Shotgun Red


Shotgun Red is a puppet best known as a co-host for the television talk show Nashville Now, which aired from 1983-1993 on The Nashville Network. Often appearing alongside the show's host Ralph Emery, Shotgun Red was performed by Steve Hall, a comedian and voice artist native of Brainerd, Minnesota.
The puppet, best recognized for his large gray mustache and straw cowboy hat, was discovered by Hall in a Minnesota hobby shop in 1980. Hall first used Shotgun Red as the emcee for his band at the time, Southbound '76. After traveling to Nashville to compete in the final round of The Seagram's 7 battle of the bands contest, Hall and Shotgun "crashed" Ralph Emery's local morning TV show. Ralph fell in love with the little puppet and later made him his co-host on Nashville Now.
Shotgun Red went on to appear on the television variety show Hee Haw regularly for ten years and host The Nashville Network's music video show Country Clips for six years. He also hosted his very own television show for RFDTV for four seasons called "The Shotgun Red Variety Show" 2011-2014.
He appeared at the Grand Ole Opry and the puppet remained a part of Steve Hall's Shotgun Red Band, which operated out of the Nashville Tennessee aboard the General Jackson Showboat for 15 years and the Nashville Nightlife Dinner Theater. Steve loved to cook and started a very popular cooking show on his Youtube channel called Cooking with Shotgun Red that his co-host Miss Sheila and longtime band member, friend Jennifer Bruce have continued weekly to carry on his legacy. He hosted 307 recipes on his cooking show and toured with his country comedy band around the country periodically until Hall's death on December 29, 2018. Steve died of "natural causes." He was 64 years of age.