1937-2008

Jerry Reed has passed away …

Associated Press: Singer-actor Jerry Reed dies at the age of 71

… and he will be sorely missed.

When I got my first DVD player, one of the first DVDs I got was Smokey and the Bandit.

I had everybody over and we watched it and we laughed at its hilarious, good-natured absurdity.

But even though Burt’s performance was (appropriately) cranked up to 11, Jerry Reed was my favorite character with his effortless smile and natural charm.

My friends and I loved Jerry Reed so much, in fact, that several of us took a trip up to Nashville, Indiana to see him perform at the Little Nashville Opry about 10 years ago.

He sang classic songs and told hilarious stories and posed for photos with us:

Put that hammer down in Heaven, son. You will live on forever in your movies and music, and you sure made a hell of a lot of joy while you were here.

Here’s a photo from when I met him:

(Please also click here for my friend Bob’s thoughts on Mr. Reed.)

The Whatever: Whatever Are You Up To?

Welcome to this week’s (late) Whatever, where I ask you a question and you give me five answers.

This was originated, of course, by Bob, and you are welcome to go back and answer his old Whatevers and the ones I’ve posed since taking over.

Tell me five things you’ve done lately.

I …

1. … went to Indianapolis the day before Labor Day and atteneded one of the best cookouts of my life at Gabe and Beth’s house. Bob’s photos are here, and these two (featuring my best little friends Oliver and Lucy) are my favorites:

2. … spent a lot of time being concerned about things being chronicled on Bob’s new site, The Donkey Show.

3. … got some bitchin’ new headphones for Sweet Lorelai. (She’s my iPod.) My Apple-issue ear-buds were coming apart after years of use, and the new Sennheisers totally blow them away. First song listened to was Garrison Starr‘s “Beautiful in Los Angeles,” and it was like I was hearing all those swirling atmospherics and blazing harmonies (with Glen Phillips) for the first time all over again.

4. … tried out the Sitar Indian buffet near my new home on Bardstown Road in Louisville. It’s amazing. There’s a much better variety (for the cheaper price of $6.99) than the buffet at Kashmir, and instead of giving you one can of Coke (like they do at Kashmir), Sitar keeps the fountain soda coming. And that makes me happy. Highly recommended.

5. … ate at Havana Rumba with my friend Mindy. The pollo a la milanesa — a lightly breaded chicken breast covered in ham that’s covered in cheese with tomato sauce and rice and plantains on the side — was so big it was drooping off the plate. I ate over half of it and my plate was still literally full of food. The rest of it will be my lunch today, except for the bit of it I ate at about 9:30 last night.

Your turn!