b. Atlanta, Georgia, March 20, 1937; d. September 1, 2008
Nashville Cat
Three-time Grammy winner Jerry Reed is most famous for his colorful, catchy story songs steeped in Southern attitude and lore. But among those in the know, he was recognized as a groundbreaking guitarist who created a syncopated, fingerstyle guitar technique that gave his songs—and those he contributed to as a guitarist—an extra layer of funky, back-country grease.
Reed was championed by legendary guitarist-producer Chet Atkins, who incorporated some of Reed’s advances into his own style. Georgia-born Reed also influenced artists including Brad Paisley and Steve Wariner, and studio pros such as Steve Gibson and Brent Mason. Reed’s songs were cut by Atkins, Johnny Cash, Nat King Cole, Tom Jones, Brenda Lee, and Elvis Presley.
By his early teens, Reed had appeared on concert bills with Ernest Tubb and Faron Young. He signed his first record contract with Capitol Records at age seventeen, but later achieved his greatest success on RCA Records. As a guitarist, Reed played on hits by John Hartford, Homer & Jethro, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton, Porter Wagoner, and Elvis Presley.
Popular with non-country acts, Reed recorded frequently with Joan Baez and worked with the Beau Brummels, Ian & Sylvia, Ringo Starr, and other artists. Reed also had a successful career as a movie actor.
The Beau Brummels, Bradley’s Barn, 1968
The Beau Brummels, Bradley’s Barn, 1968
Chet Atkins and Jerry Reed, RCA Studio A, Nashville, mid-1960s.
Listen to Jerry Reed
Selected Songs
Beau Brummels, “Turn Around” (Ron Elliott)
Among the musicians featured on this recording are Jerry Reed, guitar; Harold Bradley, guitar; Wayne Moss, guitar; Sal Valentino, vocals; Ron Elliott, guitar; David Briggs, keyboards; Norbert Putnam, bass; Kenny Buttrey, drums.
From the album Bradley’s Barn, 1968. Produced by Lenny Waronker at Bradley’s Barn, Mt. Juliet, Tennessee.
Ringo Starr, “Fifteen Dollar Draw” (Sorrells Pickard)
Among the musicians featured on this recording are Jerry Reed, guitar; Charlie Daniels, guitar; Ben Keith, dobro; Junior Huskey, bass.
From the album Beaucoups of Blues, 1970. Produced by Pete Drake at Music City Recorders, Nashville.
Joan Baez, “Take Me Back to the Sweet Sunny South” (traditional)
Among the musicians featured on this recording are Jerry Reed, guitar; Rich Festinger, guitar; Kenny Buttrey, drums; Jeffrey Shurtleff, duet vocal.
From the album One Day at a Time, 1970. Produced by Maynard Solomon at Bradley’s Barn, Mt. Juliet, Tennessee.
Jerry Reed, “The Claw” (Jerry Reed)
Among the musicians featured on this recording are Jerry Reed, guitar; Wayne Moss, guitar; Fred Carter Jr., guitar.
From the album The Unbelievable Guitar & Voice of Jerry Reed, 1967. Produced by Chet Atkins at RCA Studios, Nashville.
Elvis Presley, “Guitar Man” (Jerry Reed)
Among the musicians featured on this recording are Jerry Reed, guitar; Floyd Cramer, piano; Bob Moore, bass; Buddy Harman, drums.
Single, 1968. Produced by Felton Jarvis at RCA Studios, Nashville.
Merle Haggard, “Okie from Muskogee” (Merle Haggard, Eddie Burrus)
Among the musicians featured on this recording are Jerry Reed, guitar; James Burton, guitar; Roy Nichols, guitar; Glen D. Hardin, piano; Ron Tutt, drums.
Single, 1969. Produced by Ken Nelson at Capitol Studios, Los Angeles; Jerry Reed guitar overdubs recorded in Nashville.
Meet the Cats
Best known for his harmonica technique—distinguished by speed, clarity, and exceptional phrasing, Charlie McCoy is a multi-instrumentalist who has been recorded on bass, guitar, keyboards, percussion, saxophone, trumpet, and tuba.
Charlie Daniels proved pivotal to many of the Nashville recording sessions of Leonard Cohen and Bob Dylan. Because Daniels had a strong blues influence, Johnston felt he would fit with the adventurous singer-songwriters.
Ben Keith was a prominent Nashville pedal steel guitarist and dobro specialist before becoming a producer and instrumentalist for Neil Young.
One of country music’s most admired and influential steel guitarists, Weldon Myrick taught himself to play lap steel and, at age thirteen, landed a job on a radio station near his hometown of Jayton, Texas.
Mac Gayden grew up fascinated by the R&B acts he heard in his hometown of Nashville. That interest helped him develop a style as a guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter distinctly different from other Nashville studio pros.
Lloyd Green developed an emotional, resonant style of pedal steel guitar playing that gave him a distinct sound apart from other top steel specialists.
At age eighteen, Pete Drake heard steel guitarist Jerry Byrd on the Grand Ole Opry during a trip to Nashville. Duly inspired, Drake purchased a steel guitar in an Atlanta pawnshop. The decision not only changed his life, but impacted the sound of country and rock music.
Pig Robbins earned his stripes by creating the rocking piano on George Jones’s “White Lightnin’.” Over the ensuing decades, his integral role on Music Row recording sessions earned him membership in the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2012.
In his distinctive fiddle style, Buddy Spicher combined a rich tonal quality with bluegrass precision and an adventurous sense of swing. After arriving in Nashville, he quickly gained attention as a dazzling instrumentalist capable of handling country, jazz, pop, and rock.
Inspired by Country Music Hall of Fame members Chet Atkins and Earl Scruggs, Wayne Moss’s iconic guitar riffs helped forge the identifiable sounds of country and rock hits.
Norbert Putnam is a widely admired bassist, record producer, and studio owner. He started his career in his teens recording with soul singer Arthur Alexander at FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, as part of a renowned rhythm section that included keyboardist David Briggs and drummer Jerry Carrigan.
Grady Martin was a member of a loose collection of legendary studio musicians known as the Nashville A-team. His versatility and creativity as a guitarist also appealed to younger rockers and singer-songwriters who came to Nashville.
David Briggs began playing piano on R&B, pop, and country hits in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, in his teens. After a brief stint as a pop singer, Briggs moved to Nashville in 1964 to focus on a career as a studio musician.
Three-time Grammy winner Jerry Reed is most famous for his colorful, catchy story songs steeped in Southern attitude and lore. He was recognized as a groundbreaking guitarist with a guitar technique that gave an extra layer of funky, back-country grease.
The preferred drummer for artists across America—he built a lasting legacy with his work in R&B and rock.
Fred Carter Jr. began his career in northeastern Louisiana playing rock & roll. He backed Dale Hawkins, known for his rock hit “Susie-Q,” and later played with Ronnie Hawkins, Dale’s cousin, in his backing group, the Hawks. Carter left and was replaced by Robbie Robertson before the group evolved into the Band.