Jerry Douglas photo courtesy of JP Cutler Media.
Aug. 19, 2008 — Jerry Douglas titled his last album Best Kept Secret, a rather humorous nod to the fact that while he’s well-known on Nashville’s Music Row, he’s not quite a household name with the general public.
That’s begun to change in recent years, in part because when he signed up with Alison Krauss’ band, they agreed to tack his name onto the official banner: Alison Krauss + Union Station Featuring Jerry Douglas. And in that setting, he always gets a chance to tear through a solo set that shows off his unworldly skill on the instrument.
Today, he releases his 12th album, Glide, with guest appearances by Rodney Crowell, Travis Tritt and Earl Scruggs, among others.
That’s particularly cool because Earl was unwittingly one of Jerry’s mentors.
"My dad was a musician," Jerry told The Tennessean, "and he and his band did a song called 'When My Blue Moon Turns To Gold Again.' "I remember learning to play the melody to that song all the way through, the way Earl Scruggs would have done on a banjo. It was making a cohesive statement with the melody, and at the same time keeping the whole thing moving. And I remember that when I showed that to him and his band, they were going, 'Whoa, how'd he do that?' So then I thought, 'I've got something going here that's different.'"
Jerry’s parlayed his "different" sound into quite a career. He’s won Grammy Awards and instrumental trophies from the Academy of Country Music. Plus, he’s the reigning Musician of the Year for the Country Music Association; it’s the third time he’s had that honor.
For many years, the Dobro was frowned upon by hitmakers, but he helped bring it to the forefront, appearing on such hits as Little Big Town’s "Boondocks," Alan Jackson’s "A Woman’s Love," Garth Brooks’ "Callin’ Baton Rouge" and Trisha Yearwood’s "Walkaway Joe." And Jerry gets credit for even more.
"People come up to me and go, 'I heard you on this song,'" he said. "I think, 'Should I tell 'em it's not me?’ Or just be quiet and glad that the instrument's on the radio?'"
In conjunction with the album’s release, Jerry is an Artist In Residence at the Country Music Hall of Fame, performing four shows at the institution’s intimate Ford Theater. He’s booked tonight, Aug. 27, Sept. 16 and Sept. 30.
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