safely, and everyone was amazed at how he did it. When asked, Bandit simply replied that he ran alongside the truck and dragged his feet whenever it picked up too much speed.
Line by Line Meaning
You heard about the legend of Jesse James
The singer mentions the well-known stories of Jesse James and John Henry as a nod to their legendary status and to introduce the main subject of the song.
And John Henry just to mention some names
The singer continues to reference famous American folklore figures in order to set the stage for the trucker who will be the focus of the song.
Well there's a truck drivin' legend in the south today
The singer introduces the main character of the song, a famous truck driver from the southern United States who is as legendary in his own way as Jesse James and John Henry are in theirs.
A man called Bandit from Atlanta GA
The singer reveals the name and hometown of the truck driver, who is known as 'Bandit' and hails from Atlanta, Georgia.
Every gear jammer knows his name
The singer emphasizes the fame of the truck driver, suggesting that all professional truck drivers are familiar with him and his reputation.
They swear he's got ice water runnin' in his veins
The singer describes the truck driver as being very tough and unflappable even in difficult or dangerous situations.
A foot like lead and nerves like steel
The singer continues to praise the truck driver's skill and bravery, comparing him to someone with very heavy feet and very strong nerves.
He's gonna go to glory ridin' 18 wheels
The singer foreshadows a possible tragic outcome for the truck driver's legendary career, as if he could achieve greatness or be killed in the process of driving his 18-wheeled truck.
Ah honey hush
This line is likely meant to be a filler or exclamation that adds some color and energy to the song but otherwise does not convey any specific meaning or sentiment.
Well he left Atlanta back in '63
The song shifts to recounting a specific story from the truck driver's past, beginning with his departure from Atlanta more than a decade prior to the song's release in the mid-1970s.
Haulin' him a load up to Tennessee
The singer explains what the truck driver was doing, which was transporting some kind of cargo or goods from Georgia to Tennessee.
He hit Monteagle and it started to rain
The singer sets the stage for a challenging driving situation, as the truck driver arrives at Monteagle and is confronted with inclement weather.
So hard he couldn't even see the passin' lane
The singer exaggerates the extent of the rain, making it so bad that the truck driver cannot even see the part of the road meant for passing slower vehicles.
Well he started down the grade when he lost a gear
The singer describes an equipment malfunction that occurs as the truck driver begins to descend a steep incline or 'grade'.
He reached for the brakes found he had no air
The singer adds to the peril of the situation, revealing that the truck driver cannot use his air brakes to slow down the vehicle.
The Monteagle grade is steep and long
The singer emphasizes just how dangerous this stretch of road is, further heightening the drama and tension.
And everybody that seen it thought the Bandit was gone
The singer hints at the improbability of the truck driver surviving this particular accident, as onlookers assume he must have perished in the crash.
Listen now
This line is likely meant to grab the listener's attention, signaling that the song is about to reach a critical moment.
Well his truck jack-knifed turned completely round
The singer describes the truck's violent, out-of-control spin as it wrecks on the Monteagle grade.
He was comin' down backwards 'bout the speed of sound
The singer labors the point that the accident was extremely dangerous and fast, using exaggerated language that taps into the drama and fear of the moment.
A lot of folks seen him and they all say
The singer turns to the aftermath of the accident, focusing on the reactions of witnesses to the wreck.
He had his head out the window yellin' clear the way
The singer humanizes the truck driver, revealing that even in such a dire situation he was able to show courage and warn others of the danger he posed.
Well he got to the bottom safe and sound
The singer reveals the surprising outcome of the story, which is that the truck driver managed to survive the accident and continue on his way.
Everybody asked Bandit how he made it down
The singer underscores the fact that the truck driver's miraculous escape was the talk of the town, with everyone seeking to hear his version of events.
He said folks when the truck picked up too much speed
Finally, the truck driver himself explains how he was able to survive the accident and continue down the Monteagle grade.
I just run along beside it and drug my feet
The truck driver humorously suggests that he was able to keep pace with his runaway truck by literally running alongside it and using his feet to slow it down.
Contributed by Caden M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.