Thats a GREAT picture...JFlo is lookin' GOOD!! And you lovely ladies look terrific! What did y'all say that got that big smile out of Jerry?
LORI
Awww thanks Lori (and Gwen)...I'm not sure what we said to get the grin from Jerry- we usually don't get to see any of his pretty teeth so this pic is rather special! My aunt took the picture and my mom was standing beside her and I think she may have said something to make Jerry laugh. Maybe along the lines of "Oh Jerry, Jerry, Jerry!" lol
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You can never have too much of a good thing!
...You gotta live while you can Posts: 973 | From: Nashville | Registered: Mar 2005
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-------------------- *Bonnie*Customs Agent~12/17/05 San Jose~Thanks Monkeyville:)
What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us. Posts: 1718 | From: Sunnyvale, California | Registered: Jul 2004
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He has already toured the world, performed on the Oscars and collaborated with superstars, but Jerry Flowers believes his musical career is just beginning. "In the last two years, the whole Nashville scene has just opened up for me," says the musician, songwriter and record producer. "My life has gone from being a sideman to just taking off as a songwriter. This is a really exciting time for me. I feel like my life is just beginning." Jerry Flowers is the co-writer and producer of the 2008 Jo Dee Messina Curb Records single "I'm Done." He is also writing and producing tunes with former Wreckers member Jessica Harp for Warner Bros. Records. He and hit songwriter Liz Rose are working with 17-year-old McCall Clark, a talented Salt Lake City youth he describes as “the new Taylor Swift.” Says Jerry, "She's a full-blown star. She is an amazing lyricist. With her and Liz Rose, it's a perfect combination.
"I'm writing a lot with Liz Rose right now. I’m getting to write songs with amazing people, really high-end guys – Tony Martin, Mark Nesler, Blair Daly, Liz, Monty Powell, Darrell Brown, people like that. And every time I write, I learn something new."
Although he was raised in Pinch, West Virginia, country music was not Jerry's first love. As a child, he didn’t dream of even becoming a musician. That changed when he was 12 years old. His older brother, Randy, handed him a guitar and taught him to play Def Leppard's "Photograph."
"He's three years older than me, and he taught me everything. My brother is an amazing musician. We played in bar bands growing up. I was a huge Van Halen fan as a kid. And I spent most of my teenage years being into r&b – Prince, Stevie Wonder and Sam Cooke. Otis Redding was one of my absolute favorites."
Jerry, brother Randy and their West Virginia buddy John Deaderick moved to Music City to seek their musical fortunes in January 1993. Randy found work backing Wynonna and Lorrie Morgan. He is now the guitarist for Meat Loaf. John was hired by the Dixie Chicks and is now with Michael McDonald.
"We moved here together, the three of us in a two-bedroom apartment," Jerry recalls. "I got a job at the Baptist Sunday School Board, stocking Bibles in the warehouse. I was only there for about six months. I quit and became a waiter at O'Charley's. Within a couple of days after that, I meet Keith Urban's manager. I had a little audition with Keith and two weeks later, I was touring Australia with him for six months. It was the summer of 1993, and it was a little scary because I was still a very innocent hillbilly from West Virginia.
"Keith really educated me. He is the one who taught me about country music, because that guy is a walking library of it. I don't think he listened to rock music at all, growing up. You can name any country song, and he'll know every lyric. He's obsessed with Merle Haggard. He got me listening to really great, old-school country artists. That's how I really got into it. Now I've become obsessed with Hank Williams Sr. Because of Keith, I developed a love for country music.
"I just love the songwriting aspect. To me, there's nothing harder to write than a great country song."
One of Jerry’s earliest songwriting collaborators was Americana artist Paul Thorn. Their "Downtown Babylon" later appeared on Paul's 2002 CD, and "That's a Lie" was recorded by the artist for his 2004 collection. Both were written when Jerry Flowers was still a member of The Ranch, the band that introduced Keith Urban to the world. Jerry played bass and sang harmony vocals on the group's 1997 debut CD.
The Ranch broke up in 1998. Jerry briefly joined Big House and was then recruited to tour with the Dixie Chicks for three years. In 2001 he reunited with Randy Flowers and John Deaderick in a rock band called Pinch. Jerry became Jennifer Hanson's bandleader in 2003.
"All this time, I was writing. My brother and I were writing country songs, and that’s when I really started getting into it."
Jerry next served short stints playing bass for Lorrie Morgan and singer-songwriter Sarah Siskin. Then came his tenure in Counting Crows. The rock band was nominated for an Academy Award for "Accidentally in Love," its theme song for Shrek 2. So Jerry performed on the 2004 Oscar telecast.
"But the Crows didn’t want to tour that much. About four years ago, Keith called me back. So I made the decision to go back with Keith, which was the best decision I ever made in my life. It completely changed my whole career.
"He's been really great with trying to teach me the art of writing a great country song. He's amazing at it. He’s the most talented guy I've ever met in my life. And because of the Keith Urban gig, I get to meet so many different artists. Through that, I get to write with some of them."
Keith Urban and Jerry Flowers have cowritten such songs as "All Because of You" and "Kill the Man." Jerry and Jo Dee Messina have collaborated on several songs, as well, including "I'm Done."
"My strong point is that I am a melody and 'riff' guy," Jerry comments. "Jo Dee turned out to be an incredible writer. She’s got a great sense of who she is and what she wants to say, lyrically. I’m a high-energy guy when it comes to music, and she liked my enthusiasm. We talked a lot about records. And she just called me one day and gave me a shot at producing her. The label ended up loving it.
"Right after that, I wrote quite a few songs with Cyndi Thomson. And Jessica Harp and I get along great. We started writing together, and that really worked. The next thing I know, I was hired to produce her. After Jessica, the next goal is to work with this young girl, McCall Clark.
"I still love the Keith Urban gig. Musically, it's everything I could hope for. Every person in the band is great. And I’m still blown away every time I watch Keith on stage. The producing and songwriting things are starting to really take off, but I just can’t see myself ever wanting to leave being on the road with him. We play because we love to play. And every single time I'm home, they book my songwriting schedule up.
"This has been such a fun learning experience for me. I tell you, l am having the time of my life. I've made a decision to just go for it all."
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