Jerry Byrd
Musician · 1920–2005 · Lima, Ohio
Jerry Byrd was a master of the non-pedal steel guitar whose pure, vibrato-rich tone earned him the title “the master of touch and tone.” A pioneer of the instrument in postwar country music, he later became one of the most revered figures in Hawaiian steel guitar after relocating to the islands.
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- Born March 9, 1920, in Lima, Ohio; died April 11, 2005, in Honolulu.
- Played or recorded with Hank Williams, Ernest Tubb, Patsy Cline, and Red Foley.
- Joined the Grand Ole Opry in the mid-1940s.
- Inducted into the Steel Guitar Hall of Fame in 1978 as its first member.
- Taught steel guitar to students including Jerry Garcia.
- Relocated to Hawaii in the early 1970s and became central to the Hawaiian steel guitar revival.
