The legendary Jerry Reed released this gem back in 1972.
He was a lifelong heavy smoker and it eventually took its
toll, but before he succumbed from smoking related issues
he produced and starred in a video about this song.
At that time he was suffering from emphysema and felt
compelled to produce a public service message recognizing
the dangers of smoking tobacco.
As good as that video is I’m going with this studio performance
instead, he looked really haggard in that one and I want to
keep it on the upbeat side, while still getting the message across.
This man is not a one trick pony, he was a certified country artist
with many hits under his belt, performed by him and others, and
was one of a very small handful of musicians that were designated
Certified Guitar Player by none other than Chet Atkins himself.
He acted in quite a few movies during the 70’s and 80’s, most
notably the Burt Reynold flicks that were very popular at the time.
Quite a guy, all in all, lots of talent and a great sense of humor…