In 1978, Jerry Reed sang his hit song “East Bound and Down” live on the TV show “Pop Goes the Country.” Jerry is sitting on a stool in the middle of the stage, and a full band is playing behind him.
The orange platform stage is lit up with blue hexagons and a blue background, making it look like the set of a TV game show. Jerry is wearing an old shirt made of blue denim, blue jeans, blue socks, but no shoes.
He is wearing a tan, bent cowboy hat and has a guitar in his lap. A fast banjo solo starts the song off with a bang. The banjo and guitar in this song fingerpick better than anyone else.
During the whole performance, Jerry wildly taps both of his socks-covered feet.
During one verse, he plays the drums with his hands on his legs. At the end, he sings a long note, and the song ends with a lightning-fast guitar riff. The crowd cheers, and Jerry smiles as he looks back at the band.
Jerry Reed did more than just sing. He was in more than twelve movies. “Guitar Man,” “U.S. Male,” “When You’re Hot, You’re Hot,” and “East Bound and Down” were his most famous songs.
In 2017, Jerry was given a place in the Country Music Hall of Fame. His song “East Bound and Down” was used in the movie “Smokey and the Bandit,” which starred Burt Reynolds, in 1977.
The famous trucker song was at number 2 for 16 weeks on the U.S. Country Music Charts. Jerry Reed’s unique style and amazing talent made him a favorite among country fans for decades.