Singer Jerry Reed dies at 71

Jerry Reed, a country music singer, country guitarist, session musician, songwriter, and actor who became a good ol' boy actor in car chase movies like "Smokey and the Bandit," has died at the age of 71. Reed died on Monday from complications from emphysema. Reed had quadruple bypass surgery in June 1999.

Reed was born in Atlanta, Georgia. 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 helped ease the stressful times the new family was under.

At age 18, Reed was signed by publisher and record producer Bill Lowery to cut his first record, "If the Good Lord's Willing and the Creeks Don't Rise."

He won a Grammy Award for "When You're Hot, You're Hot" in 1971 for Best Male Country Vocal Performance. A year earlier, he shared a Grammy with Chet Atkins for their collaboration, "Me and Jerry." In 1992, Atkins and Reed won a Grammy for "Sneakin' Around.". Jerry Reed appeared in over a dozen movies.

"I'm proud of the songs, I'm proud of things that I did with Chet (Atkins), I'm proud that I played guitar and was accepted by musicians and guitar players," Reed told the AP in 1992.