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Jerry Green
Born:  December 6, 1931
KWKH Louisiana Hayride
KFPW Ft. Smith, AR
KOKE Austin, TX
KVET Austin, TX (1956)

About The Artist

Jerry Green - Grand Ole Opry 1967 We first learn about Jerry Green in 1953 when he was working with Slim Willet who had a show called the Big State Jamboree over in Abilene, Texas. Jerry was attending the University of Texas at the time. But 1953 also found him joining the U. S. Army for a stint to serve his country.

In 1956, Red Jones reported that Jerry had left radio station KFPW in Ft. Smith, Arkansas to take a osition with the Procter and Gamble company. Jerry first met up with Red in 1952 in Austin when they were both attending the University of Texas. Jerry told us he met up with Red again in September of 2011, the first time they had seen each other since 1957.

Jerry Green Later in 1956, Red reported that Jerry was in Austin, Texas and had joined the KVET staff. He was also reporting that Jerry was being considered for a recording contract with the Specialty Record label. Billboard reported in a November 1952 article that Jerry would record four sides for Specialty.

Red Jones was noted as telling Billboard in 1953 that Jerry had his first release on the Specialty label. But it appears that maybe having to serve his country in the military service got in the way of that first recording session. BIllboard tells us that Jerry was released from military service by August 1955 and he was hosting a show called "Country Capers" over radio station KFPW in Ft. Smith, Arkansas, six days a week from 3:30pm to 4:30pm. In fact, his show was the first country music show on that station and was putting out a call to the record labels to help him get records to spin.

John Roddie told the readers in his news roundup of the Southwest music scene that Jerry had released a tune for the Specialty record label called "Are You Going My Way". Red reported in early 1956 that Jerry had recorded four tunes for Speciality before he entered the military service.

When he was in Nashville around 1967 and doing several WSM Grand Ole Opry appearances, he had a three-legged dog appearing with him for two weeks of personal appearances named Tripod. He was said to be recording for the P.B.D. label and being produced by Dana King at the time. That dog was flown in from Houston for those appearances.

In early 1967, Jerry had joined the on-air staff at radio station WENO in Nashville, Tennessee. Paul and Ruth Charon reported that Jerry joined them at the home of Alice and Neal Merritt and helped break in a new $1,000 harpsicord and amplifier that the Baldwin Company had supplied for him.

It appears that that get together happened on New Year's Eve. Some other folks that were at the little 'get together were reportedly people such as Jean Chapel, Don Chapel, Tammy Wynette and Tommy Doyle. Arnound this time, Tammy was recording her hit single, "Apartment Number 9". That get together left an impression on the Charons - they were still talking about it in their column two years later.

Jerry did quite a few appearances on the Grand Ole Opry in 1967. Paul and Ruth Charon reported tha the had made 19 appearances over a period of seven months. They noted that stars on the Opry roster were required to make 20 appearances a year. Around that time, he was recording for Great Records, a division of Chart Records and had a tune about "Tripod The Three Legged Dog". His stint on the Opry ended and seemed to coincide with a change in Opry management at the time.

Jerry got his start on television at KTBC-TV in Austin, Texas. That led to a stint as a news anchorperson at KLBK-TV in Lubbock, Texas for a time.

He's appeared in movies as well. One was "Outlaw Blues" that starred Peter Fonda. Another screen endeavor was "The Great Waldo Pepper" starring Robert Redford and Susan Sarandon.

Jerry was a songwriter as well. In 1956, we see one the lyrics to one of his tunes, "My First Love Affair" published by Central Songs, Inc. in a magazine.

Credits & Sources

  • Country Song Roundup; No. 23; April 1953; Derby, CT
  • Country Song Roundup; No. 25; August 1953; Derby, CT
  • Country Song Roundup; No. 42; February 1956; Derby, CT
  • Country Song Roundup; No. 45; August 1956; Derby, CT
  • Country Song Roundup; No. 47; December 1956; Derby, CT
  • Country Music Life; January 1967; Country Music Life Publications; Orange, CA
  • Country Music Life; February 1967; Country Music Life Publications; Orange, CA
  • Country Music Life; March/April 1967; Country Music Life Publications; Orange, CA
  • Country Music Life; February 1968; Country Music Life Publications; Orange, CA
  • Country Music Life; January 1969; Country Music Life Publications; Orange, CA
  • Billboard; September 13, 1952; Billboard; Cincinnati, Ohio
  • Billboard; November 29, 1952; Billboard; Cincinnati, Ohio
  • Billboard; February 14, 1953; Billboard; Cincinnati, Ohio
  • Billboard; August 27, 1955; Billboard; Cincinnati, Ohio
  • Billboard; December 10, 1955; Billboard; Cincinnati, Ohio

Recordings (78rpm/45rpm)

 
Specialty
Rec. No. Side Song Title
  712 A Naggin' Women And Braggin' Men
  712 A Naggin' Women And Braggin' Men
  712 B I'll Find A Way
  712 B I'll Find A Way
  714 A Are You Goin' My Way
  714 A Are You Goin' My Way
  714 B Maybe Someone Else
  714 B Maybe Someone Else