This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Jerry Rushing" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR(September 2016) (Learn how and when to remove this message)
Jerry Elijah Rushing (September 1, 1937 – July 23, 2017) was an American best known for his years as a bootlegger or "moonrunner" (moonshine runner, "running" being a form of smuggling).
Rushing was born into a family business making illegal whiskey. As a young man he became a delivery driver, a job requiring late-night high-speed driving, often without headlights; for this he used a modified 1958 Chrysler 300D capable of 140 mph (225 km/h) speeds, easily more than most police vehicles, which he nicknamed Traveller, after Robert E. Lee's favorite horse Traveller. The car was eventually abandoned when it ran out of fuel during a chase, was sold from a police impound into the private collector's market, and has since been restored by Lawrence Wolfel. Rushing eventually turned to a career in early stock car racing. Among the drivers he raced were Junior Johnson, himself a former moonrunner, and Wendell Scott.
In the early 1970s, while doing research for an upcoming movie, producer Gy Waldron obtained an oral history from Rushing. Waldron would later use these interviews, along with his own experiences growing up in Kentucky, as material for the 1975 B-movie Moonrunners, which would go on to be reworked as the basis for the TV series The Dukes of Hazzard (1979–1985). Rushing was not credited for the biographical details he claims were recreated in both works, and sued for royalties, receiving an undisclosed settlement.
Rushing claims thirteen characters from the film or series were modeled on himself or people he knew, including:
He was the inspiration for Bo Duke
His Uncle Worley was the inspiration for Uncle Jesse
His car Traveler was the inspiration for the General Lee (indeed, a car named Traveler is seen in Moonrunners, and the name for the General Lee in pre-production was also Traveler)
Rushing performed stunt work and appeared uncredited as Jake Rainey's bodyguard in Moonrunners. He also had a guest role in a very early episode of the Dukes series, as crooked used car salesman Ace Parker in the episode "Repo Men". Rushing had understood the performance to be the start of a recurring role, return in part for his supplying creative material from his experiences, but it was the only time the character was ever seen or mentioned. This appearance led to a career as a minor character actor, mainly playing rednecks, sheriffs, and truckers. With the release of the Dukes of Hazzard movie, Rushing had stepped up marketing for a self-produced documentary called Traveler.
Rushing owned and operated a wild boar hunting preserve near Taylorsville, North Carolina named Chestnut Hunting Lodge. He retired during the summer of 2013 and the lodge closed.[1] He died at his home on July 23, 2017.[2]
^Rushing, Update. A Note of Thanks to Our Friends and Hunters Chestnut Hunting Lodge
^"Jerry Elijah Rushing". The Taylorsville (North Carolina) Times. July 23, 2017. Retrieved 11 October 2017.
Jerry Elijah Rushing (September 1, 1937 – July 23, 2017) was an American best known for his years as a bootlegger or "moonrunner" (moonshine runner, "running"...
Gerald Mitchell Rush (born August 7, 1942) is a former American football defensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the...
by Gy Waldron and is based on the life and stories of ex-moonshiner JerryRushing, who has a small role in the movie as a heavy at the Boar's Nest bar...
to Jerry Stiller. Jerry Stiller at IMDb Jerry Stiller at the Internet Broadway Database Jerry Stiller at the Internet Off-Broadway Database Jerry Stiller...
Mungo Jerry (formerly known as Mungo Jerry Blues Band) are a British rock band, formed by Ray Dorset in Ashford, Middlesex, in 1970. Experiencing their...
the series. Rushing appeared as shady used car dealer Ace Parker in the third episode, "Repo Men" (the fourth to be broadcast). Rushing believed this...
Strathairn, Cara Seymour, Danny Nelson, Jayne Morgan, Allison Glenn, Jerry Foster, JerryRushing, Emilie Jacobs and Hannah Grady. The film premiered at the 1999...
rushing) Most career touchdowns from scrimmage: 207 (197 receiving, 10 rushing) Most career all purpose yards: 23,546 (22,895 receiving, 645 rushing,...
including the Saunders–Garcia Band (with longtime friend Merl Saunders), the Jerry Garcia Band, Old & In the Way, the Garcia/Grisman and Garcia/Kahn acoustic...
Jerry Lee Lewis (September 29, 1935 – October 28, 2022) was an American pianist, singer and songwriter. Nicknamed "The Killer", he was described as "rock...
Jerry Lewis (born Joseph Levitch; March 16, 1926 – August 20, 2017) was an American comedian, actor, singer and humanitarian who was famously nicknamed...
player in league history to rush for 1,400 rushing yards or more in five consecutive seasons and set the NFL record with 25 rushing touchdowns.[citation needed]...
quotations related to Jerry Brown. Jerry Brown at Curlie Jerry Brown at Ballotpedia Jerry Brown at On the Issues Appearances on C-SPAN Jerry Brown at the American...
Jerry Fulton Cantrell Jr. (born March 18, 1966) is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is best known as the founder, lead guitarist, co-lead...
Jerry O'Neil Lawler (born November 29, 1949), better known as Jerry "The King" Lawler, is an American color commentator and professional wrestler currently...
Sachs Kay Joiner as Mrs. Prior Elijah Perry as Bud Orwell (credited JerryRushing) Tate Gardner as Larry Harley Christina Taylor as Lilly Harley Jeffrey...
Abanikanda rushed a 76-yard touchdown, Pitt's longest rushing touchdown since 2018. Abanikanda finished the game with a total of 154 rushing yards despite...
fictionalized account of the real-life experiences and stories of moonshiner JerryRushing. In the 1977 film Greased Lightning stars Richard Pryor as Wendell Scott...
Bowl selection, Payton is remembered as a prolific rusher. He has held NFL records for career rushing yards, touchdowns, carries, yards from scrimmage,...
League (NFL) for 10 seasons. Sanders led the league in rushing yards four times and in rushing touchdowns once, establishing himself as one of the most...
Jerry Rusch, also credited as JerryRush (May 8, 1943 – May 5, 2003), was an American jazz trumpeter. Rusch studied at the University of Minnesota in 1962–64...
Global Information