Jerry Reed, the irrepressible, Atlanta-born musician who scored pioneering, early ’70s crossover hits with “Amos Moses” and the Grammy-winning “When You’re Hot, You’re Hot,” passed away Monday in Nashville of complications from emphysema. Reed was 71.

Reed parlayed his early ‘70s pop chart success into an acting career, co-starring with Burt Reynolds in the box office smash Smokey and the Bandit ― also providing the film’s pop-hit theme song, “East Bound and Down” ― and playing a memorable bad guy in Gator. His film/TV career encompassed nearly two dozen roles, the last as evil coach Red Beaulieu in Adam Sandler’s The Waterboy. He also dabbled in producing and directing.

But to his colleagues, Reed will be remembered first and foremost as a consummate musician who added his unique touch to every project he undertook, whether as songwriter, session player or performer. At 18 Reed was signed by Atlanta music mogul Bill Lowery ― who’d also been America’s top country deejay ― and cut his first record, “If the Good Lord’s Willing and the Creek Don’t Rise,” the first of string of country and rockabilly singles Jerry would release in the mid ‘50s with little success, until Gene Vincent’s 1958 cover of Reed’s “Crazy Legs” buoyed his fortunes.

After a two-year stint in the Army, Reed moved to Nashville where his career as a songwriter and fleet-fingered session player blossomed, also forging a friendship and collaboration with country guitar legend Chet Atkins that would span decades. In 1967, Reed’s typically energetic “Guitar Man” became his first chart hit, going on to be covered by Elvis Presley and becoming a live centerpiece of Presley’s wildly successful “comeback” TV special the following year. Elvis also covered Reed’s “U.S. Male,” while Jerry returned the favor with his Presley tribute, “Tupelo Mississippi Flash,” which ushered Reed into the Top 20 for the first time.

By the early ‘70s, Reed was a national star, thanks to his “Amos Moses” and “When You’re Hot..” singles, appearances on Glen Campbell’s TV show and a pair of successful albums with Chet Atkins, who often claimed the fiery, chicken-pickin’ style Reed employed was superior to his own legendary technique.

“Nobody played like Jerry Reed,” notes Austin-based country guitar master/Merle Haggard sideman Redd Volkaert. “His playing was so funky, so jacked up, yet so articulate. You couldn’t really learn his stuff. He was like Django Reinhardt, with all those intricate patterns.”

When a Nashville TV reporter asked Reed whether fame and fortune meant as much to him as music a few years ago, Jerry said: "I just really don't care about money. The money comes if you need it. I never know how much I've got on me ... I’m always bumming money.”

“I’d rather know how to play a C-sharp, and a 7th flat 5 ... I’d rather know what that is.” ―source Jerry McCulley