Jerry Byrd
Gerald Lester Byrd, known as Jerry Byrd, was born on March 9, 1920, in Lima,
Ohio. He began playing the lap steel guitar after attending a "tent show" at age
12 and was performing in bars by 15. Initially interested in Hawaiian music,
Byrd's career evolved into country music. In 1944/1945, he joined the Grand Ole
Opry, collaborating with artists like Hank Williams, Ernest Tubb, Patsy Cline,
and Red Foley. With Hank Williams, he recorded songs such as "I'm So Lonesome I
Could Cry" and "Lovesick Blues". Byrd also influenced Dolly Parton's early
career and taught steel guitar to mus...
