"The Dukes of Hazzard" Star John Schneider Issues Statement After Burt Reynolds’ Death

"One of my most vivid memories as a sixteen-year-old was skipping school and climbing over a fence, finding someone with a radio, and talking myself onto the set of Smokey and the Bandit at the fairgrounds in Atlanta. Years later after The Dukes of Hazzard started, I had a friendship with Burt Reynolds and I cherished it. Years after that, I would go to Burt's house for his birthday party or for different functions and sing with Dom Deluise and other friends, and after that I would go to Burt's house with my son Chasen and watch football and Burt was the only person who could ever get me to watch football. I'll miss my friend, I will miss his laugh, I will miss the future marks he was going to make on this world. But I know that he was in pain. I know that his body had given out after years of sports and stunts and doing crazy things that he loved so much. So I’m delighted that my friend is no longer in pain and he's hanging out with some of the greatest sports figures and actors and comedians and singers and wonderful people in the world because anyone who ever met Burt met a friend. So here's to you buddy. Say hi to Jimmy Best and Dom Deluise and Hal Needham and Jim Nabors and all those wonderful people up there who were lucky enough to call you friend down here.” 

John Schneider is best known for the iconic role of "Bo Duke” on the hit series The Dukes of Hazzard, as well as starring roles on Smallville, Tyler Perry's The Haves and the Have Nots and more. In addition to his extensive acting career, John is a celebrated country music artist with 10 albums to his credits and 4 #1 singles on the Billboard Country chart. This year, John has launched an ambitious 52-song project, The Odyssey, releasing a song a week throughout 2018. A greatest hits collection is also due in October. For more information, visit his official website at www.JohnSchneiderStudios.com.