Jerry Byrd

Gerald Lester Byrd (March 9, 1920 was an American musician who played the lap steel guitar in country and Hawaiian music, as well as a singer-songwriter and the head of a music publishing firm. He appeared on numerous radio programs.

Career Byrd was born in Lima, Ohio, United States, 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 ensuring 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 Hawaiian Hotel that lasted until his death. Though Byrd often joked about pedal steel guitar players, he gave praise to Buddy Emmons, saying he had taken the steel guitar to new places with his playing.

Personal life and death He published his autobiography It Was a Trip: On The Wings of Music. On April 11, 2005, Byrd died of Parkinson's disease at 85 in Honolulu, Hawaii, where he had resided for 30 years; he was survived by wife Kaleo Wood and two daughters.

Awards and recognition He was inducted into the Steel Guitar Hall of Fame in 1978 as its first member; his Rickenbacker lap steel is housed at the Country Music Hall of Fame

Discography Studio albums Nani Hawaii (1953) Mercury Byrd's Exhibition (1954) Mercury Guitar Magic (1954) Mercury Steel Guitar Favorites (1958) 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 Satin Strings of Steel (1965) Monument Potpourri (1966) Monument Burning Sands, Pearly Shells, & Steel Guitars (1967) Monument Country Steel Guitar Hits (1966) Wing Steel Guitar Hawaiian Style (1976) 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

As sideman Jerry Byrd participated as a sideman on numerous recording sessions, primarily with country and Hawaiian music artists. His contributions include recordings with Hank Williams, such as Lovesick Blues and with Ernest Tubb on Walking the Floor Over You. He also worked with Patsy Cline on some of her early sessions and collaborated with Marty Robbins on the album Song of the Islands. His discography as a sideman spans multiple decades, with additional recordings alongside artists like Red Foley and George Morgan.

Other players on Hank's recordings include Dale "Smokey" Lohman (Early recordings), also Don Davis played one or two sessions with Hank. From 1950 on it was Don Helms.

With Jack McDuff Gin and Orange (Cadet, 1969) With Don Patterson Satisfaction! (Prestige, 1965)