Started drum lessons at 8. Guitar lessons at 9 with Enrico Zizzi. First band & gig(w/t Rick Depofi,great Sax player) was at age 12. Played rock, then mostly funk/soul till I got into country & Steel Guitar at 16. I was lucky that at that time, Endicott,NY native, Dick Miller (monster player/master builder) was back from Nashville and playing locally and building Steel guitars. Bought my first Steel(D-10 MSA) from him. I got to go to his gigs to watch & learn from one of the best!
I first moved to Nashville in 77. Played around town and toured the States & Canada. Back to Binghamton,NY where I played with the "Bob Fitzgerald Band" with jazz great, drum instructor, "Tony Monforte". During this time I began teaching guitar at the "Tony Monforte school of Modern Drumming". It was also during this time I recorded tracks with Beach Boys long time bass player "Ed Carter". Later, moved to Atlantic City to play in the house band at Ceasar's Hotel & Casino. Back to Nashville, more touring, which led to playing in Oslo,Norway for 2 months. Had my own band "Straight from the Heart" where I got the opportunity to work with Modern Drummer magazine contibutor, Chris Adams , and co-author of "The New Breed II" Gary Chester drum method. Recently I've been mostly playing Guitar & Bass with local bands in and around the Binghamton, NY area as well as doing some teaching & recording.
My main Steel guitar is a Bethel D-10 9&9 built by Dick Miller especially for Terry Bethel who plays steel for Mel Tillis . On the design of the guitar , Terry told me he found the gray mica in Florida, called Dick in Nashville and said " I don't want the whole guitar gray...just do something different with it". Well, he did! Besides diagonally splitting the apron with gray & black mica he framed it with gold trim and then topped it off by gold plating the changer and head stocks, making this the flagship guitar for the Bethel Steel Guitar Company!
This guitar can also be heard on a number of tracks on Terry's must have steel guitar CD "If We Could".
I am now playing guitar with the "Blue Shift" blues band. Great players,good people and a great band! Check out the website for upcoming gigs.
*****I'm also currently working with Terry Bethel on HIS website, so lots more info, music & great pictures of a steel guitar legend to come! His new CD to be out soon!*****
Born January 5, 1944, in Endicott ,NY. and started playing steel in his early teens. Dick's major influence was his brother Jim who played guitar for Hal Lone Pine and also taught Lenny Breau early in his career. Dick also served in the Navy before he started to play professionally throughout the country. He was a original member of Loretta Lynn's Coal Miners. He also was one of the first in a long line of well known Steel players that played for"The Tall Texan"Claude Gray. He performed with many top Nashville acts and played famous venues such as the Grand Ole Opry and Printers Alley before ending up in Las Vegas with the Judy Lynn show. He later joined Terry Bethel and the Borrowed Band, playing twin steels. Throughout his life Dick was a master cabinetmaker and woodworker. Everything he did was keenly thought out and he was extremely detailed in all his work. He married his wife Kaye while living in Las Vegas. He also had four children--Ann, Lisa, Chris and Kathy--by a previous marriage. Dick moved back to Tennessee with Kaye in the late 80's and in conjunction with steel player Terry Bethel, he designed and built the Bethel Pedal Steel Guitar. Dick also built guitar cabinets as well as complete guitars for many other guitar companies such as JCH and Fessenden. Other builders often sought his advice on technical matters. Paul Franklin Sr. builder of Franklin Steel Guitars had commented quite favorably on Dick's ability and talent as a master craftsman. Besides building guitars, Dick also serviced and restored other brands of guitars for many top players until his untimely death, September 11, 2002. Based on an article by Dan Dowd & Jerry Fessenden
Dick working on Steel Guitar Hall of Fame, Leon McAuliffe's Bigsby guitar.
Nashville Steel Guitar Association's Legends Award recipient Russ Hicks dedicated his CD "On the C side" in memory of Dick Miller. Dick had restored a 1978 Super Pro "Eldorado" for Russ and that guitar was played on this CD.
I played steel & guitar for "Always...Patsy Cline" in 11/06 at the "Cidermill Playhouse" in Endicott,NY.
I played the show again in 2/07 at the "Glen Loch Theater" in Syracuse,NY and got to work with guitar player John Cadley and fiddle great Joe Davoli . The lead in both shows being played by Syracuse based, acclaimed actress & singer, Becky Bottrill. I really love playing these classic songs and being a part of this production. A GREAT SHOW!
Was asked to play guitar with "ACTS" who performed at the "Concert for Gerry"on 2/10/07. Great bunch of guys & great musicians too! Bill Davis(guitar & lead vocals), Jeff Howell (Bass & vocals), Mike Ricciardi(Drums), Bob Twining(Keyboards) & Don Wilkins(Keyboards & vocals).
Had a big time playin real "Rock & Roll" with some of the best. The "concert" had a huge turnout which was a great tribute to Gerry's life and family.
It was a shock that we lost Gerry so suddenly....we'll all miss him.
A celebration of the life and music of Gerry Sherwood.
On January 5th, 2007, Gerry Sherwood left this world much too early, leaving behind the music and memories of four decades of live performance, recording and songwriting.On February 10th, days shy of what would have been Gerry's 52nd birthday, we gather at Magic City Music Hall to celebrate his life and music.