Jerry Byrd

Jerry Byrd
Background information
Birth name	Gerald Lester Byrd
Born	Lima, Ohio, United States
Died	April 11, 2005(2005-04-11) (aged 85) Honolulu, Hawaii, United States
Genres	Country, honky tonk, Hawaiian music
Occupations	Musician
Instruments	Lap steel guitar
Years active	1935–2005
Associated acts	Ernest Tubb, Hank Williams, Patsy Cline, Red Foley, many others

Gerald Lester "Jerry" Byrd (March 9, 1920 – April 11, 2005) was an American musician who played Lap steel guitar in country and Hawaiian music.

Career

Byrd was born on March 9, 1920 in Lima, Ohio. His interest in the instrument began after a "tent show" when he was 12 and by 15 he was playing in bars. Although his initial interest was Hawaiian music much of his work was country. In 1944/1945 he joined the Grand Ole Opry.^[1] He was important to the early career of Dolly Parton being one of the first to sign her. He also was an educator of the steel guitar giving lessons to Jimmie Vaughan and Jerry Garcia among others. The list of artists that Byrd played or recorded with included Hank Williams, Ernest Tubb, Patsy Cline and Red Foley and countless others. In the early 1970s he moved to Hawaii and worked on reviving Hawaiian steel guitar music, taking a great delight in giving lap steel lessons to the young musicians who showed interest in insuring that the lap steel remained an important instrument in Hawaiian music. While living in Hawaii, Byrd had a regular weekly gig with his trio at the Royal Hawiian Hotel that lasted until his death. Though Byrd often joked about pedal steel guitar players, he had nothing but the highest of praise for Buddy Emmons, saying he had taken the steel guitar to new places with his playing.

Death

Byrd died of Parkinson's disease at 85 in Honolulu, Hawaii.^[2]

Awards and recognition

He was inducted into the Steel Guitar Hall of Fame in 1978 as # 1.^[3]

Discography

Studio albums

• Nani Hawaii (1953) Mercury
• Byrd's Exhibition (1954) Mercury
• Guitar Magic (1954) Mercury
• Hi-Fi Guitar (1958) Decca
• On the Shores of Waikiki (1960) Decca
• Byrd of Paradise (1961) Monument
• Memories of Maria (1962) Monument
• Blue Hawaiian Steel Guitar (1963) Mercury
• Man of Steel (1964) Mercury
• Country Steel Guitar Greats (1966) Wing
• Steel Guitar Hawaiian Style (1995) Lehua
• Polynesian Suite (1995) Sony Music Distribution
• Christmas in Hawaii (2003) Lehua

Compilations

• Jerry Byrd: By Request (2002) Mountain Apple
• Steel Guitar (2002) Mountain Apple
• The Master of Touch and Tone (2005) Mountain Apple
• Master of the Steel Guitar, Vol. 1 (2005) Hana Ola--Rsi

References

1. ^ Hillbilly Music
2. ^ New York Times
3. ^ Obituary from Honolulu Advertiser

External links

• All Music

Additional reading

• Byrd, Jerry (2003). It Was a Trip, On Wings of Music. Centerstream Publications. ISBN 978-1574241310. 

Persondata
Name	Byrd, Jerry
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	March 9, 1920
Place of birth
Date of death	April 11, 2005
Place of death