Jerry Naylor

Jerry Naylor Jackson (March 6, 1939 – December 5, 2019)

Career with The Crickets In 1961, Naylor became the lead singer for the Crickets, two years after the death of Buddy Holly and the departure of other singers (Earl Sinks, David Box) from the group. Jerry Allison, Buddy Holly's drummer and co-songwriter, owned the name and trademark of "The Crickets". Allison, now the sole owner of "The Crickets" and their manager, H. Daniel Whitman, offered Naylor the lead singer position with The Crickets following their signing with Liberty Records, Hollywood, California. He recorded as lead singer with the Crickets until 1964. Their first hit for the label was "Don't Ever Change", a Carole King/Gerry Goffin written song, which reached the number 5 position on the national charts in the UK. The first song the new Beatles group performed live on BBC, in 1963, was The Crickets' hit, "Don't Ever Change." and the Beatles all acknowledged the Crickets influence in a letter sent to them following a Crickets tour of the UK in 1962. More hit singles followed and the Bobby Vee Meets the Crickets Album was a best-selling album in the UK and Europe. The Crickets also had a hit EP recording on EMI/Liberty Records in 1963, featuring four tracks including, "My Little Girl" and "Teardrops Fall Like Rain," both featured in the Columbia Motion Pictures Movie, Just for Fun.

Career in later years Naylor had success with a song "Is This All There Is To A Honky Tonk" that was written by Don Lee and Robert L. Duncan. By December 1974, it was out, it was released on Melodyland 6003. The song spent ten weeks on the Country charts, peaking at No. 31 on March 29, 1975.

Personal life and family Jerry Naylor Jackson was born in Erath County, Texas. At the age of five his family moved to Carlsbad, Texas, which is 12 miles from San Angelo, Texas. Joe Treadway owner of KPEP radio station in San Angelo became interested in the young teenager and trained him as a DJ. It seems he also sang on KPEP radio with the station's band. When Jerry Jackson joined a talent competition in 1956, he was a student at San Angelo's "Lakeview High School." He met the Cavalier rockabilly band's founders at this location. They were Carroll Smith, Alton Baird, and Sid Holmes. Jerry Naylor Jackson would temporarily join this band as the main vocalist in the spring of 1957. By late 1957 he joined the Army and went to Germany after basic. During 1962 while living in California Jerry joined The Crickets, alternating with Sonny Curtis in singing lead with the band until March 1965. He appeared with the Crickets in the UK movie "Just for Fun" in 1963, and also "The Girls on the Beach" in 1965. After his time with The Crickets, Jerry had a solo career in different genres and was inducted into the Rockabilly Hall of Fame. On January 30, 1966, Naylor married Pamela Ann Robinson. Jerry and Pamela, married over four decades, have three children and six grandchildren.

Naylor died on December 5, 2019, at the age of 80.