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Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular MusicA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y ZBYRD, Jerry(b Jerry Lester Byrd, 9 March '20, Lima OH; d 11 April 2005, Hawaii). Nashville session steel guitarist. He worked as a house painter before turning pro '39. He was a member of Ernie Lee's Pleasant Valley Boys '36-8, the Ernest Tubb band '45-7. He was a pioneer of steel who completed the circle in the 1950s; steel guitar as country music knew it had come from the fad for Hawaiian music in vaudeville; when Byrd went solo he turned to Hawaiian-style pop: Shores Of Waikiki (Mercury '51), Hawaiian Beach Party (RCA '54), Hi-Fi Guitar (Decca '58) etc. He led the Bobby Lord TV show band '64-8, made several LPs for Monument '58-72, was retired from music for many years. |