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Topic: Jerry Byrd legacy |
Mac McKenzie
From:
Auckland, New Zealand * R.I.P.
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Posted 10 Apr 2009 4:03 pm |
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New Zealand is the first country in the world to greet the new day and today, April 11th. means it is four years since Jerry left us to fend for ourselves. We have been lucky here, Jerry, Hiram and Kalani gave us a never to be forgotten concert and the next day we had them all to ourselves at a bar-b-q at Ben Tawhiti's where we got to know them quite well, even to the point of teasing Jerry somewhat. Jerry told us " I take my music seriously, I do not vaudeville it." Jerry was meticulous in his playing and fastidious in his presentation to show his guitar in the best light. it was his bread and butter. About six weeks later, we spent Christmas in Hawaii and while the ladies were furiously shopping at Kaneohe, I was in the car park taping Jerry's Hawaii Calls. A few days later, Jerry invited us for coffee, I went on my own, the ladies were still shopping and when we had settled down I said that I had heard him on the radio and he said " Yeah, I told Nina not to ask me again, those guys kill all the tone on the guitar." I said that it surges and Jerry said " That too." They pause the show for about ten seconds to allow for commercials which are inserted later and when they did this, if there was a few beats where the steel tailed off, instead of leaving the rhythm to carry on quietly and tastefully, they wound the wick up and it makes a mess of the whole thing. They did that to Barney too the following week. Another example of interference was when someone posted that Jules was flat and Basil tidied that up by saying they got Barney to do about four beats to fill a quiet spot and I think that Barney hit one fret below to slide up back into key, but they did not allow the last beat and left it flat. I feel that the recent post about Jerry stating he did not want his music altered in any way would be about this sort of thing, rather than the overall volume.
And so, on this day, we remember him in a slightly different light, memories and as Jerry told me " travel is good, you meet a lot of people, make a lot of friends and have memories that no one can take from you. Not even the tax man." |
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Ray Montee
From:
Portland, Oregon (deceased)
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Posted 10 Apr 2009 5:59 pm My heartfelt THANKS..................
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A very sincere THANK YOU for calling to everyone's attention.......the memories of our lost mentor and long-time friend.
Nothing in life has given me more joy, than the thousdands of hours of listening to JERRY BYRD's wonderful steel guitar music.
He was my teacher..........and thro' his music, challenged me to strive for perfection, rather than settle for mediocraty.
I was never as close to the man as many of you, however there definitely was a strong bond. |
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Gary Lynch
From:
Creston, California, USA
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Posted 10 Apr 2009 7:15 pm
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| His tone was angelic. |
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Bill Creller
From:
Saginaw, Michigan, USA (deceased)
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Posted 10 Apr 2009 9:07 pm
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He was surely the best. He had a dry sense of humor too  |
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Ray Montee
From:
Portland, Oregon (deceased)
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Posted 11 Apr 2009 8:48 pm Check my other post...........
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New tunes are up on the JBFC site.
See my post in Steel Players. |
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George Keoki Lake
From:
Edmonton, AB., Canada
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Posted 11 Apr 2009 9:00 pm
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| Seems like it was only a year ago we lost the Master of Touch and Tone. Time goes by so quickly. I have so many memories of Jerry, I would probably fill this entire page. Suffice to say, I enjoyed playing r/guitar and/or bass on many occasions as I sat beside him totally awe-struck. I also found myself playing steel with Billy Hew Len on my left and 'guess who' on my right! Nerve wracking, but fun ! He was the greatest. |
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chris ivey
From:
california (deceased)
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Posted 12 Apr 2009 10:49 am
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i remember hearing at one time that jerry was either not considered or accepted by the hawaiian music community as being 'true hawaiian music/style'.
did they ever get over that and honor jerry for whatever he was? |
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George Keoki Lake
From:
Edmonton, AB., Canada
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Posted 12 Apr 2009 2:26 pm
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Well, that rumour may have had some substance as this 'haole-boy' first arrived in 1972, however the Hawaiian entertainment community very quickly realized what great talent he possessed. He was readily accepted and the rest is history....the Hawaiians loved him !
(As witness the memorial service which lasted all day and brought out the finest entertainers in Hawai'i to pay tribute to him.) |
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Ron Whitfield
From:
Kaaawa, Hawaii, USA
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Posted 13 Apr 2009 10:32 am
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Even his Hawaiian friends and bandmates, Benny Kalama and Kalani Fernandes, didn't have a real apprecaition for Jerry's history, abilities, and legend status, until they accompanied him to Nashville and met his friends and associates.
There were always nay-sayers, and probably always will be, but those who were the best in Hawaiian music certainly warmed up to Jerry quickly once they heard him play and got to know him. |
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Roy Thomson
From:
Wolfville, Nova Scotia,Canada
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Posted 13 Apr 2009 11:46 am
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Jerry was the reason I play today and I wrote
two instrumentals in his honor. This is one of
them..MY MENTOR:
Link:
http://www.fileqube.com/file/yjYQJOUU187735
Jerry was the best.
Roy
_________________
Custom Tabs Various Tunings
Courses Lap Steel, Pedal Steel |
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