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Country Throwback: Revisit Burt Reynolds Forgotten 1973 Country Album

For many fans, Burt Reynolds is forever eternalized as a charming Hollywood icon both on and off-screen. However, the movie star made his foray into the country music world when he cut an album called Ask Me What I Am.

Before he starred in roles alongside Dolly Parton in The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas or Reba McEntire in The Man from Left Field (and shortly before becoming an icon in Smokey and the Bandit), Burt Reynolds tried his hand at country music crooning. 

Reynolds was at the height of his success in 1973, however, he decided he wanted to put his acting career on pause and turn to country music for his next endeavor. 

Burt Reynolds’ Country Music Endeavor Ends with ‘E+’ Rating

Reynolds partnered with Mercury records and music producers Bobby Goldsboro and Buddy Killen on the album. Goldsboro, a former country/pop singer, had hits in both the US and UK. Killen was a well-known publisher and producer who was the former owner of Trinity Broadcasting. Later, Killen worked with country singers such as Rascal Flatts, Faith Hill, Trace Adkins, and Reba McEntire. 

Even though Reynolds had all the makings of a successful album, critics disliked the record and he received an “E+” rating in the wake of its release. 

Reynolds continued, recording a song called “Let’s Do Something Cheap and Superficial” for the Smokey and the Bandits II soundtrack. The song would peak on the “Billboard Hot Country Songs” chart at No. 51 in November 1980.

Burt Reynolds passed away after a heart attack on Sept 6, 2018, at the age of 82. He was best known as Hollywood’s ultimate leading man in the late ’70s and early ’80s. The Hollywood Reporter describes Reynolds as the top-grossing actor of the time, but he was also friends with many country singers. 

After his death, Reba McEntire posted an emotional tribute to him on Instagram. Country singer Don Williams worked alongside him in Smokey and the Bandit II