Brad Paisley’s Simple Tribute To Burt Reynolds Is Perfect (Video)
By kncitom on September 7, 2018
For men of a certain age, Burt Reynolds was it. The legendary actor–who made 90 films during his career–passed away yesterday at the age of 82. For any young guy coming of age in the late 70s (like me) Burt was who you aspired to be. It wasn’t just the movies; it was the look, the swagger, the sense of humor, the ’77 black Pontiac Firebird…and yes, the ‘stache. Also, it was Sally Field and Lonnie Anderson (not so much Dinah Shore, although she seemed like a nice lady).
And the thing about Reynolds is some of his work is absolutely timeless: Deliverance, Smokey and the Bandit, Hooper, Cannonball Run, Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, The Longest Yard. You can watch those films today and still get a thrill, a laugh, a knot in the pit of your stomach. For a lot of guys who came of age during the heyday of Reynolds’ career–and in 1981 he was the biggest box office star in the world–Reynolds was our first spirit animal. He had the car, the looks, the toughness and wit and he got the girl.
So I loved the simple tribute Brad Paisley paid to Reynolds’ passing yesterday. Seated on a couch at home, with an acoustic guitar, he sings the first part of a 1980 Don Williams hit called “If Hollywood Don’t Need You” and, as Brad indicates in his post, all you need to know about how America felt about Burt is right there in the chorus. RIP, Bandit. Thank you for your time.
