Jerry McGee

[Dale Foreman]

Another great Louisiana musician passes. Jerry was from Eunice Louisiana and had been spending a lot of time in our area revisiting a lot of us older musicians. He was a great player and an even better person. RIP Jerry!

[Godfrey Arthur]

Godspeed Gerry.

https://www.theadvocate.com/acadiana/en ... 46855.html

Yes he had a pleasing and open disposition.

Met him in the 60's.

At the time Gerry was one of the most sought after session guys and worked with many top artists of the day.



He was very popular in Japan. Ironically like Duck Dunn that's where they both left the planet.





Here's a video of Gerry in Japan days before he passed.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CI4SBXD5-OY

[Herb Steiner]

Another great Louisiana musician passes. Jerry was from Eunice Louisiana and had been spending a lot of time in our area revisiting a lot of us older musicians. He was a great player and an even better person. RIP Jerry!

Gerry was the son of Dennis McGee, one of the legendary Cajun fiddlers of all time, and one of the first to be commercially recorded.

[Dale Foreman]

Another great Louisiana musician passes. Jerry was from Eunice Louisiana and had been spending a lot of time in our area revisiting a lot of us older musicians. He was a great player and an even better person. RIP Jerry!

Gerry was the son of Dennis McGee, one of the legendary Cajun fiddlers of all time, and one of the first to be commercially recorded.

You’re absolutely right, I failed to mention this.

[Godfrey Arthur]

Looking through pre-British invasion 1960's eyes, when the gods that ruled the airwaves were guitar players like Nokie Edwards, Hank Marvin, Gerry was right in there among the sanctified, a then, exalted position to occupy.

The fact that Gerry eventually took Nokie's place in The Ventures for a spell, is key.

Although Gerry was wont to play down his role as lead for the illustrious Ventures, he is still remembered for that position, more so in Japan as were The Ventures themselves.

And while in Japan this October, days before he passed at 81 doing what he loved to do, he was still wrangling "Wipe Out!"

Yet anyone who watched The Monkees' TV series were treated to Gerry's guitar work on that song along with other unknown hired-gun work of the period that many of us heard growing up.

https://youtu.be/96A0uyFWQHs

Gerry did sessions with the Wrecking Crew and working as sideman for many known artists of the day.


Hopefully a proper discog of Gerry's work will be assembled, as even Gerry himself lost track of some of his own contributions.

[Paddy Long]

I had the great pleasure of getting to play with Gerry back in the early 80's on the Thats Country TV show out here in NZ - I was the staff steel guitarist, and we had Gerry over as a guest on one of the run of programmes. Fabulous player and great guy -- and it was nice to keep in touch with him via FB etc over the years ... saddened to hear of his passing in Japan, but I guess it was rather appropriate that he was on stage at the time !! RIP Gerry

[Godfrey Arthur]

I had the great pleasure of getting to play with Gerry back in the early 80's on the Thats Country TV show out here in NZ - I was the staff steel guitarist, and we had Gerry over as a guest on one of the run of programmes. Fabulous player and great guy -- and it was nice to keep in touch with him via FB etc over the years ... saddened to hear of his passing in Japan, but I guess it was rather appropriate that he was on stage at the time !! RIP Gerry

Thanks for the throw-back Paddy!

Here's a tribute video for Gerry.
https://youtu.be/6evrDQdijHQ