Jerry Lawson
Encyclopedia
Jerry Lawson is a lead singer, producer, musical arranger, performer, best known as the original lead singer of The Persuasions
.
Born as Jerome E. Lawson in Ft Lauderdale, Florida, he was raised in Apopka, Florida
. He currently resides in Scottsdale, Arizona
with his wife, Julie.
group The Persuasions
. In the 1970s, with Jerry Lawson on lead vocals, the Persuasions had no less than five albums in the Billboard Top 100, four of which were in The Billboard 200
:
For many, Lawson's Persuasions became the face of a cappella music, continuing to successfully record and perform up to 2003 when Lawson went solo. In 2000 they performed in the Blues Clues film Blue's Big Musical Movie
.
, vowing that his a cappella days were over (though fate would intervene). He got his first day job in 40 years and began working with developmentally disabled adults while his wife worked tirelessly to establish Jerry as a solo artist. He began to work with jazz
combos and big band
s, and eventually made plans to record with The Moscow Philharmonic. He was finally living out some of his dreams that were on the back burner while working hard to keep the dying art of a cappella alive.
In 2004, Lawson was introduced to 4 of the members of the San Francisco-based a cappella group Talk of the Town (Rayfield Ragler, Stan Lockwood, Paul Carrington and Carl Douglas). As fate would have it Talk of The Town had spent 35 years studying Lawson's recordings and wishing they had a lead singer like Jerry. Upon his wife's urging he finally realized that it was no accident that he intersected with these well seasoned vocalists. Lawson took the plunge, becoming lead singer for the group. He was so impressed with their rendition of "Paper Doll
" by The Mills Brothers
that he and his wife were compelled to join with these vocalists to produce what Lawson considers to be the masterpiece of his a cappella career.
In 2007 they independently released Jerry Lawson & Talk of the Town. While certainly reminiscent of the Persuasions, the sound of TOTT was noticeably different, with more focus on a single lead singer and a smoother tighter group harmony backing Lawson's gruff leads. The album features several guest performers including Sean Altman (formerly of Rockapella
), Jerry's daughter Yvette Lawson singing lead on track 8 and his wife, manager and co producer Julie closes the CD with Jerry & TOTT summing up a bit of their 34 years together on track 20. Sadly, within a year of the album's release, bass singer Ray Ragler died on March 16, 2008. Clips from the album can be heard on their MySpace page and the CD can be purchased directly from http://www.jerrylawson.biz
In response to Hurricane Katrina
, Jerry Lawson performed with Rod Stewart
in the Katrina Benefit Telecast, September 9, 2005.
Since 2007, one of the most requested videos on children's television network Noggin has been Jerry's video of "I'm So Glad (I've Got Skin)", which he first recorded with the Persuasions, and performed for Noggin with Talk of the Town.
In 2008, during the US presidential campaign, Jerry teamed up again with Talk of the Town to record a re-working of the Dixie Chicks
' song I Hope
(a song which had appeared with the song's original lyrics on the Jerry Lawson & Talk of the Town album) as a tribute to then presidential candidate Barack Obama.
In 2009, Jerry Lawson collaborated with singer/songwriter James Power on a tribute recording to gospel legend Reverend Claude Jeter
of the Swan Silvertones
, on a track titled "The Man in Room 1009".
In 2010, Jerry Lawson appeared in a documentary titled "A Lesson in A Cappella", by filmmaker/director Keith Lewis, on the art of a cappella music. In this documentary, Jerry discusses the evolution and future of the musical art form, as well as performing several a cappella songs. His performances are with Talk of the Town, with a bonus feature with James Power.
On March 28, 2010, Jerry Lawson was inducted into the Doo Wop Hall of Fame at Boston Symphony Hall. During the induction ceremonies, Jerry performed with the a cappella group The GrooveBarbers consisting of former Rockapella
members Sean Altman, Charlie Evett, Steve Keyes, and new member Kevin Weist. They performed Chain Gang, Drip Drop, and Mint Julep. Jerry's induction acceptance speech into the Doo Wop Hall of Fame.
Lawson and Talk of the Town competed in season 2 of the NBC
television series The Sing-Off
and on Monday night, December 20, the group faced off against three other contestant groups for the sing off title. They were the first group eliminated ranking #4 overall in the final vote.
Jerry Lawson (solo)
The Persuasions
The Persuasions are an a cappella group that began singing together in Brooklyn, New York in the mid 1960s. They have performed interpretations of both secular and non-secular music, and have covered a wide range of musical genres....
.
Born as Jerome E. Lawson in Ft Lauderdale, Florida, he was raised in Apopka, Florida
Apopka, Florida
Apopka is a city located in Orange County, Florida, United States. The population was 26,969 at the 2000 census. According to the U.S Census estimates of 2006, the city grew to 53,563. It is part of the Orlando–Kissimmee Metropolitan Statistical Area. Apopka is an Indian word for “Potato...
. He currently resides in Scottsdale, Arizona
Scottsdale, Arizona
Scottsdale is a city in the eastern part of Maricopa County, Arizona, United States, adjacent to Phoenix. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, as of 2010 the population of the city was 217,385...
with his wife, Julie.
Career
Jerry Lawson is the original lead singer, arranger & producer of the a cappellaA cappella
A cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...
group The Persuasions
The Persuasions
The Persuasions are an a cappella group that began singing together in Brooklyn, New York in the mid 1960s. They have performed interpretations of both secular and non-secular music, and have covered a wide range of musical genres....
. In the 1970s, with Jerry Lawson on lead vocals, the Persuasions had no less than five albums in the Billboard Top 100, four of which were in The Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
:
- We Came to Play #32 Billboard R&B (1971) Billboard 200 (#189)
- Spread the Word #40 Billboard R&B (1972) Billboard 200 (#195)
- Street Corner Symphony #16 Billboard R&B (1972) Billboard 200 (#88)
- We Still Ain't Got No Band #49 Billboard R&B (1973) Billboard 200 (#178)
- More Than Before #52 Billboard R&B (1974)
For many, Lawson's Persuasions became the face of a cappella music, continuing to successfully record and perform up to 2003 when Lawson went solo. In 2000 they performed in the Blues Clues film Blue's Big Musical Movie
Blue's Big Musical Movie
Blue's Big Musical Movie is a 2000 American direct-to-video movie based on the Blue's Clues television series, and acted as the first full length musical film for the character of Blue the Dog. The film had a television premiere in September 2000...
.
Beyond The Persuasions
In 2003 after four decades and 22 albums, Lawson had what he calls a calling and he left the Persuasions. He and his wife moved to ArizonaArizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, vowing that his a cappella days were over (though fate would intervene). He got his first day job in 40 years and began working with developmentally disabled adults while his wife worked tirelessly to establish Jerry as a solo artist. He began to work with jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
combos and big band
Big band
A big band is a type of musical ensemble associated with jazz and the Swing Era typically consisting of rhythm, brass, and woodwind instruments totaling approximately twelve to twenty-five musicians...
s, and eventually made plans to record with The Moscow Philharmonic. He was finally living out some of his dreams that were on the back burner while working hard to keep the dying art of a cappella alive.
In 2004, Lawson was introduced to 4 of the members of the San Francisco-based a cappella group Talk of the Town (Rayfield Ragler, Stan Lockwood, Paul Carrington and Carl Douglas). As fate would have it Talk of The Town had spent 35 years studying Lawson's recordings and wishing they had a lead singer like Jerry. Upon his wife's urging he finally realized that it was no accident that he intersected with these well seasoned vocalists. Lawson took the plunge, becoming lead singer for the group. He was so impressed with their rendition of "Paper Doll
Paper Doll (song)
"Paper Doll" was a hit song for the Mills Brothers. In the United States it held the number-one position on the Billboard singles chart for twelve weeks, from November 6, 1943, to January 22, 1944. The success of the song represented something of a revival for the group, after a few years of...
" by The Mills Brothers
Mills Brothers
The Mills Brothers, sometimes billed as The Four Mills Brothers, were an American jazz and pop vocal quartet of the 20th century who made more than 2,000 recordings that combined sold more than 50 million copies, and garnered at least three dozen gold records...
that he and his wife were compelled to join with these vocalists to produce what Lawson considers to be the masterpiece of his a cappella career.
In 2007 they independently released Jerry Lawson & Talk of the Town. While certainly reminiscent of the Persuasions, the sound of TOTT was noticeably different, with more focus on a single lead singer and a smoother tighter group harmony backing Lawson's gruff leads. The album features several guest performers including Sean Altman (formerly of Rockapella
Rockapella
Rockapella is an American a cappella musical group formed in 1986 in New York City. Their name is derived from the words "rock" and "a cappella". They sing original vocal music and a cappella covers of pop and rock songs; over time, their sound has evolved from high-energy pop and world music...
), Jerry's daughter Yvette Lawson singing lead on track 8 and his wife, manager and co producer Julie closes the CD with Jerry & TOTT summing up a bit of their 34 years together on track 20. Sadly, within a year of the album's release, bass singer Ray Ragler died on March 16, 2008. Clips from the album can be heard on their MySpace page and the CD can be purchased directly from http://www.jerrylawson.biz
In response to Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
, Jerry Lawson performed with Rod Stewart
Rod Stewart
Roderick David "Rod" Stewart, CBE is a British singer-songwriter and musician, born and raised in North London, England and currently residing in Epping. He is of Scottish and English ancestry....
in the Katrina Benefit Telecast, September 9, 2005.
Since 2007, one of the most requested videos on children's television network Noggin has been Jerry's video of "I'm So Glad (I've Got Skin)", which he first recorded with the Persuasions, and performed for Noggin with Talk of the Town.
In 2008, during the US presidential campaign, Jerry teamed up again with Talk of the Town to record a re-working of the Dixie Chicks
Dixie Chicks
The Dixie Chicks are an American country band which has also successfully crossed over into other genres. The band is composed of founding members Martie Erwin Maguire and Emily Erwin Robison, and lead singer Natalie Maines...
' song I Hope
I Hope
"I Hope" is a country–pop song written and performed by the American all-female trio Dixie Chicks for their seventh studio album, Taking the Long Way, in 2006.It was nominated for two Grammy Awards at the 48th ceremony, but lost in both categories....
(a song which had appeared with the song's original lyrics on the Jerry Lawson & Talk of the Town album) as a tribute to then presidential candidate Barack Obama.
In 2009, Jerry Lawson collaborated with singer/songwriter James Power on a tribute recording to gospel legend Reverend Claude Jeter
Claude Jeter
Claude A. Jeter was an African American gospel music singer. Originally a coal miner from Kentucky, Jeter formed the group that would eventually become one of the most popular gospel quartets of the post-war era – the Swan Silvertones...
of the Swan Silvertones
Swan Silvertones
The Swan Silvertones were an American gospel music group that achieved popularity in the 1940s and 1950s while led by Claude Jeter. Jeter formed the group in 1938 as the "Four Harmony Kings" while he was working as a coal miner in West Virginia...
, on a track titled "The Man in Room 1009".
In 2010, Jerry Lawson appeared in a documentary titled "A Lesson in A Cappella", by filmmaker/director Keith Lewis, on the art of a cappella music. In this documentary, Jerry discusses the evolution and future of the musical art form, as well as performing several a cappella songs. His performances are with Talk of the Town, with a bonus feature with James Power.
On March 28, 2010, Jerry Lawson was inducted into the Doo Wop Hall of Fame at Boston Symphony Hall. During the induction ceremonies, Jerry performed with the a cappella group The GrooveBarbers consisting of former Rockapella
Rockapella
Rockapella is an American a cappella musical group formed in 1986 in New York City. Their name is derived from the words "rock" and "a cappella". They sing original vocal music and a cappella covers of pop and rock songs; over time, their sound has evolved from high-energy pop and world music...
members Sean Altman, Charlie Evett, Steve Keyes, and new member Kevin Weist. They performed Chain Gang, Drip Drop, and Mint Julep. Jerry's induction acceptance speech into the Doo Wop Hall of Fame.
Lawson and Talk of the Town competed in season 2 of the NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
television series The Sing-Off
The Sing-Off
The Sing-Off is an American television singing competition featuring a cappella groups. It premiered on NBC on December 14, 2009, and is produced by Sony Pictures Television....
and on Monday night, December 20, the group faced off against three other contestant groups for the sing off title. They were the first group eliminated ranking #4 overall in the final vote.
Discography
Jerry Lawson (with The Persuasions)- 1969 - The Persuasions Acappella
- 1970 - We Came To Play
- 1971 - Street Corner Symphony
- 1972 - Spread The Word
- 1974 - I Just Want To Sing With My Friends
- 1977 - Chirpin'Chirpin'-Track listing:# "Papa Oom Mow Mow" – 2:18# "Willie and Laura Mae Jones" – 3:15# "Moonlight and Music" – 3:00# "Johnny Porter" – 4:34# "Looking for an Echo" – 4:11# "Women and Drinkin'" – 6:53# "Sixty Minute Man" – 2:00# "Win Your Love " – 3:32...
- 1979 - Comin' At Ya
- 1982 - Good News
- 1984 - No Frills
- 1988 - Live in the Whispering Gallery
- 1993 - Toubo's Song
- 1993 - Ships at Sea, Sailors and Shoes [with Ned Sublette & Lawrence Weiner]
- 1994 - Right Around the Corner
- 1994 - Stardust (reissue)
- 1996 - Sincerely
- 1997 - Man, Oh Man: The Power of The Persuasions (1970-72 Capitol masters compilation)
- 1997 - You're All I Want for Christmas
- 1999 - On the Good Ship Lollipop
- 2000 - Sunday Morning Soul
- 2000 - Frankly A Cappella: The Persuasions Sing Frank ZappaFrankly A CappellaFrankly A Cappella: The Persuasions Sing Zappa is a 2000 album by the singing group The Persuasions. Frank Zappa heard them over the phone while they were singing in a record shop on the East Coast and flew them out to L.A. to record their first LP. It was on Zappa's label. This recording serves...
- 2000 - Might As Well... The Persuasions Sing Grateful Dead
- 2002 - The Persuasions Sing the Beatles
- 2003 - A Cappella Dreams
Jerry Lawson (solo)
- 2003 - "Born to Run" from A Tribute to Bruce Springsteen (with Jimmy Hayes)
- 2007 - Jerry Lawson and Talk of the Town
- 2009 - "The Man in Room 1009" (with James Power)