After years of success as a performer in America, sharing the bill with the likes of America's most celebrated musicians: Dolly Parton, Ricky Skaggs, Tony Rice, Marty Stuart, Earl Scruggs, and others, Jerry Harmon has quickly gained recognition as an amazing performer in the UK and mainland Europe performing at major events there. He has appeared at such events as North Carolina’s renowned Merle-Fest, The Bath International Music Festival, The Edinburgh International Festival,and The Winnipeg Folk Festival.
Jerry Harmon was born into a rich family tradition of music. His home, deep in the foothills of the Blue Ridge / Appalachian mountains, reverberated daily to the sound of music in many different forms.
Harmon’s musical career was launched at an early age, strumming a banjo fashioned from wood and groundhog hide by his uncle Gene. Radio programmes featuring Hank Williams Sr, Flatt & Scruggs and Ray Price also proved a lasting influence.
At the age of 12, with his Sears & Roebuck Truetone guitar in hand and an earnest determination, Harmon tackled the first of years of self given music lessons from a book by the famed North Carolina guitarist Arthur Smith. It is this rich family tradition, these years of practice, and the multi-dimensional experience that gives us Jerry Harmon, the Smoky Mountain Gypsy.
Jerry shares his Smoky Mountain home with his wife, Maria, and their two Schnauzers--the infamous, "Shadow" and his new friend, "Rosie." Friends come often to the Harmon household, pulling up a chair, helping themselves to a cup a coffee or a cold bottle of water from the refrigerator. After you've been in the Harmon house more than five minutes, you realize you are no longer a guest--you are at home! Jerry gathers people around him like the mountains gather the clouds,-- at home together... as much as the man and his music and the traditions of his storytelling.
Jerry's new studio album 'Walk Softly' sees him team up with acclaimed producer Pat Holt (Dr. Hook, Keith Bryant, Darlene Austin) for a record that embraces both his songwriting heritage and the contemporary country scene. Lead single, and title track, Walk Softly is a moving song that represents his journey to this point in time.
To celebrate the release Jerry will be returning to the UK for a handful of intimate shows.
