Jerry Reed Hubbard (born March 20, 1937) is an American country music singer, country guitarist, and songwriter. He has also appeared in over a dozen films. As a singer, he may be best remembered for his novelty song "When you're Hot, You're Hot" for which he received the Grammy Award for Best Male Country Vocal Performance in 1972.
Biography
Reed was born in Atlanta, Georgia, the second child of Robert and Cynthia Hubbard. Unfortunately, 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. Music and impromptu performances helped ease the stressful times the new family was under.
By high school, Reed was already writing and singing music and allied himself with Atlanta music publisher Bill Lowery. In his Freshman and Sophomore years he took acting roles in school plays. He played at local clubs and was signed by Capitol Records to a three-year recording contract in 1955 By 1958, he was signed to NRC Records, where he also served as a guitarist and background vocalist in the staff band, working alongside other NRC artists Joe South and Ray Stevens. Another background vocalist at NRC was his wife Priscilla Mitchell, who scored a country duet hit with Roy Drusky for Mercury Records, "Yes, Mr. Peters". His best-known recordings were for RCA, including number 1 hits include "When You're Hot, You're Hot" (1971), "Lord, Mr. Ford" (1973), and "She Got The Goldmine (I Got The Shaft)" (1982). He also received the Grammy Award for Best Country Instrumental Performance in 1971 and 1993.
Reed's acting career began in 1975 with his debut in the film W.W. and the Dixie Dancekings but his most memorable character is Cledus Snow from the three Smokey and the Bandit films.
Selected Discography
- The NRC Years (1958-1960)
- The Unbelievable Guitar and Voice of Jerry Reed (1967)
- Alabama Wild Man (1968)
- Georgia Sunshine (1970)
- When You're Hot, You're Hot (1971)
- Lord, Mr. Ford (1973)
- Tupelo Mississippi Flash (1974)
- Red Hot Picker (1975)
- Both Barrels (1976)
- Eastbound And Down (1977)
- Half Singin' and Half Pickin' (1979)
- Dixie Dreams (1981)
- The Man With the Golden Thumb (1982)
- Ready (1983)
- My Best To You (1984)
- Lookin' At You (1986)
Resources